How much prize money can teams win in FA Cup?

Published6 November 2026, 07:50 GMT

It's not just the glory of a historic trophy that appeals to teams competing in the FA Cup.

The world's oldest national football tournament can provide a significant financial boost to lower-league clubs.

With the Football Association's participation prize money on offer for both losers and winners at nearly every round, as well as lucrative TV bonuses and gate fees on top, there are big monetary incentives for smaller teams to progress as far as possible.

A total of 743 teams entered the men's competition and 535 entered the women's tournament - so how is the money allocated to them all?

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Men's and women's FA Cup prize money breakdown

Including preliminary and qualifying rounds, there are a total of 14 rounds in the men's FA Cup, with prizes for both the winners and losers in all but three matches.

All twelve rounds in the women's FA Cup have participation fees for both the winners and losers.

How much do teams get for appearing on TV in the FA Cup?

Eight matches have been chosen for live TV coverage in the men's first round, with two being shown on the BBC.

The 16 clubs taking part in these fixtures will receive a live television broadcast fee of £50,000 on top of their participation fees.

Broadcast fees increase as the tournament progresses, with third-round payments of £80,000 per club being paid in 2025-26, once Premier League teams entered the competition, rising to £120,000 by the fifth round.

Broadcast rights for the Women's FA Cup are shared by TNT Sports and Channel 4, with Women's Super League clubs entering in the fourth round.

How do teams split gate receipts in the FA Cup?

Under FA Cup rules, funds from gate receipts are shared equally between the two clubs - after certain hosting costs are taken out.

It means lower league clubs can potentially get a significant financial boost by being drawn away against a Premier League side from the third round onward.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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