United first Premier League club to top £60m mark

Manchester United have become the first club to top the £60 million mark in earnings from Premier League prize money and TV cash.

United earned £60.4 million as the new record overseas TV deals saw top-flight clubs bring in up to £7 million more than last season.

Blackpool were the lowest earners of the Premier League but still saw £39.1 million go into their coffers, while Chelsea earned £57.7m, Manchester City £55.5m and Arsenal £56.2m.

The figures released by the Premier League also show that it has the smallest difference in earnings between the champions and the bottom club in terms of ratio of any major league in Europe.

England's top club earned 1.54 times as much as the bottom in TV money - down from 1.66 last season. In Spain, where TV rights are negotiated on a club-by-club basis, Real Madrid and Barcelona earn 12.5 times more than the smallest clubs in La Liga.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "We believe that our income distribution mechanism, the most equitable of Europe's major football leagues, rewards sporting success while also guaranteeing a significant amount to each club in order that they can plan from one season to the next.

"Many have commented on the competitive nature of this season's Barclays Premier League.

"The clubs deserve huge credit for putting on a fantastic competition. We believe the way we distribute broadcast income plays a part in allowing each club to compete at the highest level."

The Premier League distributes TV rights money based partly on performance, partly via equal shares of TV income, and partly on the number of times a club's matches are screened live on domestic television.

This season, each club received £13.8 million as the equal share of domestic TV rights and £17.9 million as the equal share of overseas TV rights.

On top of that, every place in the Premier League table is worth £756,000 - West Ham received that amount and Manchester United £15.1 million.

Facility fees of £582,000 are paid to a club every time they play in a live TV match - with a minimum income of £5.82 million even if a club has been involved in fewer than 10 live games.

The Premier League also pay out £15 million each in parachute payments to previously relegated clubs Hull, Burnley, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough. The three relegated clubs this season will receive the same amount.

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