2025 EFL Prize Money: Championship, League One & League Two Explained
- Think Football Ideas
- May 10
- 4 min read
Updated: 57 minutes ago
Curious how much money your EFL club earns each season? Whether you're chasing promotion in the Championship or fighting for survival in League Two, here's the full breakdown of 2025 EFL prize money, parachute payments, and what promotion is really worth.
Let’s face it, money talks, especially in football. Whether you're cheering on a club dreaming of Premier League glory or clinging to survival in League Two, cash flow can make or break your season.
While the Premier League clubs rake in billion-pound TV deals like it's Monopoly money, what about the rest? What's the real financial landscape for the 72 clubs battling it out in the English Football League?
It's not exactly private jets and champagne in League Two. But there is money to be made if you know where to look (or if you're lucky enough to win at Wembley).
1. EFL Broadcast Deal: How the Money Is Split
Here’s the nuts and bolts: EFL clubs earn revenue from several pots, broadcasting rights, commercial deals, and Premier League solidarity payments.
From the latest five-year broadcast agreement worth £935 million (£895m in rights + £40m in marketing perks), EFL clubs receive around £187 million per season. This is distributed through the basic award system.
Championship clubs take home around £8 million from EFL distributions and an additional £3 million in Premier League solidarity payments, roughly £11 million in total.
League One clubs get about £2 million.
League Two sides receive closer to £1.5 million.
It’s not huge, but it’s often the difference between signing a striker in January… or selling your best one just to pay wages.
2. Championship vs League One vs League Two: Who Gets What?
Let’s break it down with some real-world context:
EFL Quick Stats – 2025
Championship TV/solidarity income: ~£11m
League One: ~£2m
League Two: ~£1.5m
Parachute Payments (Year 1): ~£49m
Broadcast Deal Total: £935m over 5 years
That’s why you’ll often see Championship clubs gamble harder in the transfer market, it’s a higher-stakes table with more chips on offer.
3. What Are Solidarity Payments – And Who Gets Them?
They sound like something from a trade union, but in football, solidarity payments are essentially Premier League hand-me-downs. They go to EFL clubs, not receiving parachute payments, and are scaled based on division.
But if your club just fell out of the Premier League? Tough luck, no double-dipping. You’ll get parachute money instead, and that’s a whole different level of income.
4. Parachute Payments: Golden Cushion or Competitive Cheat Code?
Think golden parachutes, not skydiving. Relegated Premier League clubs get these payments to soften the brutal financial nosedive that comes with losing top-flight income.
The amounts vary:
£49 million in year one
£40 million in year two
£17 million in year three
Clubs like Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United (2024-25) received around £49 million each in year one. Leeds United brought in £40 million as a second-year relegated team. Norwich and Watford, in year three, took home about £17 million.
Critics say it’s unfair that these clubs have the financial firepower to outspend rivals. Supporters of the system argue it prevents financial collapse. Either way, it skews the playing field in the Championship, turning it into a two-tier league.
5. How Do League One and League Two Clubs Survive on So Little?
That’s the £1.5 million question. With razor-thin margins, clubs in the lower leagues rely on:
Smart recruitment
Cup runs
Player sales
Local sponsorships
And sometimes... a sugar daddy chairman
Wages are lower, yes, but costs don’t disappear. Travel, stadium upkeep, academies, and operations all demand cash. So next time you yell, “Why aren’t we signing players?!”, check the books. The money simply isn’t there.
6. Play-Off Final: The Richest Game in Football
Wembley in May? It's not just about glory. Winning the Championship play-off final can net a club upwards of £100 million over a few seasons. That’s why it's dubbed “the richest game in football.”
Promotion means:
Access to Premier League broadcasting riches
Higher ticket sales
Global sponsorship deals
Potential parachute payments if you go back down
But lose at Wembley? It can unravel plans, fast fire sales, slashed budgets, and another season in the financial grind.
7. What Happens If You Miss Out on Promotion or Get Relegated Again?
Welcome to the Heartbreak Hotel. Miss out on promotion? Your best players might leave. Your manager might follow. Your budget probably gets trimmed.
Relegated from the Championship without parachute payments? Unless you’ve planned for it with wage clauses and smart contracts, it's a financial freefall. Some clubs manage the drop. Others fall further. Just ask fans of Bolton, Reading, or Derby, the cliff edge is real.
8. Is the Current Funding Model Fair?
Depends on who you ask.
Critics argue that Premier League dominance over revenue keeps the EFL locked in financial purgatory.
Supporters claim parachute and solidarity payments are essential to prevent bankruptcies.
Should the pot be shared more evenly? Probably. Will that happen soon? Don’t hold your breath.
So next time you ask, “Why don’t we just spend big?” Just check the bank balance.
In the EFL, survival isn’t just about tactics or talent…It’s about mastering the money game.
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