£100m boost or £12m revenue hit! Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney walking financial tightrope at Wrexham as Red Dragons deliver more promotion drama for documentary series

The Red Dragons, with Hollywood co-owners making regular trips across the Atlantic once more, are closing in on a historic third successive promotion. Phil Parkinson’s side are within touching distance of Championship football.

The ultimate goal in North Wales is to one day reach the Premier League, with big money being invested while chasing that dream. An award-winning documentary series, alongside lucrative commercial agreements, have helped Wrexham to post record-breaking revenue figures.

Any late wobble in League One could, however, prove costly. Football finance expert, Professor Rob Wilson, has told OLBG: "Missing out could cost £10-12 million in immediate revenue. This is primarily from lost EFL media distributions (solidarity payments which are much higher in the Championship), reduced expected match day uplift, and diminished commercial leverage. The Championship is a financially compelling tier, and delay slows momentum."

A rare failure for Reynolds and McElhenney would, however, deliver more drama for ‘Welcome to Wrexham’. Wilson added on benefits there: "Naturally. We all love a good story line, especially when there is value at stake. In my opinion, jeopardy and unpredictability drive engagement which, in turn, drives revenue. A setback like this only fuels the tension that streamers crave — it’s story gold for Disney+ and other media agencies."

Wrexham are determined to avoid any backwards steps as they remain upwardly mobile. Wilson said of how much promotion into the second tier of English football could be worth to the Red Dragons: "Significant. Transformative. Fantasy.

"Championship status would place Wrexham in a £100m+ broadcast ecosystem, elevate match day and sponsorship revenues, and further globalise their brand, particularly in North America, where the underdog-to-elite story line resonates powerfully.

"We should also remember that English football, while having a base in the US, is still finding its feet, and this would further drive engagement. It also enables Wrexham to dictate, to some extent, their own future. While they will rightly still leverage their owners Hollywood status, it does give the club more pedigree to earn its own revenues."

Wrexham will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Charlton. Reynolds and McElhenney are expected to be in attendance for that fixture, which could see promotion confirmed if other results go their way. If not, then the battle for a top-two finish will go down to the final day and the Red Dragons’ trip to Lincoln.