Football players in the UK's Premier League clubs were paid $3.7 billion last season. An annual report football finances showed a 15 per cent increase revenue for the League's 20 clubs. The report is the international accountancy company Deloitte. It reported that the wage bill for Premier League teams went $3.5 billion for the first time ever. The report said that 60 per cent of all the revenue earned the League goes wages. This is from 55 per cent in the 2016/17 season. The Premier League's top six clubs, which include Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, have the highest wage bills the League.
The Premier League is the top level English football leagues. It is the most-watched sports league the world. People in 212 countries and territories, 643 million homes worldwide watch it. This means it makes a lot money television rights and merchandising. However, the increase in the wage bill has reduced the profits earned the clubs. Deloitte said: "With the emphasis now clubs to generate revenue growth...it may be that we see the levels of pre-tax profit [go down] the next few years." The teams in the lower half of the League are finding it more difficult to make a profit. The bottom three teams can lose to $130 million if they are relegated the Premier League.
