Sky Sports have been named by the EFL as their preferred bidder for the next round of broadcast rights having seen off competition from DAZN, BT Sport and Swedish company Viaplay.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, the EFL detailed how they would now enter a month-long period of exclusivity where they will conduct negotiations over the next round of rights which begins from the 2024/25 campaign and could be worth more than £200m a season.
Sky Sports currently broadcasts 138 matches a season across the Championship, League One, League Two and EFL Trophy over their £119m-a-year deal, but that is heavily weighted on the second tier, with many clubs below having not appeared on television for several years. Two Championship matches are shown each weekend, with just 20 League One matches broadcast live last season, along with 10 from League Two.
The EFL believe there is a bigger appetite below the Premier League for more matches to be broadcast and had invited tenders last year for agreements between three and five years. Which is why DAZN’s plans appeared the most interesting given the streaming platform reportedly wanted to make every game available for subscribers, a move that would end the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout.
“The EFL has now completed a full and comprehensive review of the multiple ITT submissions received as part of its broadcast rights sales process from 2024 onwards,” an EFL statement read. "The League will now enter into an exclusive month-long negotiating period with the preferred bidder, Sky Sports. No further comment will be made on this matter at the current time.”
Bristol Rovers CEO Tom Gorringe has spoken publicly about being in favour of ending the blackout in favour of greater live access to fans, believing it won’t have a detrimental impact on attendances which has always been the concern.
