Allsvenskan 2026: How Sweden Distributes Its TV Money
A note on terminology first: Unlike the Premier League, Allsvenskan does not run a winter-to-summer season. Sweden’s top flight plays a calendar-year season, from April to November, so there is no “2026/27” campaign in Swedish football — the current season is simply the 2026 season, which kicked off on 5 April. This piece covers the broadcast-revenue distribution for that ongoing season.
The new rights deal: TV4 and Telia take over
Ahead of the 2026 season, Sweden’s top two men’s divisions parted ways with long-time rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery (previously distributed via Max/C More and discovery+). The new exclusive broadcast partners for both Allsvenskan and the second-tier Superettan are TV4 and Telia, under an agreement with the league body Svensk Elitfotboll (SEF). The deal runs for six seasons, from 2026 through 2031, and ranks among the largest sports-rights agreements in Swedish television history.
According to the trade outlet Idrottens Affärer, the contract is worth roughly SEK 3.6 billion over its full term, equivalent to about SEK 600 million per year (at current exchange rates of roughly SEK 11 to the euro, that’s approximately EUR 54 million annually). All matches in both divisions now air exclusively on TV4 Play and via Telia’s sports package.
For context, the Premier League’s domestic and international broadcast deals generate well over GBP 3 billion per season in aggregate — Allsvenskan operates in an entirely different financial bracket, which is unsurprising given the relative market sizes (Sweden: roughly 10.4 million people; the Premier League’s core market, England: roughly 57 million, before accounting for its much larger global audience).
The split: 77% to Allsvenskan, 23% to Superettan
According to media reports, the overall broadcast pot is divided between Sweden’s top two divisions as follows:
- 77% to the 16 Allsvenskan clubs
- 23% to the 16 Superettan clubs
Applied to the estimated SEK 600 million annual pot, that implies an Allsvenskan distribution pool of roughly SEK 462 million (approximately EUR 41.8 million) per season. This split comes from secondary reporting (notably the outlet Sportbloggare.com) and has not been officially confirmed with exact figures by SEF itself — we treat it as a plausible but unverified trade estimate rather than an official disclosure.
The distribution model: a five-year table average, not a market pool
The key structural difference from the Premier League lies in the distribution model itself. The Premier League splits its domestic and international broadcast revenue through a combination of equal shares, “merit payments” tied to final league position in the current season, and facility fees for televised matches. Allsvenskan works very differently:
Broadcast revenue is allocated purely on each club’s average league position over the last five seasons. Every club accumulates “position points” for each of the past five campaigns (1st place = 1 point, 16th place = 16 points, and so on); these are summed, and a lower total means a stronger five-year record and a larger share of the pool. Where two clubs finish level on points after five years, the corresponding share of the pool is split evenly between them.
Crucially, current-season performance has no immediate effect on payouts — a club only benefits from strong results with a lag, as they filter into the rolling five-year average. Newly promoted clubs without five years of recent top-flight history land, by construction, near the bottom of the distribution table.
Allsvenskan TV money distribution, 2026 season
The table below reflects the confirmed 2026 season line-up. Örgryte IS secured the 16th and final spot via the promotion/relegation play-off against IFK Norrköping (first leg 3–0, second leg 0–0), replacing Norrköping in the calculation. Euro figures are rounded approximations at current exchange rates (~SEK 11 per EUR), not official payout amounts.
| Rank | Club | Share of pool | Approx. SEK | Approx. EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malmö FF | 9.35% | 43.2m | 3.9m |
| 2 | Djurgårdens IF | 8.55% | 39.5m | 3.6m |
| 3 | Hammarby IF | 7.60% | 35.1m | 3.2m |
| 4 | IF Elfsborg | 6.85% | 31.6m | 2.8m |
| 5 | AIK | 6.35% | 29.3m | 2.6m |
| 6 | BK Häcken | 5.95% | 27.5m | 2.5m |
| 6 | Mjällby AIF | 5.95% | 27.5m | 2.5m |
| 8 | IFK Göteborg | 5.70% | 26.3m | 2.4m |
| 9 | IK Sirius | 5.575% | 25.8m | 2.3m |
| 9 | Kalmar FF | 5.575% | 25.8m | 2.3m |
| 11 | GAIS | 5.50% | 25.4m | 2.3m |
| 12 | Halmstads BK | 5.45% | 25.2m | 2.3m |
| 13 | IF Brommapojkarna | 5.40% | 25.0m | 2.3m |
| 13 | Degerfors IF | 5.40% | 25.0m | 2.3m |
| 13 | Västerås SK | 5.40% | 25.0m | 2.3m |
| 13 | Örgryte IS | 5.40% | 25.0m | 2.3m |
Note: Häcken/Mjällby and Sirius/Kalmar are tied on five-year points; per the source, each pair splits the combined share of that ranking position equally.
Malmö FF tops the table, underpinned by league titles in 2021, 2023 and 2024 — a weaker 2025 campaign wasn’t enough to dislodge them from first given the five-year lag in the formula. Hammarby IF posted the biggest gain versus the previous distribution (+0.75 percentage points), while IF Elfsborg saw the steepest drop (–0.75 percentage points).
A separate revenue stream: title sponsor Unibet
Beyond broadcast money, clubs in both divisions reportedly receive a separate payment from Unibet, the leagues’ shared title sponsor, totalling roughly SEK 20 million. This is not part of the TV deal and is excluded from the calculation above; it comes from the same single source as the distribution percentages and is noted here for context only.
Allsvenskan vs. the Premier League: structural comparison
- Distribution logic: The Premier League blends equal shares with current-season merit payments and match-day facility fees. Allsvenskan uses a single factor: the five-year table average.
- Scale: At roughly EUR 42 million split across 16 clubs per year, Allsvenskan’s broadcast pool sits far closer to a lower-tier European league than to a “big five” top flight.
- Payout stability vs. responsiveness: The five-year average gives Allsvenskan’s traditional powers (Malmö, Djurgården, Hammarby, AIK) notably more stable, predictable income than a current-form model would — while newly promoted sides such as Örgryte or Västerås start out structurally near the bottom of the payout table, regardless of how they perform in their first season back.
Methodology and transparency
- Deal value (SEK 3.6bn / six years) and rights partners: corroborated across multiple sources (Idrottens Affärer, Telia press release, TV4 press release, Svensk Elitfotboll).
- The 77/23 Allsvenskan/Superettan split and club-level percentages: single-source (Sportbloggare.com), not officially published by SEF with exact figures. We treat these as plausible industry estimates, not confirmed data.
- Euro conversions: rounded approximations based on an exchange rate of roughly SEK 11/EUR (as of summer 2026), not exact payout figures.
- Play-off result, Örgryte vs. IFK Norrköping (aggregate 3–0): corroborated across multiple sources (Svensk Fotboll, SVT Sport).
FAQ
How many clubs play in Allsvenskan in 2026? 16 clubs, including promoted sides Kalmar FF, Västerås SK and Örgryte IS.
Which club receives the most TV money in Allsvenskan in 2026? Malmö FF, with an estimated 9.35% share of the distribution pool, based on the strongest five-year record of any club.
What formula is used to distribute the TV money? Purely each club’s average league position over the last five seasons — not current-season performance.
Is there a 2026/27 Allsvenskan season? No. Allsvenskan plays a calendar-year season (April to November); the current campaign is simply the 2026 season.
