In the 2026/27 men's FA Cup first round proper, a club losing a match selected for live television could receive £65,800 in fixed payments for that round: a £50,000 television fee plus £15,800 for defeat. A club winning a match without that TV fee would receive £47,750 in prize money. That leaves the televised loser £18,050 ahead.
This compares possible financial scenarios, not results from matches already played. The Football Association (The FA) announced the broadcast payments on 22 October; the first-round proper fixtures are scheduled for 6 to 9 November 2026.
The calculation: four possible payment outcomes
The £50,000 fee goes to each club in the eight ties selected for live television. First-round prize money depends on the result: £47,750 for a winner and £15,800 for a losing side. Adding the two payments produces these totals per club:
| First-round situation | TV fee | Round prize money | Fixed total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins on live TV | £50,000 | £47,750 | £97,750 |
| Loses on live TV | £50,000 | £15,800 | £65,800 |
| Wins without a TV fee | £0 | £47,750 | £47,750 |
| Loses without a TV fee | £0 | £15,800 | £15,800 |
The headline comparison is £65,800 minus £47,750, giving £18,050. Being picked for television does not change the sporting prize for winning or losing; it adds a separate payment to both clubs in a televised tie. These are gross amounts limited to those two payment categories.
Who receives the TV fee, and when was it announced?
The draw on 19 October set up 40 first-round proper ties. On 22 October, The FA selected eight for live TNT Sports coverage, with two also carried by the BBC. That means 16 clubs receive the £50,000 fee and 20% of the drawn ties are selected for the broadcasts. The announcement does not specify an extra payment when the BBC also carries the match.
The selected fixtures include Oxford City versus Leicester City on 6 November, Stafford Rangers versus Grimsby Town on 8 November, and Plymouth Parkway versus Berkhamsted on 9 November. Altrincham versus Notts County and Cray Wanderers versus Stockport County will also be shown by the BBC alongside TNT Sports. These are UK broadcast listings; they do not confirm carriage in Brazil.
Why this does not mean losing is more profitable
The comparison is not between the two clubs in the same match. It compares a televised loser with a winner from a different tie that has no announced live TV fee. When both sides are in one televised match, the winner would collect £97,750 and the loser £65,800 from these sources, leaving the advancing club £31,950 ahead.
Nor are these figures total revenue or profit. They exclude gate receipts, commercial income, expenses and any payments relating to later rounds. Progression keeps a club in the competition and creates the possibility of further prizes: The FA's 2026/27 schedule lists £79,500 for second-round proper winners and £21,200 for losers. Those future amounts are not part of this first-round comparison.
What is confirmed as of 24 October
The published rates and the selection of eight televised ties are confirmed, not the results of matches still to be played. The £18,050 difference is therefore an editorial calculation based on two fixed first-round FA Cup income streams in 2026/27, not a post-match account of any club's actual finances.
