THE winners of this season's Betfred Cup will receive a record £250,000, the SPFL announced on Monday.

A total of £1.6m will be paid out in prize money for the 2017/18 tournament, in addition to £500,000 worth of television payments. 

The total pot to be divided among competing clubs comes to just over £2m, a 15 per cent increase from the £1.8m dished out to Scottish teams last season.

“Thanks to the support of all clubs, the Betfred Cup has been transformed into a truly exciting and innovative competition," said SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster.

"We’re thrilled that it has been further boosted by this significant increase in prize and television money, firmly cementing the Betfred Cup as a key competition in Scottish football.”

The group stage begins on Friday 14 July when Ayr United meet Kilmarnock at Somerset Park. 

At the conclusion of the group stage, fifth-placed teams will receive £17,000, fourth-place teams will receive £19,000 and teams finishing third will take home £21,000.

The four worst runners-up, who fail to reach the knockout round, will exit with £25,000 while those knocked out in the last 16 earn £35,000.

A quarter-final exit will earn clubs £60,000, losing semi-finalists will get £80,000 and the runner-up takes home £115,000.

In addition, each of the 12 clubs involved in a televised group stage match will earn £12,500, finalists will receive £32,000 in TV payments and the remaining six broadcasted games will earn clubs £21,500.