The new sponsorship deal Ladbrokes has signed with the SPFL has boosted placement prize money for next season and that will see an increase in prize money for the country’s cash-strapped clubs.
However, the £4 million the bookmakers will plough in over the next two years is dwarfed by the money on offer down south.
The Scottish Premiership champions will receive £2.68m next season and in 2016/17. But by that time the new broadcast deal for the Barclays Premier League will have kicked in.
By then the bottom team in England’s top flight will be pocketing £99m (QPR, the worst side in the season just finished, collected £64.8m) and, at current rates, any club north of the border would need to win the title every year until 2054 to match that total.
The champions of England will by then receive an eye-watering £156m, leaving Scotland’s clubs trailing in their wake.
The SPFL prize money for 2015/16:
Premiership: Winners £2.68m; 2nd £1.92m; 3rd £1.65m; 4th £1.45m; 5th £1.35m 6th £1.25m; 7th £1.15m; 8th £1.1m; 9th £1.05m; 10th £1m; 11th £950,000; 12th £900,000.
Championship: Winners £450,000; 2 £380,000; 3 £320,000; 4 £260,000; 5 £200,000; 6 £180,000; 7 £170,000; 8 £160,000; 9 £150,000; 10 £140,000.
League One: Winners £100,000; 2 £86,000; 3 £70,000; 4 £68,000; 5 £66,000; 6 £64,000; 7 £62,000; 8 £60,000; 9 £58,000; 10 £56,000.
League Two: Winners £54,000; 2 £52,000; 3 £50,000; 4 £48,000; 5 £46,000; 6 £44,000; 7 £42,000; 8 £40,000; 9 £36,000; 10 £36,000.