Championship play-off final: Hull or Middlesbrough stand to gain £200m
Hull City and Middlesbrough will be fighting for a £200m revenue windfall this weekend in the Championship play-off final, according to Deloitte.
The Tigers and Boro head to Wembley Stadium on Saturday after a week marred by Southampton’s “Skygate” looking for a spot in next season’s Premier League.
And Big Four firm Deloitte’s Sports Business Group has said that the winner is set to get a revenue boost of over £200m, rising to over £350m if they replicate Sunderland’s feat and survive their first season back in the big time.
Tim Bridge, lead partner of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “Irrespective of the events of the last couple of weeks, this fixture is always one of the most eagerly anticipated in the football calendar, representing the biggest financial prize in world football, with additional revenues of at least £205m over the next three seasons at stake.
“This year’s final brings together Hull City and Middlesbrough, two clubs that last competed in the Premier League almost a decade ago. Promotion brings with it the hope of establishing a foothold in the highest revenue-generating football league in the world and, critically, surviving that first campaign back at the highest level.”
Hull and Middlesbrough ready to fight
The last week has been hit with allegations of spying in a series of events that led to Southampton being removed from the play-off final and replaced with their semi-final opponents Middlesbrough.
Spygate risked Southampton sponsors suing their own club.
Added Bridge: “Despite ongoing discussions regarding financial distribution and its impact on competitive balance across English football, it’s notable that three of this season’s Championship play-off contenders, including both finalists, were not in receipt of parachute payments.”
“Furthermore, only one of the two automatically promoted sides had recently benefited from a top flight campaign. Whilst this demonstrates the robust and ever-expanding competitiveness within the division, and indeed English football more broadly, consideration of the long-term impact of financial polarisation on competitive balance needs constant attention.”