Football 39n3s

How Much Is the Championship Play-Offs Final Worth to Sheffield United or Sunderland? 1h6o2y

Author photo
By
Sushan Chakraborty
Author photo
Sushan Chakraborty Sports Editor

Sushan Chakraborty has been writing professionally since debuting with 90min in 2017. He has since typed out thousands of articles, learning the trade from some of the smartest minds in the business. Now at Sportscasting, he is striving to whip up his best articles yet.

Get to know Sushan Chakraborty better
Sports Editor

Published23 May 2025

Disclosure
We publish independently audited content meeting strict editorial standards. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.

Eyeing a return to the Premier League, Sheffield United and Sunderland will meet in the EFL Championship play-offs final at the legendary Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 24. 

Securing promotion to the most popular league in the world is, of course, the primary incentive, but it is certainly not the only one. The English top-flight upgrade also comes with a massive injection of riches, thanks to Wembley gate receipts, TV rights deal, merit payments, and more.

Below, we break it all down.

Read More: When Was The Last Time Sunderland Were In The Premier League?

How Much Will Sheffield United or Sunderland A.F.C. Earn After Winning the 2025 Championship Play-Offs Final? 6w6b24

Sheffield United and Sunderland have reached the 2025 Championship play-offs final on the back of a mentally and physically demanding campaign. After 46 games in the regular Championship campaign, they have had to overcome a two-legged semi-final to reach the showpiece event at Wembley. This sacrifice has a sizable monetary value, even for the team that will fall short on Saturday.

Both Sheffield United and Southampton will receive a share from the Wembley ticket sales on Saturday. It is estimated to be around £2 million. The sum might feel substantial, but in reality, it is merely chump change when compared to the grand winnings Sheffield United or Sunderland stand to make.

According to the BBC, the winning team at the 2025 Championship play-offs final will get a minimum of £220 million in extra income — a whopping £80 million increase on what Southampton received for winning the 2024 edition. This makes the 2025 EFL Championship play-offs final the most valuable game in football.

New Broadcast Deals Behind Spike in Revenue 2n2o6

This massive increase in Championship play-offs final payout is primarily due to the new domestic and overseas broadcast deals. The new domestic TV deal is worth a cool £6.7 billion across four seasons. The team that comes out on top in the 2025 Championship play-offs final will receive a fair share of the TV deal revenue.

Last year, Premier League clubs received around £63 million from overseas TV deals. Each position is worth around £478,000. Manchester City, who made history last season by winning four consecutive Premier League titles, earned around £9.5 million in the form of merit payments from overseas.

They also get a central payment of £6 million, while bonuses are available for frequent appearances on TV. As per the data from 2024, for each game that is shown live on the telly, clubs are each paid around £1.2 million. All factored in, last season’s EPL winners Man City took home £143 million. As per talkSPORT, even the relegated teams earned around £100 million each.

Sheffield United vs Sunderland A.F.C.: Their Road to Wembley 3d6z8

Sheffield United 5or6k

Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United had a bright Championship campaign, finishing third in the rankings behind Leeds United (100 points) and Burnley (100 points). Playing 46 matches, they amassed a total of 90 points, recording 28 wins, 8 draws, and 10 defeats. They ended the regular Championship season with a goal difference of 27.

In the Championship play-offs semi-final, the Blades locked horns with Bristol City. Over two legs, they came away with a 6-0 victory, winning 3-0 both home and away. Callum O’Hare made headlines by scoring a goal in each leg.

Sunderland A.F.C. 2h373y

Sunderland did not impress as much as Sheffield United in the 2024-25 Championship campaign. They ended the campaign in fourth place, having secured 76 points from 46 outings. They suffered a discouraging conclusion to the Championship season, losing their last five games.

In the Championship play-offs semi-final, Sunderland A.F.C. narrowly got the better of Coventry City. Sunderland won the first leg 2-1 away at Coventry before holding their opponents to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light. Dan Ballard’s last-gasp goal in the stoppage time of extra time fired Sunderland into the play-offs final.

Check out our Championship play-offs special — Sheffield and Sunderland’s Road to Wembley, Head-to-Head Record, Key Stats, and History — get all the key information about the two finalists.

The battle between the Blades and the Black Cats will kick off at 3:01 PM BST. Wondering why the kick-off is ever-so-slightly delayed? Check out our guide to learn why the 2025 EFL Championship play-offs final will start a minute later than normal time.