CHERRIES banked a whopping £70.8million in top-flight prize money during the 2015-16 season.

Figures released by the Premier League had Cherries ranked 18th in the earnings table, with only Norwich and Aston Villa pocketing lower totals.

Arsenal topped the monetary standings having shattered the £100m barrier, with Manchester City and Manchester United second and third on £96.9m and £96.4m, respectively.

Tottenham were fourth having secured £95.2m while champions Leicester completed the top five on £93.2m.

Cherries' gigantic windfall comes primarily from the Premier League's mammoth TV deals but also includes a share of the league's central commercial income, which amounts to £4.5m per club.

Each club received £21.9m from the domestic TV deal as well as £29.4m from overseas TV.

In addition, Cherries banked £8.7m in facility fees, which relates to the number of times a club's games have been screened live on TV.

The Dorset club earned a further £6.2m in merit payment as a result of their 16th-placed finish.

The Premier League's prize pot is set to skyrocket next season when the top flight's new TV deals kick in.

It is estimated that the club which finishes bottom of the standings in 2016-17 will earn around the same as Arsenal did this term.

The Premier League sold domestic TV rights to Sky and BT for a combined £5.136bn in February last year, which covers the next three seasons, with the overseas TV package set to significantly increase that figure.