When Huddersfield Town and Reading kick-off in the Championship play-off final this afternoon, they have the opportunity to secure one of world soccer's greatest ever financial windfalls.
The clubs will make a minimum of £170m (€195m) if they are promoted to the top flight, but that figure could rise to as much as £290m (€333m) if they can survive their first season in the Premier League.
"Wembley’s winner-takes-all clash will be a fantastic advert for both the Premier League and the Championship. We are one year into the new broadcast rights arrangements and fans of these clubs will be fully aware of the financial reward for playing in the top flight next season," Dan Jones, partner and head of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented.
As the amount of money wrapped up in football has inflated, Deloitte's annual 'Football Money League,' which ranks the most valuable clubs in the world, has become one of the most keenly watched financial reports in world sport.
Under the current TV deal one season in the Premier League could be enough to make either of these clubs one of the richest in the world:
"Burnley successfully stayed up this year, and a sustained period of Premier League participation could provide any newly promoted club with the platform to enter the top 30 of the Deloitte Football Money League."
Over the past 10 seasons to 2016/17, 18 of the 30 promoted clubs (60%) have avoided relegation during their first season in the Premier League.
Mr Jones concludes: "The current broadcast rights arrangements provide Premier League clubs with the financial resources to make strategic investments both on and off the pitch. Whilst this typically includes some increased expenditure on playing talent in the short term, it is important that promoted clubs are committed to long-term financial responsibility."
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