English Football League teams unanimously decided to sign a £935 million deal with Sky Sports, that would result in the coverage of more than 1,000 games annually but maintains the Saturday ban.
The five-year agreement, which includes £40 million in marketing licences and £895 million in assured payments, will start in 2024–25 and go until the conclusion of the 2028–29 season. It is a 50% increase over the league’s contract to Sky, which ends at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
BREAKING: EFL clubs have unanimously approved a record domestic rights deal with Sky Sports worth £935m over a five-year period with over 1000 matches to be broadcast each season – a record number of games for any club football agreement. 🎥✍️ pic.twitter.com/GkwTXKGWL0
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 5, 2023
To replace the iFollow programe for national viewers, 1,059 league, EFL Cup, and EFL Trophy matches are going to be broadcast live on a Sky main channel or on a Sky streaming platform.
The streaming service DAZN was eager to obtain permission to broadcast every EFL game and abolish the Saturday blackout between 2.45 and 5.15 p.m. The blackout continues, but there are going to be additional matches to broadcast, with six games in the Championship, League One, and League Two scheduled to begin at 12.30 pm on Saturdays.
The agreement implies that 26 out of 36 games—including seven Championship games and 19 games from Leagues One and Two—will begin on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The agreement implies that 26 out of 36 games—including seven Championship games and 19 games from Leagues One and Two—will begin on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The EFL has pledged to schedule all live games through to the third round of the FA Cup at the beginning of each season, acknowledging that the shifts in kickoff times can make planning challenging for supporters.
According to the EFL’s distribution methodology, Championship clubs would reportedly receive 46% more in guaranteed television income, while Leagues One and Two clubs will fare 25% better.
