There is an emerging school of thought that qualification for the European Champions League is no longer quite the financial and commercial boost that it used to be, given the galactic increase in Premier League TV money showering fortunes on all 20 clubs from 2016-19.
It is true the increase in the English top flight’s broadcasting deals, from £5.1bn in 2013-16 to £8.4bn in the present three-year cycle, is a dramatic windfall – inflated at home by BT’s serious designs on BSkyB’s 25-year subscriber stranglehold and internationally by increased coverage of the Premier League on channels all over the world. However, the idea Champions League participation is now less important dissolves on analysis because it misses several crucial elements – as well as the actual figures, which show it remains a lucrative earner for the top clubs.
Related: Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City: what missing Champions League would mean
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