How much money Southampton FC really gained in the Premier League last season | OneFootball

Southampton rivalled Derby County for the worst side in Premier League history last season

Statistically, Southampton's 2024/25 campaign in the Premier League is the second-worst in the competition's 33-year history.

The Saints picked up just 12 points across the entire 38-game season, losing 30 of those games, and winning just twice. In the end, they had more managers that year than league wins.

They were only able to celebrate beating Derby County's record low of 11 points in the third-last game of the campaign, which, funnily enough, came by way of a 0-0 draw against Champions League chasers Manchester City, and by the end of the year, the Saints were desensitised to losing, it felt.

It'll go down in history as one of the most depressing top-flight campaigns ever, as the Saints held their place at the foot of the table from November until the end of the year. Surely, no one would want to relive that anytime soon, but despite that, there's excitement at St Mary's currently about a Premier League return.

How much money Southampton earned from their 2024/25 Premier League campaign

It's no secret that last season was no fun for anyone at St Mary's. But, with just two years of parachute payments coming in, there's a desperation to get back to the Premier League, if not this season, then next.

This is due to the sheer amount of money that a club earns just for being a top-flight side. According to a Daily Mail article by Mike Keegan, Southampton earned £109 million last season, despite their evident shortcomings on the field.

And, when you compare that to a regular Championship club, which isn't in receipt of Premier League parachute payments, who are said to earn around £11 million, it's clear to see why the Saints are so eager to get back into the top flight, even if it comes at a cost of losing a lot more than they are now.

The prize money for just being a Premier League club, plus the luxurious TV deals and other commercial revenue that top-flight sides bring in, gives them a massive benefit, even if they are just there for one year.

Prize money reports highlight the desperation Championship clubs have to get into the Premier League

The report from the Daily Mail goes on to highlight that Coventry City lost £21 million last season in their bids to get promoted, and Norwich City also spent £20.7 million to try and get back into the top flight, too, a year after they failed in the play-offs.

And, with the clear financial benefits that come with being in the Premier League, it's easy to see why certain clubs are looking to spend plenty on the field to get into the top-flight, as they'd be able to make that money back just from being in the division for a year.

Even now at Southampton, the excitement around the club comes from being a side that was 21st in November at the time of Will Still's sacking, but is now inside the top six, and also from the fact that they may be returning to a position of great financial benefit.

The financial gap between the top flight and the rest of the EFL is always something that has been known to be large, but this gap between a side that picked up just 12 points compared to some of the better-performing Championship sides only serves to amplify the distance between the two divisions.