Premier League clubs set for major boost if Sheffield United win Championship play-off final due to little-known rule

Premier League clubs will receive a significant boost if Sheffield United beat Sunderland in the Championship play-off final.

The two former top flight clubs will take part in the 'richest game in football' on Saturday afternoon at Wembley.

Regis Le Bris' Black Cats are looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016, while a win for Chris Wilder's Blades would see them immediately bounce back from relegation last season.

Each Premier League club receives around £90 million per season in domestic and international TV rights money and, with the gap between the top flight and the second tier becoming larger every season, the play-off final carries more importance than ever.

In normal circumstances, you would expect that very few Premier League clubs - barring Newcastle and Leeds, at least - would have any particular desire to see either club win over the other.

But due to a little-known rule, some clubs might be backing Sheffield United over Sunderland.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has explained that, if the Blades do win, each of the 19 other Premier League clubs would be entitled to their share of a staggering £39 million windfall.

Each club relegated from the Premier League receives parachute payments for the next three seasons, with the amount reducing after each completed season.

If a club is immediately relegated from the top flight the season after promotion, meanwhile, they only receive two years of payments.

But in the event of a relegated club earning promotion back to the Premier League before the end of their parachute payments, the remaining amount is kept by the league itself.

It won’t just be the fans of Sunderland and Sheffield United with an interest in the Championship Playoff final today, Premier League clubs have a vested interest too.

Under Premier League rules, clubs are entitled to three years of Parachute Payments when they are relegated to…

— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) May 24, 2025

It is then distributed among the remaining Premier League clubs.

With Sheffield United due to receive a £39 million instalment if they stay down, that money would effectively be declared void if they earn promotion at Wembley.

While the financial boost for each club would only equal £1.95 million, it could still prove to be valuable during the upcoming transfer window - especially in tough negotiations with other sides.