English Football League (EFL) clubs have unanimously agreed to accept a landmark deal worth £935m with Sky Sports. This deal will result in more than a thousand matches a season being broadcast live. The five-year deal is set to begin in the 2024-25 season. It will see guaranteed payments of £895m and £40m in additional marketing benefits.
It is believed that 1,059 English Football League matches, a record number for any club football agreement, will be shown live by Sky Sports. These fixtures can be accessed through any streaming services and handheld devices. This means that the Sky streaming platform will be replacing the current iFollow service for domestic viewers.
English Football League clubs will receive 46% more in guaranteed income
The new deal also represents a significant rise of 50% in value over the current rights. It will also provide increased exposure to all the English Football League clubs. The Guardian reports that based on the EFL’s distribution formula, Championship clubs will earn 46% more in guaranteed income.
As part of the new agreement, League One and Two clubs will see their income raise by 25%.
Each league weekend will see 10 fixtures being shown live, with five from the Sky Bet Championship and others including coverage of League One and League Two clubs. Moreover, fans will also be able to tune in to watch each fixture from the Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy.
Saturday blackout will remain in place despite fan-opposition
The Saturday blackout period, however, still remains. No matches can be shown between 2:15 pm and 5:15 pm. This means that live fixtures will take place outside those times.
It is also reported that Sky Sports and the English Football League will work hand in hand to improve the coverage and keep viewers engaged by introducing more cameras closer to the action.
Sky Sports is expected to invest significantly in their infrastructure with a minimum of eight cameras to broadcast the action for existing channels.
Moreover, Sky commentary will be provided for the matches that will be streamed with a minimum of four cameras for Championship and League One matches, and a minimum of two cameras in League Two.
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