EFL Could End Blackout For Next TV Rights Deal
The English Football League (EFL) is considering scrapping the Saturday 3pm blackout as part of a new TV rights deal starting in 2024.
The league’s current deal, a £595m five-year agreement with Sky Sports, comes to an end after the 2023/24 season. The deal had initially caused controversy when it was negotiated in 2018, with some EFL Championship clubs claiming it did not match the value of the competition.
The EFL has now issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for interested parties in respect of its broadcast rights, where there is thought to be a hope of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon showing interest.
An EFL statement read, ‘Rights for all 1,891 matches across the league, EFL Cup, EFL Trophy and all end of season play-off matches are available for prospective bidders.’
The suggestion of selling the rights for all matches would see the end of the current 3pm blackout, a UEFA imposed restriction requested by the Football Association (FA) to ensure attendance at lower league football across the weekend.
The increase in matches available will inevitably increase the value of any potential rights deal as well as impacting other individual sponsorship agreements across the leagues.
EFL Chief Commercial Officer, Ben Wright, said, “Alongside the EFL’s rich tradition and distinguished history there is a desire to evolve, grow and innovate in order to grow our audience further and we’re looking for a partner or partners who share that vision.”
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