Manchester City may have only made it to the semi finals of the Champions League last season, but they were comfortable winners when it comes to earnings from Europe's top club competition.
And to make matters even better for the current Premier League leaders, they earned over £40million more than their biggest rivals, Manchester United, from the competition.
City earned around £76million in Champions League prize money last season to top the table of UEFA payments to clubs.
Manchester City were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Real Madrid but can console themselves with the fact that they were the highest earners
Under former boss Manuel Pellegrini, the Citizens topped their group ahead of Juventus and Borussia Monchengladbach before beating Dynamo Kiev and Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout stages.
They eventually lost in the semi finals to Real Madrid, but their share of lucrative British television rights lifted them above Madrid's £72.7million share of the £1.2billion UEFA prize fund.
Manchester United, who were knocked out at the group stages and sent packing into the Europa League under former boss Louis van Gaal, pocketed just £34.6million from their time in the tournament.
That's less than Arsenal, who made a grand total of £48.5million from the Champions League, and Chelsea who pocketed £62.8million.
The figure earned by the Blues puts them second amongst English clubs behind City and means they took home just £500,000 less than beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, who were awarded £63.3million.
Louis van Gaal led Manchester United's failed Champions League campaign last season
The Red Devils were knocked out in the group stages upon their return to Europe
The reason for City's place at the top of the list comes down to market share of TV money - almost exactly half of their overall earnings came from broadcast revenue.
BT Sport's huge deal to broadcast the Champions League in the UK, plus City's place as the English side that went the furthest, ensured they were out in front.
By comparison, Real Madrid won the competition and received around £13.5million for doing so, plus £23.4million in TV money, but City's £42mililon from their market share of broadcast money meant they leapfrogged the Spanish giants.
Chelsea are well up on the highest earners list despite their exit against Paris Saint-Germain
Zlatan Ibrahimovic inspired PSG to victory over Chelsea in the last 16 of the competition
Juventus were third on the list with earnings of £69.3million from the Champions League.
Despite losing in the last 16 to Bayern Munich, Juventus actually earned more than Manchester City in broadcast revenue thanks to the nature of their domestic TV deal, but their relatively early exit meant they missed out on top spot.
Of the 32 group teams, Maccabi Tel Aviv's total of around £15million share was lowest.
Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final to earn more than £70million
Cristiano Ronaldo hit the final penalty in the shootout to earn another final win over Atletico
The payments were the first in a three-year cycle of Champions League broadcast and sponsorship deals. UEFA predicts a 30 percent revenue rise for the 2018-21 seasons.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: PRIZE MONEY | TEAM | MONEY (£) |
| Manchester City | 76,230,000 |
| Real Madrid | 72,788,182 |
| Juventus | 69,323,636 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 64,366,364 |
| Atletico Madrid | 63,331,818 |
| Chelsea | 62,885,455 |
| AS Roma | 62,237,273 |
| Bayern Munich | 58,537,273 |
| Barcelona | 51,410,909 |
| Arsenal | 48,566,364 |
| Wolfsburg | 45,720,000 |
| Lyon | 38,070,909 |
| Manchester United | 34,663,636 |
| Benfica | 32,868,182 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 31,133,636 |
| Olympiacos | 29,961,818 |
| Galatasaray | 29,535,455 |
| Zenit St. Petersburg | 27,889,091 |
| KAA Gent | 25,402,727 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | 24,694,545 |
| Valencia | 24,538,182 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 24,250,000 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 24,220,000 |
| Porto | 20,218,182 |
| Sevilla | 19,258,182 |
| Malmp | 18,644,545 |
| CSKA Moscow | 17,464,545 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 16,579,091 |
| BATE Borisov | 16,437,273 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 16,020,909 |
| FC Astana | 15,720,000 |
| Maccabi Tel-Aviv | 15,166,364 |
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