Who holds the rights, and what are they worth?
Since 2023, commercial broadcaster TV2 has held the domestic media rights to the Eliteserien. The deal, brokered on behalf of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) by agency Fotball Media, runs from 2023 to 2028 and was reported at the time to be worth roughly NOK 4.5 billion (approx. €414m) in total — an average of about NOK 750 million (approx. €69m) per season. The package also covers the OBOS-ligaen (second tier), the third and fourth tiers, and the women’s Toppserien.
For context, a new rights cycle has already been agreed for 2029–2034: TV2 stays on as the Eliteserien’s main partner, Amedia takes over the men’s second tier, and Schibsted picks up national-team rights. Combined, the three broadcasters will pay around NOK 820 million (approx. €75.4m) per year — a new record for Norwegian domestic football rights. That deal does not affect the 2026 or 2027 seasons, which remain under the current, lower-value contract.
All EUR figures in this piece are approximate, based on an exchange rate of 1 NOK ≈ €0.092 (as of late August 2026), and are for context only — validate against a current rate before publication.
The distribution model: four pots, 32 clubs
Norway distributes broadcast revenue jointly across both top divisions — the 16 Eliteserien clubs and the 16 OBOS-ligaen clubs share the pool together. Clubs collectively receive 88% of media rights income from the Eliteserien and OBOS-ligaen; the remainder stays with NFF and Norsk Toppfotball (NTF, the top-flight clubs’ association) under their cooperation agreement. Of the funds that aren’t tied to league-independent academy support, 81% goes to the Eliteserien and 19% to the OBOS-ligaen.
Since a 2023 reform, the money runs through four separate pots:
1. Historic pot (NOK 150 million / approx. €13.8m) Introduced in 2023 to reward sustained sporting performance. All 32 clubs are ranked 1–32 based on league position averaged across the last six seasons, with more recent seasons weighted more heavily. Clubs that averaged an Eliteserien-level finish share 81% of the pot (NOK 121 million / approx. €11.1m); clubs averaging an OBOS-ligaen finish share 19% (NOK 29 million / approx. €2.7m). As an illustration of scale: a club would need six consecutive title-winning seasons to reach a 16.7% share of this pot — anything short of that produces a smaller share.
2. Results pot Only the 16 Eliteserien clubs share this pot, which is allocated 81% to the top flight overall. The split follows a fixed formula: 60% is distributed equally across all 16 clubs (a solidarity component), while 40% is allocated according to current-season league position.
3. Academy classification funding (up to NOK 90 million / approx. €8.3m) This tranche is league-independent — a second-tier club with a strong academy can receive as much as, or more than, a top-flight club. Payouts follow a star-rating system:
- 5 stars: NOK 4.2m (approx. €0.39m) + NOK 0.6m (approx. €0.06m) coach development = NOK 4.8m (approx. €0.44m)
- 4 stars: NOK 3.5m (approx. €0.32m) + NOK 0.6m = NOK 4.1m (approx. €0.38m)
- 3 stars: NOK 2.8m (approx. €0.26m) + NOK 0.6m = NOK 3.4m (approx. €0.31m)
- 2 stars: NOK 1.4m (approx. €0.13m, no coach development funding)
- 1 star: NOK 0.7m (approx. €0.06m)
Clubs outside the classification system can access a separate pot (up to NOK 2 million / approx. €0.18m) worth NOK 150,000 (approx. €13,800) or NOK 350,000 (approx. €32,200), depending on playing time given to young players — regardless of whether those players came through the club’s own academy.
4. Commercial pot (NOK 30 million / approx. €2.8m, Eliteserien only) Intended to reward the clubs the rights holder considers most commercially attractive — audience appeal and media reach, in practice. Important caveat: at the time the model was published, Eliteserien itself stated the exact allocation criteria for this pot had not yet been finalised.
How this compares to the Premier League
Norway’s model blends three principles that other leagues often keep separate: a pure equal-share component (60% of the results pot), a current-season merit component, and — distinctively — a six-season “historic” component rewarding long-term consistency. The Premier League, by contrast, splits its domestic broadcast revenue roughly along three lines: an equal share across all 20 clubs, a merit payment based on final league position, and facility fees tied to how often a club’s matches are selected for live broadcast. The structural difference worth flagging for readers: the Premier League’s model is single-season and single-division, while the Eliteserien’s spans two divisions and layers in a multi-year loyalty component that has no direct Premier League equivalent. A dedicated Premier League breakdown is linked above for readers who want the full domestic comparison.
What this means for individual clubs
At the time of research, no officially confirmed, up-to-date per-club payout figures for the 2026 season were available. Older per-club amounts that still circulate in press coverage (mostly pre-2023) refer to the previous distribution model and are no longer representative. This piece should be updated with a per-club table once NTF or Eliteserien publish current payout figures — most likely via the annual “Toppfotballbarometeret” report compiled by Deloitte, NTF and Toppfotball Kvinner.
Methodology & transparency
Verified via primary source (eliteserien.no, “Fordelingsmodellen fra 2023”):
- Structure of the four distribution pots, including absolute NOK amounts (150m / 90m / 30m) and percentage splits
- 88% club share of media rights income, and the 81/19 Eliteserien/OBOS-ligaen split
- Academy classification star-rating payout amounts
Verified via industry press (Sportcal, SportBusiness, Telecompaper, Inside World Football, Sporticos):
- TV2’s 2023–2028 rights deal (~NOK 750m/season average, NOK 4.5bn total)
- The subsequent 2029–2034 deal (NOK 820m/year, TV2/Amedia/Schibsted)
EUR conversion: All EUR figures use a spot rate of 1 NOK ≈ €0.092 (currency data aggregators, late August 2026) and are explicitly approximate rather than officially converted amounts. Re-check against a current rate (e.g. Norges Bank) before publication.
Not verified / deliberately excluded:
- Specific per-club payout figures for the 2026 season — no current, reliable source was found. A widely circulated 2015 figure (bottom club vs. champion payout) was deliberately not used, since it reflects a distribution model that has since been replaced.
- Final allocation criteria for the commercial pot — explicitly described by Eliteserien itself as not yet finalised at the time the model was published.
FAQ
Who holds the TV rights to the Eliteserien? Since 2023, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 has held the domestic media rights to the Eliteserien, under a deal running through 2028.
How much is the Eliteserien’s TV deal worth? The current deal (2023–2028) is worth roughly NOK 4.5 billion in total, averaging about NOK 750 million per season.
How is the TV money split between clubs? Through four pots: a historic pot based on league position over the last six seasons, a results pot (60% equal share, 40% based on current-season position), academy funding based on a star-rating system, and a commercial pot for Eliteserien clubs only.
Do second-tier clubs also receive TV money? Yes. The OBOS-ligaen (second tier) receives 19% of the funds outside the league-independent academy pot, plus its own share of the historic pot.
Will the distribution model change for the 2027 season? No, the model and its underlying TV deal remain unchanged through 2028. A significantly larger new deal (NOK 820 million per year) only takes effect from 2029.
