Hull City could stand to gain an incredible £365m if they can avoid relegation in their first season back in the Premier League for a decade.
That could prove to be a huge incentive for the Tigers in their recruitment push this summer, knowing the financial prize on offer if they can prove all the doubters wrong and stay up would give the club a huge opportunity to build a legacy from playing in the top-flight, whilst being able to improve their playing squad.
Winning the Championship play-off final at Wembley in May is worth around £210m over the next three seasons, irrespective of what happens this term, but football finance experts Deloitte estimate surviving in the first campaign sees that total rise to a cool £365m in the second season, often dubbed the most difficult for promoted clubs.
"Following their return to the top-flight after a 25-year absence, Coventry City can expect a revenue uplift of at least £210m across the next three seasons, based on projected increases in matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue," the 35th edition of Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance report wrote.
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"The other club that secured automatic promotion, Ipswich Town, may anticipate a minimum boost of £170m – this figure is comparatively lower as they were in receipt of parachute payments during the 2025/26 season, following their relegation from the Premier League in 2024/25.
"These figures could rise to £365m and £325m respectively, should both clubs avoid relegation after their first season in the Premier League.
"Amidst the controversy surrounding this year’s play-offs, Hull City ultimately defeated Middlesbrough in the final at Wembley to secure the final promotion place. As they were not in receipt of parachute payments during the 2025/26 season, they should expect to see uplifts similar to those of Coventry City."
From the start of the new campaign, the Championship will see the play-offs expanded to six teams from the previous four, meaning clubs may be tempted to take more of a gamble to get themselves into the top eight.
"This season marked the final instance of the four-team playoff format, with the competition set to expand to six teams from next season onwards. This means that teams finishing in seventh and eighth will now also have the opportunity to compete for the oft-titled ‘biggest prize in football’.
"Clubs will welcome these improved odds of securing a place in the EFL’s post-season leg, especially with the 2025/26 season bucking the recent trend of all three teams going straight back down. Although Burnley were relegated, Leeds United secured a 14th-place finish, whilst 2024/25 play-off winners Sunderland became only the fifth promoted club to qualify for Europe through league position in their first season back in the Premier League, following their seventh-place finish.
"Should any of the clubs promoted for 2026/27 follow in Sunderland’s footsteps, they can expect returns far beyond the minimum uplifts quoted above.
"Championship clubs’ wage costs grew marginally to a record £903m in 2024/25, up 1 per cent on 2023/24 (£894m). This marked the second consecutive season in which wage costs increased, following four seasons of reductions, and saw Championship clubs’ average wages/revenue ratio increase to 96 per cent (2023/24: 93 per cent). Thirteen clubs reported a wages/revenue ratio exceeding 100 per cent, compared to 11 in 2023/24."
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