Premier League agrees plan to share extra £1.5bn across the football pyramid
The Premier League has approved a proposal to rebalance financial distributions across English football’s top four divisions that would deliver an additional £1.5bn to clubs across the pyramid over the next decade. Clubs voted unanimously to back the so-called "new deal for football" at a meeting on Thursday after talks with the EFL.
The package, described by members as a reset of how funds flow through the game, includes a mechanism described as a 'Lifeboat' fund for clubs in crisis. The offer was developed following discussions between Premier League clubs and the English Football League and is intended to alter revenue sharing between tiers. The Premier League will now put the proposal to the EFL’s board for consideration, with clubs expecting the board to review the details before any formal agreement is reached.
Delegates at Thursday’s meeting endorsed the plan unanimously, a rare show of collective agreement among top-flight clubs on redistribution. The extra £1.5bn referenced in the proposal is to be spread across the pyramid over the next decade, reflecting an explicit commitment to longer-term support for lower-division clubs. Those backing the scheme framed it as a structural reset rather than a short-term arrangement, aiming to change how money is allocated between the four professional tiers.
A central element of the proposal is the establishment of the 'Lifeboat' fund, intended to provide targeted assistance to clubs facing immediate financial distress. The proposal does not set out final governance arrangements in public detail, but the inclusion of an emergency support mechanism was a key selling point in discussions with EFL representatives. Premier League members said the fund would sit alongside the broader redistribution to ensure clubs in acute difficulty could be stabilised.
Sources involved in the talks emphasised that the move followed extensive discussions between the two organisations, with the Premier League presenting the package after consultations with EFL stakeholders. The unanimous vote at the top-flight meeting signals strong internal agreement on the principle of greater sharing, while leaving the specifics to the next stage of consideration. The EFL board is now positioned to examine the proposal and determine whether its membership will accept the terms offered.
If approved by the EFL’s board, the measures would represent a decade-long commitment of additional resources aimed at addressing financial imbalances in the professional game. The Premier League’s decision to advance the offer to the EFL marks a significant step in negotiations over funding distribution, with the details to be settled through the EFL’s governance processes.