EFL Championship And Carabao Cup To Air On ITV
Sky Sports and ITV have agreed a new sub-licensing deal which will see select Carabao Cup and EFL Championship fixtures available on the free-to-air broadcaster from 2025.
Starting with next year’s Carabao Cup semi-finals and running until the end of the 2026/27 football season, ITV will jointly air a number of games also available on Sky Sports.
These include one tie from each of the first four rounds, one additional tie from either the third or fourth round, two quarter-final ties, one semi-final tie and the final.
Additionally, ITV will simulcast 10 matches from the EFL Championship each season, with the ability to swap its selection for matches in League One or League Two.
Finally, the ITV and the EFL have also agreed to extend their longstanding highlights agreement. As such, beginning with the upcoming 2024/25 campaign, ITV will broadcast 55 highlights programmes per season across ITV1 and ITV4.
Sky Sports and ITV have agreed a deal in principle to broadcast select Carabao Cup and EFL Championship fixtures on free-to-air from 2025.#EFL
— EFL (@EFL) May 30, 2024
Jonathan Licht, managing director of Sky Sports, said, “This momentous upcoming season of over 1,000 matches from the EFL on Sky Sports+ shows our huge ambition and increased dedication to the EFL and its supporters.
“Working with a free-to-air broadcaster isn’t new for us and many of our partners, as we endeavour to help grow and broaden audiences for sports.
“With ITV set to simulcast a select number of matches from the EFL from 2025 alongside Sky Sports full coverage, it means that millions of football fans in the UK will be able to enjoy plenty of action from the Cup and League, boosting the exposure for clubs which is great news for all.”
Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, added, “This deal brings viewers free-to-air coverage of top-level knockout football over the coming years, as well as standout matches from the EFL, adding regular live matches to our highlights shows. We’re looking forward to bringing fans some superb action and insight from this new, fuller EFL package across the next few seasons.”
Financial details of the new sub-licensing arrangement were not revealed, however, in the run up to today’s announcement (31st May) it was widely reported that the two broadcasters were discussing a deal in the region of £15m.
In May 2023, Sky Sports agreed a record five-year deal with the EFL for rights to over 1,000 EFL matches per season, worth £895m in guaranteed payments and a further £40m in marketing benefits.
The new arrangement must first be approved by EFL clubs, but this is expected to be a formality.
Trevor Birch, the EFL’s chief executive officer, said, “We’re delighted to continue a long-standing relationship with ITV, in partnership with Sky Sports, to deliver an added showcasing of the best of the EFL to a wider audience.
“We want the EFL to be accessible to as many audiences as possible, and this extra offering, with no additional subscription required, only enhances our reputation. I’d like to thank both organisations for their ongoing support and genuine commitment to all EFL competitions.”
Stay up to date with the world of sports business by subscribing to the Sport Industry Daily.
