The Championship play-off final is known as “the richest game of football” – and with good reason.
Not only does the winner guarantee themselves a place in the Premier League, but they also stand to make an absolute fortune too, even in an economy bludgeoned by Covid-19.
Brentford were in possession of two golden tickets granting entry to the Premier League but allowed each to slip through their fingers by losing to struggling Stoke and Barnsley. They now have a third after a thrilling 3-2 aggregate victory over Swansea booked their place in the final.
It could have been a south Wales derby, but instead, it is an all-London affair as Fulham reached their second play-off final in three years by the same aggregate scoreline over Cardiff City. A twinkle-toed run from Josh Onomah and inch-perfect free-kick from Neeskens Kebano in the first leg all but secured the Cottagers’ passage, although it was not without a few nerves as the Welsh side won 2-1 at Craven Cottage, not quite enough to see them through.
For Brentford, victory at Wembley would see them start life in their new Community Stadium as a top-flight side for the first time in 73 years, while Fulham will be desperate to show that lessons have been learned from their disastrous one-season stay in the Premier League in 2018-19.
How much is the Championship play-off final worth?
The Premier League earned approximately £9.3bn from domestic and overseas broadcasting revenue for the three-year cycle starting in 2019-20 and ending in 2021-22.
Each Premier League club gets a healthy slice of that revenue pie worth approximately £100m per club, significantly more than what is on offer in the Championship.
“To be part of that [the Premier League broadcast deal] compared to the EFL deal which is worth around about £7m per year for a non-parachute club is critical,” football finance expert and lecturer at the University of Liverpool Kieran Maguire tells i. “We’re looking at about £100m for a club that is going to be bottom three or four in terms of televised matches.”
On top of broadcast revenue, promoted clubs are also guaranteed a minimum of two years worth of parachute payments which equates to around £70m, hence the “£170m match” tag for the play-off final. Promotion would be even more lucrative for Brentford as they have not been in receipt of parachute payments having never been in the Premier League.
Fulham banked a parachute payment of around £41m for 2019-20 after succumbing to relegation and are entitled to a second year should they fail to beat Brentford. For promoted clubs who survive their first campaign in the Premier League like Sheffield United and Aston Villa this term, there is a further safety net in place.
“By staying in the Premier League, it automatically gives you a third year of parachute payments should you come down next season, so there’s that benefit,” says Maguire. “For Villa to maintain their position they get the Premier League deal, they get the sponsorship deals and the chance to keep Jack Grealish.”
No wonder Dean Smith looked so pleased after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham sealed a 17th-place finish.
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— adidas UK (@adidasUK) July 22, 2020
Promoted clubs also see a hike in sponsorship income, either through bonuses from existing sponsors or through lucrative deals with new investors. Leeds United announced a “record-breaking” five-year deal with Adidas last week shortly after being confirmed as Championship champions.
This week the government set out a target date of 1 October for supporters to be allowed back in stadiums at a vastly reduced capacity. Clubs have and will continue to suffer from a loss of matchday revenue with limited or no attendance in the stands, but as Maguire explains to i, that will barely impact those in the top-flight.
“TV and sponsorship money will, to some extent, more than mitigate for the loss of matchday income which for many clubs in the Premier League is their smallest revenue earner overall,” he says.
“If you look at the Championship, there are clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday where matchday income is 40 per cent of their total so, therefore, they’re going to be hit more.”
Getting into the Premier League is one thing but staying there and maximising earning potential is another. As Maguire tells i: “If you drop out of the Premier League into the Championship, you’re jumping off a cliff financially.”
All things considered then, even in these potentially bleak financial times, the Championship play-off final remains the most lucrative in the game.
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