Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City: How much is victory in the play-off final and promotion to the Premier League worth?
The richest contest in sport — otherwise known as the play-off final — is now richer than ever and offers either Hull City or Sheffield Wednesday a record cash boost in excess of £100m.
The two Yorkshire clubs do battle at Wembley for the lucrative opportunity to get their slice of the Premier League's new £8bn TV money contract which comes into effect next season.
Read more: Potential Middlesbrough promotion prize worth £290m
How victory will benefit each clubs' finances
Sheffield Wednesday
Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri bought Sheffield Wednesday in January 2015 (Source: Getty)
Victory for Wednesday would be worth a minimum of £170m thanks to a guaranteed broadcasting revenue boost of at least £95m from the Premier League, plus a further £75m in parachute payments should the club be relegated in what would be their first season in England's top tier since 2000.
Yet if the Owls were to remain in the Premier League for a single season, their minimum prize would rise to £290m.
Hull City
Hull's Arsenal loanee Chuba Akpom has scored seven goals for the club (Source: Getty)
A win for the Tigers would be worth slightly less at £110m as they are already benefiting from Premier League parachute payments following relegation last season.
Yet it would still stand as one of the biggest one-off prizes in the history of sport and just £10m less than what Norwich earned for their triumph over Middlesbrough last season.
Both clubs will also be able to maximise their commercial revenues and command more for new sponsorships on the back of increased exposure afforded by playing Premier League football.
TV treasure trove
There is more at stake in this year's play-off final than ever before thanks to the new mega-money TV deal worth around £8bn over the next three seasons.
Minimum prize money is set to soar by around £40m to £100m, meaning even next season's bottom club will earn more next season than Leicester, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham earned this year.
This season Arsenal became the first team to ever make more than £100m in a single season from Premier League payments, a record that stands to be obliterated in 12 months' time.
Although all clubs receive an equal share of the league's TV and commercial deals, payments are also distributed depending on the number of times a team is broadcast live — hence why Leicester were only the fifth biggest earners.
Richest game yet
The ceaseless growth of Premier League TV income means this year's play-off final is worth £130m more than it was this time 10 years ago.
| Year | Play-off winner | Money won |
| 2006 | Watford | £40m |
| 2007 | Derby | £60m |
| 2008 | Hull City | £60m |
| 2009 | Burnley | £90m |
| 2010 | Blackpool | £90m |
| 2011 | Swansea | £90m |
| 2012 | West Ham | £45m |
| 2013 | Crystal Palace | £120m |
| 2014 | QPR | £80m |
| 2015 | Norwich | £120m |
| 2016 | Hull/Sheffield Wednesday | £110m/£170m |
What are the finances like for each club?
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday were purchased by Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri for £37.5m 18 months ago, and the tinned Tuna tycoon is now just one game away from having his purchase pay off in the biggest way imaginable.
Debt of £18.7m has been completely wiped from the club's accounts by Chansiri.
Hull City
Accounts from Hull's season in the Premier League revealed the Tigers did not vastly overspend in pursuit of success with wages of £56m representing 67 per cent of £84m turnover — about average for the division. The club also made a cool profit of £12m.
This season they made more money in the transfer market than any other Championship club despite spending £7m. However, unlike Sheffield Wednesday, Hull are sitting on debts of £77m.