Albion chief executive Paul Barber fears a widening gap between Championship and Premier League clubs arising from the new TV rights deals.
He warns it will be tougher for the Seagulls and other Championship clubs to be competitive if they are promoted.
And he has urged Premier League clubs awash with money to keep season ticket prices in check to ensure stadiums remain full.
The Premier League secured a whopping £5.136 billion deal with Sky and BT Sport for live UK broadcast rights for three seasons from 2016-17.
It means the reward for failure in finishing bottom is set to soar to an estimated £92 million.
Championship clubs will benefit from the new Football League deal with Sky but they are still only likely to receive around £8-£9 million.
Barber told The Argus: "The challenge of making the step up, if and when you are lucky enough to make it, is becoming harder and harder.
"One of the great joys in my opinion of English football and the pyramid system we have and the reason why TV rights fees are so high is because it is so competitive.
"There are two, three, four challengers for the Premier League title. There are six, seven, eight clubs that could be relegated.
"There are five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten clubs in the Championship that could be promoted. That's what TV companies are paying for.
"It's the mid-table teams that tend not to be focused so much on live television, because the drama isn't there.
"We have got to do all that we can to preserve the drama that TV companies love, that fans love and that actually everyone that works in the game loves - as much as we don't like to be at the wrong end of that drama - because we know it puts bums on seats."
The Premier League agreement represents a staggering 70 per cent increase on the current £3 billion deal and will be further inflated when overseas rights are sold at the end of the year.
The Football League deal, stretched to an extra season covering 2018-19, has been hailed as a "significant financial boost on two fronts" because the solidarity payment from the Premier League, currently worth £2.3 million of the £4.2 million Albion receive, has been linked for the first time to the size of the Premier League deal.
It will be equivalent for Championship clubs to 30 per cent of a third-year parachute payment for a relegated Premier League club, which experts predict will almost triple the current payment to £6.5 million.
Barber said: "The new Premier League TV deal is astonishing. I think we all expected there to be an increase, I don't think anyone I know in football or the TV rights market expected it to be as much as 70 per cent and full credit to Richard Scudamore (Premier League chief executive) and his team for negotiating such a brilliant deal.
"It now looks like Championship clubs were quite smart to tie their solidarity payments to an index-linked TV deal because it means our payments will go up substantially on the back of that as well.
"Obviously, compared to Premier League clubs, they are very modest in terms of overall value but for Championship clubs it's worth having."
Albion recently announced a price freeze on season tickets. Barber believes Premier League clubs must be careful about their future pricing policy.
The former Spurs board member said: "Now there is a huge amount of money in the game again. There is still the overseas TV deal to do as well. That will no no doubt increase in similar or massive proportion again, which now means there is going to be pressure on Premier League clubs to try to do something for fans to try and ensure ticket prices remain as affordable as possible.
"With our season ticket prices we're doing our best to keep the stadium full. I think full stadiums are critical for football clubs and I know if I was at a Premier League club now I'd been thinking hard about how I keep the stadium as full as possible because TV companies want atmosphere.
"There is nothing worse than a live TV game with a half-empty stadium, so there's that very fine balancing act to be struck between the value of the TV deal that has been created but also making sure fans can still afford to come to the games, rather than staying at home and watching it on TV."
The TV Numbers
Premier League deal with Sky and BT Sport soars from £3 billion to £5.136 billion for 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19
BBC highlights package up by £24 million to £204 million
Overseas rights sold at the end of the year expected to rise significantly from current £2.2 billion
Bounty for Premier League's bottom club expected to increase from £62 million for Cardiff last season to £92 million
Championship clubs currently earn £1.9 million from the Football League TV deal plus a £2.3 million Premier League solidarity payment
Solidarity payment expected to rise to £6.5 million under revised Football League deal with Sky, extended by a season to 2018-19
Parachute payments for relegated Premier League clubs reduced from four to three seasons
Relegated clubs receive a parachute payment instead of the solidarity payment. Last season it was £24 million
Original article
He warns it will be tougher for the Seagulls and other Championship clubs to be competitive if they are promoted.
