PM: the EFL - the play-off restructure next season, why stop there

i get it completely i do, the latest efl initiative to f**k about with the game to increase the number of teams involved to increase from 4 to 6 starting next season. obviously you have done this purely to increase supporter engagement/enjoyment and you should be commended for doing that.

so, why stop there? why not push the boundaries even further and build upon this initiative?

why not implement my brilliant idea of extending this initiative not only next season, but for the following four seasons by incrementally adding two teams into the play off mix each season until we finally arrive at the teams finishing 3-16th being involved in a play-off dogfight.

this would thus then naturally create another play-off competition for the bottom 8 finishing teams to engage in an 8-way play-off extravaganza for the three relegation spots.

every team outside of the top two is thus invested until the final whistle of the regulation season.


allow me to present: the incremental expansion of the championship play-offs:

imagine a new twist on the english football league championship play-off system designed to make the season more competitive for more teams for the entire season.

current system: automatic promotion; 1st and 2nd place

promotion play-offs: 3rd–6th place battle for the final promotion spot.

relegation: bottom three teams drop to league one. boring.

this new setup rewards consistent performance while keeping late-season excitement for teams just outside the top two.

proposed incremental expansion

next season, the idea is to expand the play-offs by two teams each year:

next season: 3rd–8th (6 teams)

following seasons: 3rd–10th, then 3rd–12th, 3rd–14th, and finally 3rd–16th

goal: gradually allow more mid-table teams to compete for promotion while maintaining competitive fairness for the league leaders.

the incremental approach prevents a sudden collapse of league table importance.

higher finishing teams still benefit from better seeding and potential byes in the play-off structure.

alongside the expanded promotion play-offs, the bottom eight teams (17th–24th) would enter a relegation play-off tournament:

these teams compete to avoid the three relegation spots to league one.

this structure keeps late-season matches meaningful for teams at the bottom, maintaining competitive tension and fan engagement.

mid-table drama: 3rd–16th

the middle 14 teams would then compete for the third promotion spot in a structured knockout format.

top seeds benefit from first-round byes and home advantage, preserving incentives to finish higher.

this ensures that almost the entire league remains engaged until the end of the season:

top 2 fight for automatic promotion

3rd–16th battle for the play-off promotion spot

17th–24th fight to avoid relegation

benefits of this model

competitive integrity: season-long performance still matters.

fan engagement: more high-stakes matches across the league.

drama: both promotion and relegation battles are extended, making late-season games crucial.

flexibility: incremental expansion allows clubs and organizers to adapt gradually.

practical considerations

scheduling: more matches mean careful planning is needed to avoid fixture congestion.

player welfare: extra matches must consider fatigue and injury risk.

commercial impact: more play-off games = more broadcast opportunities, but over-saturation could dilute the prestige of the championship play-off final.

conclusion

by gradually increasing promotion play-off eligibility and introducing a bottom-eight relegation play-off, the league could maintain competitive tension across nearly all positions.

top 2: automatic promotion

3rd–16th: promotion play-off contenders

17th–24th: relegation play-off contenders

this system would make almost every match count while still rewarding top performers and protecting the league’s structure.

so show us your workings?

sure

more play-off matches = more matchday revenue

promotion play-offs (3rd–16th): 14 teams: potentially 7–8 knockout rounds

relegation play-offs (17th–24th): 8 teams: 3 knockout rounds

financial impact:

more home games with high stakes = more ticket sales, food, and merchandise revenue.

clubs in mid-table, previously with little to play for late in the season, now get extra revenue from meaningful matches instead of farting around on the beach.

stadium occupancy rises because fans are motivated to attend matches that decide promotion or relegation

example: a single championship play-off semi-final can generate hundreds of thousands in gate receipts and hospitality; scaling this up could increase total revenue significantly across the league.

next: broadcast & media rights revenue

current championship play-offs are already highly valuable to broadcasters

expanding to more matches with meaningful stakes:

additional live tv content leads to increased licensing fees

higher viewership for mid-table teams with strong fanbases

potential for late-season “mini finals” every week

relegation play-offs also carry high drama, which historically draws strong tv audiences

result: league could negotiate higher annual broadcast rights fees due to increased premium content.

then we get to sponsorship & commercial opportunities

more high-stakes matches leads to more opportunities for pitch-side, kit, and digital sponsorships

expanded play-offs provide:

“title sponsor” benefits for the promotion play-offs

separate sponsor packages for relegation play-offs

marketing campaigns targeting more clubs and fanbases

sponsors pay more when the matches are widely viewed and high-stakes, so the league’s commercial deals could increase substantially.

another factor, merchandise & club-level revenues go up

clubs involved in play-offs can sell extra merchandise:

scarves, shirts, banners commemorating matches

mid-table clubs that previously had little late-season excitement now generate additional income

also, indirect / long-term benefits:

more competitive league = stronger fan engagement and loyalty which leads to higher attendance and recurring revenue in future seasons

increased drama can attract new fans drawing in higher social media following, app subscriptions, and digital engagement

clubs that gain promotion via play-offs enter higher leagues driving larger tv revenue, sponsorship, and ticket income

so what's the upshot?

revenue source likely impact matchday increases

more high-stakes games, higher attendance, merchandise & hospitality

broadcast fees go up, more premium content, higher licensing fees

sponsorship revenues increase, additional promotion/relegation sponsor packages.

club-level merchandise sales increase, fan engagement, long-term loyalty

long-term competitive excitement increases leading to more consistent revenue growth

bottom line:

expanding play-offs to include 3rd–16th for promotion and 17th–24th for relegation would substantially increase revenue across clubs and the league, both directly (ticket/broadcast) and indirectly (fan engagement, sponsorship, merchandise).

the financial upside scales with the number of matches and the competitiveness of the league, but must be balanced against increased costs and potential over-saturation.

it could even draw interest away from the bore-a-thon that is the current "set piece/penalty area wrestling/long throw" premier league offer and bring in even more revenue for all in the efl. i mean, more supporter engagement/enjoyment.

sort it out knapper.

Posted By: Tombs on March 14th 2026 at 21:30:37

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