The Championship playoff final is often called the richest match in football.

This year, Hull City beat Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium to win promotion to the Premier League — and unlock roughly $275 million in broadcast and commercial revenue over the next three seasons.

In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli break down why promotion to the Premier League is about far more than sporting glory. From TV revenue and parachute payments to global exposure, new sponsors and survival in one of the most competitive leagues in the world, the episode looks at how one result can change the financial future of a club.

They also explore why promotion and relegation create a level of drama that American sports rarely match, comparing Hull City’s rise with Wrexham’s Hollywood-backed climb through the English football pyramid.

Then, the episode turns to the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, where Barcelona beat Lyon 4–0 to win their fourth European title in six years and strengthen their place as the dominant force in women’s football.

Michael and Asli discuss what the result means for Michele Kang’s multi-club ambitions, why UEFA is watching multi-club ownership so closely, and how the financial gap between the men’s and women’s Champions League remains huge — even as the women’s game continues to grow.

Finally, in the weekly World Cup update, they look at New York’s affordable 2026 World Cup ticket lottery and Iran’s decision to relocate its tournament base from Arizona to Mexico amid rising political tensions.

From Hull City’s $275 million promotion prize to Barcelona’s women’s football dynasty and FIFA’s accessibility problem, this episode asks a simple question: who really wins when football’s biggest games become financial jackpots?

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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

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Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond, Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

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Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

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