And he has urged Premier League clubs awash with money to keep season ticket prices in check to ensure stadiums remain full.
The Premier League secured a whopping £5.136 billion deal with Sky and BT Sport for live UK broadcast rights for three seasons from 2016-17.
It means the reward for failure in finishing bottom is set to soar to an estimated £92 million.
Championship clubs will benefit from the new Football League deal with Sky but they are still only likely to receive around £8-£9 million.
Barber told The Argus: "The challenge of making the step up, if and when you are lucky enough to make it, is becoming harder and harder.
- Barber issues TV warning for Albion's Premier League prospects
- Albion stay nine clear of drop zone - and now heat is really on Holloway
- (with video) Sako could miss Amex trip - but Wolves will appeal
- Battered and bloodied - so will Pearce face Albion?
- Emanuel wins silver medal at European Championships
"One of the great joys in my opinion of English football and the pyramid system we have and the reason why TV rights fees are so high is because it is so competitive.
"There are two, three, four challengers for the Premier League title. There are six, seven, eight clubs that could be relegated.
"There are five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten clubs in the Championship that could be promoted. That's what TV companies are paying for.
"It's the mid-table teams that tend not to be focused so much on live television, because the drama isn't there.
"We have got to do all that we can to preserve the drama that TV companies love, that fans love and that actually everyone that works in the game loves - as much as we don't like to be at the wrong end of that drama - because we know it puts bums on seats."
The Premier League agreement represents a staggering 70 per cent increase on the current £3 billion deal and will be further inflated when overseas rights are sold at the end of the year.
The Football League deal, stretched to an extra season covering 2018-19, has been hailed as a "significant financial boost on two fronts" because the solidarity payment from the Premier League, currently worth £2.3 million of the £4.2 million Albion receive, has been linked for the first time to the size of the Premier League deal.
It will be equivalent for Championship clubs to 30 per cent of a third-year parachute payment for a relegated Premier League club, which experts predict will almost triple the current payment to £6.5 million.
Barber said: "The new Premier League TV deal is astonishing. I think we all expected there to be an increase, I don't think anyone I know in football or the TV rights market expected it to be as much as 70 per cent and full credit to Richard Scudamore (Premier League chief executive) and his team for negotiating such a brilliant deal.
"It now looks like Championship clubs were quite smart to tie their solidarity payments to an index-linked TV deal because it means our payments will go up substantially on the back of that as well.
"Obviously, compared to Premier League clubs, they are very modest in terms of overall value but for Championship clubs it's worth having."
Albion recently announced a price freeze on season tickets. Barber believes Premier League clubs must be careful about their future pricing policy.
The former Spurs board member said: "Now there is a huge amount of money in the game again. There is still the overseas TV deal to do as well. That will no no doubt increase in similar or massive proportion again, which now means there is going to be pressure on Premier League clubs to try to do something for fans to try and ensure ticket prices remain as affordable as possible.
"With our season ticket prices we're doing our best to keep the stadium full. I think full stadiums are critical for football clubs and I know if I was at a Premier League club now I'd been thinking hard about how I keep the stadium as full as possible because TV companies want atmosphere.
"There is nothing worse than a live TV game with a half-empty stadium, so there's that very fine balancing act to be struck between the value of the TV deal that has been created but also making sure fans can still afford to come to the games, rather than staying at home and watching it on TV."
The TV Numbers
Premier League deal with Sky and BT Sport soars from £3 billion to £5.136 billion for 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19
BBC highlights package up by £24 million to £204 million
Overseas rights sold at the end of the year expected to rise significantly from current £2.2 billion
Bounty for Premier League's bottom club expected to increase from £62 million for Cardiff last season to £92 million
Championship clubs currently earn £1.9 million from the Football League TV deal plus a £2.3 million Premier League solidarity payment
Solidarity payment expected to rise to £6.5 million under revised Football League deal with Sky, extended by a season to 2018-19
Parachute payments for relegated Premier League clubs reduced from four to three seasons
Relegated clubs receive a parachute payment instead of the solidarity payment. Last season it was £24 million
Original article