Sky Sports have signed a new five-year contract worth £935million with the EFL to broadcast more than 1,000 fixtures per season from the 2024/25 campaign onwards.
Having been named as the preferred bidder last month following an extensive tendering process, Sky Sports and the EFL made the announcement on Friday evening which will provide more money to clubs and a wider span of matches for viewers.
The deal between broadcaster and governing body has increased by 50 per cent from the previous agreement which expires at the end of next season. Under that contract, signed in 2018, Sky are obliged to show 138 league matches plus Carabao Cup fixtures and play-off semi-finals and finals in the Championship, League One and League Two.
But from August 2024, that figure will leap to 1,059 matches, broadcast across existing Sky Sports channels or live via a Sky Sports streaming destination. That includes a minimum of 328 Championship matches and 248 in League One.
Each weekend will see 10 matches televised: five in the Championship and five in League One and League Two.
Research this week revealed that Bristol City were only selected for broadcast four times this season, the lowest of all 24 Championship clubs. While Bristol Rovers’ League One encounter with Sheffield Wednesday in October was the first time they’ve been subject of a live television league fixture since September 2017.
The agreement also keeps in place the Saturday "blackout" between 2.45pm and 5.15pm, as there had been some considerations that Article 48 could be removed to allow greater scope for screening afternoon games at the traditional 3pm kick-off time. However, that will not be the case as the EFL claim research has indicated there would be an estimated drop of £37m in attendance revenues across the three divisions.
“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," said EFL chief executive Trevor Birch.
“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.”
The total package will be made up of guaranteed payments of £895m and £40m in marketing benefits and will be split across the Championship, League One and League Two on a 80/12/8 per cent ration, with the EFL confirming that, "weighting is given to Championship clubs as primary drivers of rights values."
In a statement they also claim that in terms of the redistribution of broadcast money, clubs in the Championship will be approximately 46 per cent better off and 25 per cent in League One and League Two respectively, compared with the existing model and agreement.
