Ipswich Town will earn more prize money if they finish above Leicester City this season (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town will earn more prize money if they finish above Leicester City this season (Image: PA)
Ipswich Town will close in on an extra £2.8m if they beat Leicester City at the King Power Stadium this weekend.
That's because the Blues will take a huge step towards finishing 18th in the Premier League, which would see them earn more prize money than if they finished 19th.
The prize money for the 2024/25 campaign is yet to be revealed, but last season, the difference between positions was around £2.8m, which is what bottom club Sheffield United earned.
Burnley, who ended up one place above them, took home £5.7m, while Luton Town in 18th had £8.5m.
These are merit payments from UK and international markets, which combine to create the prize money for the Premier League season.
Each team also earns an 'equal share', which was £86.2m last season, and a 'central commercial' payment, which was £8.2m.
Premier League clubs earned between £2.8m and £56.4m in merit payments last season
Premier League clubs earned between £2.8m and £56.4m in merit payments last season
(Image: Premier League)
Facility fees cover the games picked for television coverage and will vary depending on how many a team had broadcast. Luton, who ranked bottom with 10 matches selected, had £9.3m, which is around the same amount that Ipswich will expect to earn this season.
The only thing that the Blues can control is their merit payment, however, knowing that a win against Leicester will see them close in on 18th place. The two teams are currently level on 22 points, but the Foxes' goal difference (-47) is five lower than Town's (-42).
Of course, both teams will be in the Championship next year, so gaining a psychological edge ahead of a potential promotion battle could be a factor. for goalkeeper Alex Palmer, however, it's about trying to end the season as strong as possible and finish as high up the Premier League table as possible.
"I don't think it's about trying to get one over them," he said. "It's just about going there with the same mentality.
"It's going to be another competitive game and we've got to try and win - that's what we want to do, first and foremost.
"We've got two games left, home and away, and we'll try and get as many points as we can."