Liverpool face biggest coronavirus bill from broadcasters of any Premier League club

Liverpool are facing the biggest coronavirus bill from broadcasters of any Premier League club, it has been revealed.

The world’s richest league has forecast a £17.3 million cut in the champions’ television revenue from last season as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

The figure is Liverpool’s share of the £330m rebate clubs were told last season they would need to repay the Premier League’s broadcast partners following the three-month suspension of football.

Liverpool would have pocketed £161.1m but for the pandemic, with that figure forecast to fall to £143.8m when the rebate is paid over the next two seasons.

Runners-up Manchester City face the next biggest bill of £16.8m, which would cut their television money for 2019-20 from £156.7m to £139.9m.

Most clubs are forecast to suffer a cut of around 10.7 per cent, although those who finished towards the foot of the table are expected to sacrifice a lower proportion of their earnings.

Rock-bottom Norwich City, for example, face a cut of less than 7.5 per cent, from £95.2m to £88.1m. However, parachute payments to them, Watford and Bournemouth will also be reduced by £2.6m this season and £2.2m next term, with the teams relegated this season each losing £2.6m in 2021-22.

Promoted clubs Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham will also be forced to repay £8.4m from their first season of television revenues – as will whoever goes up from the Championship next summer.

But it is the clubs in line for the biggest television pay-outs from last season who are facing the largest bills.

Despite finishing behind Manchester United in the final table, Chelsea are expected to lose £16.3m compared to their top-four rivals’ £16.2m because their initial broadcast payment is higher.

It is the same story for Arsenal, who are forecast to pay back £15m, almost £1m more than Wolverhampton Wanderers, who finished ahead of them but were shown live on fewer occasions.

The eighth-placed Gunners are still expected to take home more than both Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, who were sixth in the final table.

The anticipated rebate payments are documented in the Premier League’s 2020-21 handbook.