The world's most lucrative club football competition, the European Champions League, will earn clubs and organizer UEFA a record $1.55 billion in marketing and television revenues this season. The recession-defying figure is a rise of 33 percent on 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 featuring 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 7.1 million euros participation fee before play begins in September and will get bonuses based on results. A group stage victory pays 0.8 million euros while the final next May is worth an extra 9 million euros to the winner and 5.2 million euros 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 31.2 million euros, 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, 37.8 million euros, 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 337.8 million euros – a rise of 63 million euros. The biggest market pool earner last season was Bayern Munich (21.5 million euros), because it was the only German team to reach the knockout stage, while BATE Borisov from the tiny market of Belarus got a 42,000 euros share. UEFA has set aside 55 million euros 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 2.1 million euros payment. More than 10 million euros will be distributed among clubs eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League. UEFA is also spreading 50 million euros 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 200 million euros 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 2.5 million euros. The Champions League group stage draw is made next Thursday, Aug. 27 in Monaco. The first matches are played Sept. 15.
