Winning the Super Bowl is the biggest prize available in the NFL, but how does the prize money compare to soccer clubs that win the Premier League?
As is often the case when comparing American and British sports, the way that prize funds are distributed varies quite significantly.
We’ve compared the two sports to find out who earns more prize money at the end of the season.
Premier League prize money
In the Premier League, there is no specific prize fund for being crowned champions. However, the club that does win the league will receive the highest merit payment from the Premier League’s central payments.
Those merit payments are based on a sliding scale calculated based on where a team finishes between 1st and 20th.
Last season, Manchester City were crowned champions and they received a merit payment of around £53.8million in total.
Liverpool can therefore expect a similar payout at the end of this season for winning the league.
At the end of the campaign, Premier League clubs also receive an equal share of TV and commercial revenues, which significantly boosts their funds at the end of the season.
In 2023-24, Manchester City made the most money and earned a total of £175.9million from their merit payments and commercial streams.
Regarding player bonuses for winning the Premier League, they are decided on a club-by-club basis.
According to Mail Sport, Manchester City handed out bonuses that ranged from £200,000 to over £1million to each player who took part in their title-winning campaign last season.
Liverpool players will likely have similar bonus clauses within their contracts, although the bonus figures are not publicly known.
Super Bowl prize money
Compared to the Premier League, the NFL distributes money differently.
Unlike the Premier League, franchises that win the Super Bowl don’t receive any direct prize money from the NFL.
However, they do benefit from an increased team valuation, merchandise sales and sponsorships when winning the Super Bowl.
It can also be the case that owners or sponsors will hand out bonuses for winning it.
While NFL clubs don’t receive a direct payment for winning the Super Bowl, the indirect financial benefits can often be just as lucrative.
To illustrate this point, the Sports Business Journal recently pointed out that the New England Patriots were worth $464 million in 2000.
Then, in 2024, after six Super Bowl wins, the franchise is worth approximately $7.4 billion.
The financial landscape of a franchise can completely change on the back of success, perhaps even more so than in the Premier League.
Regarding player bonuses for winning the Super Bowl, each winning player is paid a fixed bonus of $171,000 (£132,000) for winning it, while players on the losing team receive a fixed bonus of $96,000 (£73,000).
Generally speaking, the highest-paid NFL players make more money than the top Premier League stars, although end-of-season bonuses can be more lucrative in the Premier League.
In summary, Premier League clubs and players receive more direct prize money for winning the Premier League compared to NFL stars who win the Super Bowl.
However, NFL franchises make more money via indirect revenue streams as a result of winning.
READ NEXT: Every Premier League club ranked by their wage bill in 2024-25
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the highest-paid player from every Premier League season?