The global reach of the Premier League continues to grow, with UEFA reporting a 23% increase in international broadcasting deals starting in the 2025/26 season. However, domestically, the market remains flat and below its peak from the 2017/18 season. The League also maintains the most equitable revenue distribution model among Europe’s top leagues.
Under the Premier League’s centralized broadcasting model, both domestic and international media rights are negotiated for a set period (known as a cycle). The revenue generated from these deals, after costs, is distributed among the Premier League clubs, as well as across the broader football ecosystem. This includes funding for the English Football League, youth development, and grassroots initiatives. For more insights into how the central distribution model works, check out our recent blog post Premier League Broadcast Distribution for Season 2023/24.
Both the domestic and international broadcasting deals are entering a new cycle for the 2025/26 season.
Domestic Market
Over the past six seasons, the domestic market has seen little growth, and while the latest deal was promoted as the largest in Premier League history, it spans four years, resulting in a year-on-year increase of only 2.3% compared to the current cycle. Additionally, this new cycle includes 270 live games, up from the 200 live games in the previous cycle, which effectively results in a decrease in the value per live game.
And at £1.67 billion per year, the domestic deal is still below its peak of £1.72 billion from the 2016/17 to 2018/19 cycle.
The domestic deal is still however some 65% higher than Spain’s domestic rights, which are the second-highest in Europe.
International Market
The international market tells a different story. The current cycle, running from the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season, saw a 17% increase from the previous cycle, reaching £1.78 billion. For the new cycle starting next season, the value has risen by an additional 23%, reaching £2.17 billion. International rights now exceed domestic rights by 30% and have grown ten-fold since 2007.
This global demand is an incredible success story for the Premier League and sets it apart from any other football league. It is partly driven by the major clubs building their brands through international tours, partnerships, and a stronger global marketing push. Also, the increasing influence of US private equity and Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds (such as Saudi PIF) makes these markets even more valuable to the league.
International broadcasting rights are negotiated across numerous countries and media organizations, and they will not all follow the same four-year cycle as the domestic rights. The largest market, the United States, is valued at £378 million, with other major markets including the Middle East & Africa (£150 million) and Southeast Asia (£80 million).
The Premier League’s international rights are now three times the value of Spain’s, which are the second-highest in Europe.
Total Broadcast Deals
The combined value of both domestic and international broadcasting deals for the 2025/26 season will be £3.84 billion, representing an increase of £420 million over the current cycle.
What Does This Mean for the Clubs?
Around 80% of the income generated from the sale of broadcasting rights is distributed to the Premier League clubs, while the remaining portion covers league administration costs and what is called the “solidarity payment” to support the wider football community.
With a £480 million increase, this means around £340 million could be distributed to Premier League clubs, although the exact allocation is not known. As we have seen, most of this increase comes from the international market, where currently 82% of the distribution is shared equally among all clubs, with the remaining portion allocated based on league position.
If this distribution model remains unchanged (though this is not guaranteed), each club could receive a minimum of £14 million, plus an additional £270,000 for each position in the league standings, and this comes at no cost to the club. This additional revenue therefore gives clubs additional financial resources to continue to attract top talent and solidify the Premier League's position as the strongest league in Europe.
The Premier League's Distribution Model
The Premier League is known for having the most equitable broadcast income distribution model. Approximately 67% of total distributions are shared equally among the clubs, ensuring that even the lowest-placed club receives more than £100 million.
The chart below shows the total broadcast distributions by club for season 2023/24.
To further demonstrate, Manchester City, the top club, received £176 million, which is 1.26 times what the median club (Crystal Palace, in 10th place) received (£140 million). This ratio is considerably lower than in other major European leagues, as shown in the chart below.
While the Premier League does face financial challenges and, like all leagues, works to manage the dominance of a few clubs and give newly promoted teams a fair shot, its broadcasting distribution model remains strong. This model undoubtedly contributes to the league’s ongoing competitiveness and global success.
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