What We're Reading
Watford, Crystal Palace in Soccer's Most Valuable Game
- Bloomberg News, Friday, May 24, 2013 1:15 PM
After Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, Wembley will be reset for Monday’s Championship Playoff Final between Crystal Palace and Watford, which finished fifth and third,
respectively, in England’s second division this season. As Bloomberg points out, the Championship Playoff Final is commonly referred to as the most valuable game in soccer.
Why?
According to Deloitte, the winner of Monday’s game will earn around $181 million just for being promoted to the Premier League. The winner will join Cardiff City and Hull City, who were
automatically promoted as the top two finishers in the Championship.
Meanwhile, the world’s most valuable game has only become more valuable this year thanks to the EPL’s $4.5
billion television contract that begins next season. Promoted teams can expect to receive more than $90 million just for getting to the EPL, while a whopping $83 million of that comes from the TV
deal. Clubs also receive a minimum of $90 million over the next four seasons if they are relegated. In the last 10 years, 17 of the 30 promoted teams have managed to stay in the EPL after their first
season.
The last time Crystal Palace played in the EPL was in 2004-05. Watford’s last top flight appearance was during the 2006-07 campaign.
