What's the Difference Between the Premier League and the EFL?

**TL;DR: **The Premier League is the top tier of English football and a separate organisation from the English Football League (EFL), which runs the three tiers below it: the Championship, League One, and League Two. They share promotion and relegation but are governed independently and have very different finances, broadcast deals, and rules.

If you're new to English football, the structure can be confusing. The Premier League sits at the top, but it isn't part of the EFL. They're two separate bodies with their own offices, sponsors, and rule books, even though clubs move between them every season. Here's a clean breakdown.

Two organisations, one pyramid

English football is a pyramid. The Premier League is tier one. Below it, the EFL runs three tiers: the Championship is tier two, League One is tier three, and League Two is tier four. Below the EFL sit the National League and the rest of non-league football, run by yet another body.

Up until 1992, all four tiers were part of the Football League. The Premier League broke away that year so the top clubs could negotiate their own broadcast deals. The EFL, originally still called the Football League, eventually rebranded to its current name in 2016. The pyramid still functions because of promotion and relegation, but the two organisations operate independently.

Different money, different rules

The most obvious difference is the cash. Premier League clubs share a TV deal worth several billion pounds across a three-year cycle, including international rights. EFL clubs share a much smaller pot, although the Championship's deal is still substantial by global standards.

• Premier League: 20 teams, top tier, biggest TV deals globally
• Championship: 24 teams, EFL tier two, second-richest league in England
• League One: 24 teams, EFL tier three, regional travel mostly
• League Two: 24 teams, EFL tier four, the entry point to fully professional football

Each league also runs its own cup competition. The EFL Cup is the one Premier League teams enter alongside Championship, League One, and League Two sides. We covered how that competition fits into the prediction picture in our guide to Carabao Cup vs Premier League predictions.