Kieran Maguire: Sunderland could land ‘very significant’ windfall after £100m Times report
The FA Cup can still be a “very significant” income stream for Football League clubs likes Sunderland – even though its value is in decline.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the price of the new overseas Fa Cup TV deal.
The Times reported on 12 November that the FA is preparing to take a 20 per cent hit on the value of the deal to broadcast the competition abroad.
That would value the new rights package at around £100m, and it is claimed that new four-year deals have already been agreed.
League One Sunderland have already been knocked out of this season’s Fa Cup in the first round proper after a 1-0 defeat to Mansfield Town.
But Maguire details how the Black Cats could still pocket a healthy sum when the new Fa Cup deal comes into play.
“It can still be very significant,” he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.
“But the Fa halved the prize money for clubs in 2020, and that has not increased since.
“Sadly, we now have a very devalued Fa Cup because the clubs don’t take it seriously and many of the fans often don’t take it seriously.
“With that being said, fans take it more seriously in the lower leagues than they do in the upper echelons.
“The prize money for winning it is relatively insignificant for a team in the Premier League.
“It’s nothing compared to the money at stake for qualifying for the Champions League or surviving relegation.
“But on a round-by-round basis, the prize money is reasonable.
“Then there is of course gate receipts as well. For a club like Sunderland with a big home support, that can be significant.”
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