FA Cup prize money 2017: How much is winning worth? How the prize money compares to the Champions League and Premier League
For non-league and cash-strapped Football League clubs, the money gleaned from an FA Cup run can be the difference between staff being paid one week and the next.
But, as evidenced in the propensity of weakened teams fielded in its early rounds, for Premier League clubs — and on occasion even some Championship clubs — winning a league fixture could be more valuable in fiscal terms than going all the way in the Cup.
With the status as the oldest Cup competition in the world, the promise of unpredictable upsets and the more realistic chance for relatively smaller clubs to lift silverware, fan interest is ensured to remain in the FA Cup even if boardrooms are increasingly disinterested.
Read more: Here's how much Manchester United earned for winning the FA Cup last year
How much do FA Cup winners receive?
A third round victory earns a club £67,500 in prize money, and the team that continues its winning streak all the way up the Wembley steps to lift the Cup will accumulate £3.4m — with a win in the final worth £1.8m alone.
What about TV money?
Any team that did win the Cup would of course make more than the flat £3.4m prize money fee once TV payments and gate receipts are counted up.
The FA currently pays each club performing in a live broadcast a fee of £144,000 and £72,000 for a replay.
That could soon change, however, with recent reports suggesting that the FA is considering scrapping bonus payments for TV fees and will instead distribute the cash equally amongst all clubs still in the competition and thereby diverting more money into lower league clubs more often than not ignored by broadcasters.
Gate receipts distribution
Gate receipts are equally split between the two clubs involved in a tie, meaning an FA Cup tie in a Premier League giant's own backyard remains a significant earner for a club lower down the league ladder with turnover in the low millions.
Last year Dagenham and Redbridge managing director told CityAM that the club earned around £100,000 from its trip to Everton in the third round, which he said would be enough to bring at least two new players to the club.
So it can actually be in a club's long-term interests to play for a draw when pitted against a Premier League giant at home.
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Future increases
FA Cup prize money to clubs is expected to get a substantial increase from the 2018/19 season after the FA negotiated a lucrative £820m international TV rights deal with Pitch International and IMG.
How does the money compare to the Champions League and Premier League?
For top Premier League clubs, however, the money to be earned from the FA Cup is little more than an added bonus to the eight figure sums afforded to them from European and domestic league exploits.
The winner of this season's Champions League can earn a maximum of €57.2m (£49m) in prize money alone (depending on group stage results), while Leicester received just short of £25m in prize money for winning last season's Premier League.
However, both competitions also guarantee far greater revenues from TV while home gate receipts do not have to split. Reigning European champions Real Madrid took home a total of €80m (£69m) in TV and prize money payments while Leicester made just shy of £100m.