UEFA, clubs to share $1.55B from Champions League

GENEVA — The world’s most lucrative club soccer competition, the European Champions League, will earn a record $1.55 billion in marketing and television revenues for clubs and organizer UEFA this season.

The recession-defying figure is a rise of 33 percent from last season, according to figures released by UEFA.

The payouts will be matched for two more seasons after the European governing body signed global television and sponsorship deals — including top-tier partners Ford, Heineken, MasterCard, PlayStation, Sony and UniCredit — through 2012.

The elite 32 teams featured in the group stage draw next week will share more than two-thirds of total commercial revenues. Their payouts do not include money earned from sales of tickets and merchandise.

Each club is guaranteed a $10.1 million participation fee before play begins in September and will get bonuses based on results. A group stage victory pays $1.14 million, while the final next May is worth an extra $12.8 million to the winner and $7.4 million to the runner-up.

A team which won all six of its group matches and advanced through the knockout rounds to lift the trophy would be guaranteed $44.4 million, plus a share of television rights.

Reigning champion FC Barcelona earned almost exactly that amount last season with television money included. Runner-up Manchester United got the biggest payout, $53.8 million, in part because England is a more valuable television market than Spain.

This season, a tightly controlled distribution formula has created a pool of broadcast money totaling $481 million — a rise of $90 million.

The biggest market pool earner last season was Bayern Munich ($30.6 million), because it was the only German team to reach the knockout stage, while BATE Borisov from the tiny market of Belarus got a $60,000 share.

UEFA has set aside $78 million for the playoff round, a fourth and final stage of qualifying which was introduced for this season’s competition.

The 20 clubs currently taking part in 10 playoff ties — including Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, plus Austria’s Salzburg and FK Ventspils of Latvia — will each receive a fixed $3 million payment.

More than $14.2 million will be distributed among clubs eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League.

UEFA is also spreading $71 million in compensation among clubs who don’t play in either competition but must try to compete for domestic success against those who pad their wealth from regular Champions League appearances.

Swiss-based UEFA will retain around $285 million of total revenues to cover its own costs and make solidarity payments to 53 member associations, national leagues and clubs.

The European Club Association, a recognized lobby group that counts more than 130 clubs as members, will receive at least $3.6 million.

The Champions League group stage draw will be made next Thursday in Monaco. The first matches are played Sept. 15.