Speaking exclusively to Compare.bet, Sports Finance Expert Dr. Rob Wilson, gave his reaction to news that the EFL are extending Championship play-offs to eight teams next season and also suggested that we could see more famous investors like Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg pump cash into second-tier sides.
Championship play-off extension means more investors, more knockout games means more money, League One and Two ‘quite likely’ to follow suit
Q: Your reaction to the news of an extended play-offs in the Championship from next season?
RW – “So not surprised that the EFL Championship play-offs have now been expanded to eight teams.
“I think that was entirely on the cards. If you step back and look at the economics of English football generally, then the move to expand the playoffs to eight teams makes a huge amount of sense.
“The Championship itself is already one of the most commercially powerful second tiers in world football. It is broadcast to more than 150 territories and across a season, it can generate audiences well into the tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions globally. It really is a very well-watched competition.
“But the playoffs, and the playoff final in particular, are the jewel in the crown for the EFL Championship. The final at Wembley has often been described, and I describe it this way too, as the richest single match in football. Promotion to the Premier League can be worth a minimum of £120 million in a single season in the top flight, but somewhere between £170 million and £300 million over the following seasons when you factor in things like additional broadcasting revenue, parachute payments for what they are worth, and the commercial and sponsorship uplift that clubs receive.
“I think by expanding the playoffs from four teams to eight, the league is effectively creating more high-stakes content. There is more jeopardy within the system and more teams are allowed into that playoff context.
“More knockout games mean more broadcast inventory, more broadcast money, more drama, more sell-out stadiums, and more opportunities for global audiences to engage with the competition.
“Financially, it also means that clubs remain relevant deeper into the season because they will still feel they have a chance of getting into the promotion race. Normally, it is contested by only a handful of teams, but now you could potentially have somewhere between ten and fourteen clubs believing that they still have a realistic shot at promotion.
“In the final months of the season, that will keep attendances high, keep fan engagement strong, and keep the television product really compelling. Broadcasters will be very happy.
“Ultimately, this is less about sporting change and the structure of the division, and more about optimising the commercial benefits that the league can generate, maximising the value of what is already one of the most valuable competitions in world football outside the Premier League.
Q: Will we see more owners like Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg invest in Championship teams?
RW – “I think the short answer to the question of whether we will see more owners like Ryan Reynolds or Snoop Dogg is probably yes.
“What we need to remember is that when investors look at football clubs, they are usually considering two things. The first is the risk attached to the investment, and the second is the potential financial upside they might be able to generate.
“As I mentioned in the previous voice note, the Championship already offers significant upside because of the promotion pathway to the Premier League. Expanding the playoff places to eight teams effectively increases the probability that more clubs can realistically compete for promotion. From an investment perspective, that makes the league an even more attractive proposition.
“We have already seen celebrity-driven ownership stories capture global attention. The most obvious example is the takeover of Wrexham by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Wrexham has become as much a global entertainment property as it is a football club.
“We are now starting to see increasing interest from other entertainment figures, musicians and cultural personalities. Names such as Snoop Dogg are being linked with football ownership, which reflects a wider trend in which sport, media and entertainment are becoming more closely connected.
“An expanded playoff system adds to that appeal because it creates stronger storytelling potential. With more clubs involved in the promotion conversation, there is naturally more drama around the competition. That creates more opportunities for documentary storytelling and greater commercial upside if a club eventually reaches the Premier League. These factors are likely to appeal to potential investors.
“The league already sits in an interesting position. It includes large historic clubs with significant fan bases, strong global visibility through broadcast deals and the opportunity of promotion to the Premier League. If the probability of reaching the Premier League increases, even slightly, then the Championship and its clubs become an even more appealing asset class for investors who want to combine sport with their media and entertainment profiles.”
Q: Will we see an extended play-offs introduced into League One and Two?
RW – “I think that is entirely possible and probably quite likely. We could eventually see similar conversations in the Football League, particularly in League One and League Two. It would be a natural extension of the direction being taken in the Championship.
“The real driving force behind changes like this is the economics of content and broadcasting. Football leagues today are competing not only with other sports but also with many other forms of entertainment, from streaming platforms to gaming and social media.
“Broadcasters are looking for compelling live content that audiences feel they need to watch in real time. That sense of jeopardy is what attracts viewers. Playoff competitions are perfect for that because they are short, dynamic and deliver knockout football with significant consequences.
“In the lower divisions, they already produce some of the most memorable moments in the football calendar. If the expansion in the Championship proves successful in terms of key metrics such as television audiences, commercial revenue and fan engagement, then the natural next step would be for the Football League to consider how that model could be applied elsewhere in its competitions.
“There would, of course, be some structural challenges. In League One and League Two the financial margins are tighter, squads are smaller and fixture congestion is already a concern. Any expansion would therefore need to be carefully balanced with considerations around player welfare and the competitive integrity of the league season.
“Commercially, however, the logic remains the same. More meaningful matches at the end of the season keep more clubs engaged and keep supporters invested. Ultimately, it also increases the overall entertainment value of the competition.
“It might not happen immediately, but it would not be surprising if this becomes part of a broader conversation about how the EFL develops and evolves its competitions over the next decade.”
