FA Cup Prize Money

[Rory Fitzgerald]

When I was doing my bit of research on Oldham for the match-thread, I came across some info on FA payments and TV money. I was gonna include in the match thread as an 'aside', but I think its interesting enough to deserve its own thread. In 2011 when City won the Cup, the club collected a total of £4.3mln from the FA and TV companies for winning the cup. £3.4mln prize money and £0.9mln from TV payments. Our recent opponents, Mansfield, received £27,000 for getting through Rd 2 and then pocketed 5 times that for being shown on TV against Liverpool in Rd 3 with a TV payment of £138,850. When fans are contributing £7,000 to Exodus Geohaghan's wages, you get an idea of how far this money goes at non-league level.

 

 

FA Cup payments & TV payments

 

This does not include receipts from gate/attendance. For teams that won their games in Rd 3, they received an FA win payment of £67,500. Teams that participate in Rd 4 only receive a payment from the FA if they win the game. Teams that win this round will receive a payment of £90,000 from the FA. Losers only get payments at the SF & Final stage. Winning the Cup means the winner gets £1.8mln for winning the final and in total, £3.4mln for winning rounds from Rd 3 to the Final (inclusive).

 

TV payments are different however. Given that participants only receive FA payments in this round if they win, it is important for lower league teams to be shown on TV for this round in order to be guaranteed income for playing in this round. Teams appearing on TV in this round shall receive £135,850 and if it goes to a replay and are shown on TV will receive approx £65,000.

 

 

There are 2 non-league teams in this round, Norwich play Luton and Macclesfield play Wigan. Both clubs had hoped that the Prem v Non-League factor could get them on TV but the TV companies have avoided those 2 games. Here are some feelings on it;

 

Macclesfield chief-executive Jon Harris is praying for a bumper FA Cup pay-day for the Moss Rose club.

 

“We are all delighted with another tie at the Moss Rose with the added bonus that we may get the chance to pit our wits against Premier League opposition, which will be a fantastic test for our players. If it was a live TV game, it would probably be worth around £300,000, which would be the season sorted really. It makes life a lot easier."

 

Deciding not to screen giant-killing Luton’s FA Cup fourth round tie at Norwich City on Saturday week is a ‘massive error of judgement’ according to Town managing director Gary Sweet.

Instead of showing the biggest David v Goliath contest left in the competition, the TV companies have gone for the same tired names and will screen Oldham Athletic v Liverpool, Crystal Palace or Stoke City v Manchester City, West Ham United or Manchester United v Fulham, Brentford or Southend United v Chelsea, and Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur.

Sweet said: “I’m massively disappointed. You get those types of games all too frequently. I think there’s been a massive error of judgement from the TV companies on this.

“I think the football population, the football viewers, want to see a Premier League club come up against a non-league club.

 

And the attractivenes of Man Utd ............. they will play their 38th consecutive televised game in the FA Cup when they play Fulham in the 4th round.

 

Overall, the total amount of money in the FA Cup is approx £25mln which is split £10mln from TV and £15mln from the FA in prize-money.

 

Here is the break down of the FA prize money.

 

Round 3 - £67,500

 

Round 4 - £90,000

 

Round 5 - £180,000

 

Round 6 - £360,000

 

Semi FInal (Loser) - £450,000

Semi FInal (Winner) - £900,000

 

Final (Loser) - £900,000

Final (Winner) - £1,800,000

 

 

TV money

 

Rd 3 & 4 - £138,850

 

Rd 5 & 6 - £225,000

 

SF & Final - Not sure, couldnt find figures but I do know that in 2011, £8.7mln of about the £10mln was spent up to Rd 6, so there was about £1.3mln left between the teams for the last 2 rounds.

 

 

The Premier League alone distributes One Billion amongst the 20 teams per season.