Clubs in the English Football League have voted through a record new five-year live TV coverage deal with Sky Sports worth £935m.
The five-year deal, made up of guaranteed payments of £895m and £40m in marketing rights, will begin in 2024-25 and run to the end of the 2028-29 season. It represents a 50% increase on the league’s deal with Sky, which expires at the end of next season.
Under the deal, 1,059 league, EFL Cup, and EFL Trophy matches will be shown live either on a Sky main channel or via a Sky streaming platform, replacing the iFollow service for domestic viewers. The deal was voted through unanimously.
READ MORE: Idrissa Gueye gives honest answer when asked Everton relegation question
The EFL had said it was willing to consider scrapping the Saturday blackout, but it will be kept in place under the new deal. However, more matches will be available to stream, with six games across the Championship, League One, and League Two set to begin at 12:30 each Saturday.
The deal also means 26 out of 36 matches will kick off at Saturday 3pm – seven Championship matches plus 19 across Leagues One and Two. The EFL acknowledges that changes in kick-off times can make planning difficult for fans and has committed to placing all live matches up to the FA Cup third round before the start of each season.
Clubs will receive a fee when selected for broadcast, but a debate on how these will be allocated will take place later in the year. All opening-round and final-day matches will be shown live, as will all games played on Bank Holidays and matches played in League One and Two during international breaks.
Reacting to the deal, Trevor Birch, the chief executive of the EFL, said: "After completing an extensive tender and negotiation process, this is a landmark broadcast deal for EFL clubs, establishing the League as a premium partner with a world-renowned broadcaster in Sky Sports.
"The EFL is an iconic sports property and one of the biggest and best attended Leagues in European football.
"This increased investment and coverage from Sky Sports will showcase much more of our compelling match action to fans, while delivering record rights values as we seek to make our clubs sustainable at all levels.
"For decades, Sky Sports has been a fantastic broadcast partner for both the EFL and English football, helping our sport grow through its sustained support, so we are delighted to announce this innovative agreement that combines the strength of an established brand with a modern streaming service for the benefit of EFL clubs, fans and Sky Sports alike.
"With some 20 million attending Sky Bet EFL matches each season and significant interest in the League at home and abroad, we look forward to growing our collective fanbase further and we’d like to thank Sky Sports for its ongoing commitment to the Clubs and the communities which this investment will directly support."
READ NEXT:
- Idrissa Gueye gives honest answer when asked Everton relegation question
- Jurgen Klopp speaks out on Liverpool decision to play national anthem at Anfield
- Wayne Rooney speaks out on 'dream' of becoming Everton manager
- Liverpool predicted line-up vs Brentford as Darwin Nunez and Jordan Henderson decisions made
- The ECHO picks Liverpool best ever home kit with just five on the shortlist
