Sky Sports Extends Football League Deal
Sky Sports has extended its UK broadcast deal with the Football League for a further year, taking the extended partnership through until at least the 2018/19 season, with the option to extend into 2019/20.
The current deal, the most lucrative in Football League history, sees the broadcaster showcase 148 live matches per season from the second, third and fourth tiers of English football, as well as the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
Shaun Harvey, the Football League’s chief executive, said: “Sky Sports have demonstrated, once again, their outstanding commitment to the Football League and its clubs.
“In extending this agreement we’ve delivered greater financial certainty to clubs for at least the next four seasons which I’m sure will be welcomed in boardrooms and by supporters across the country.”
News of the deal – which also includes internet, on demand and mobile rights – coincides with the announcement that the Football League has secured a new ‘solidarity’ agreement with the Premier League.
Under the agreement, parachute payments to relegated Premier League clubs will be reduced from the current four seasons to three seasons, with Championship clubs not in receipt of parachute payments being awarded a solidarity payment equivalent to 30% of a third-year parachute payment.
League 1 and League 2 clubs will receive 4.5% and 3% of a third-year payment, respectively.
The payments are designed to spread the wealth and ensure financial stability throughout the Football League pyramid following the Premier League’s record-breaking £5.136 billion domestic TV contract with Sky and BT.
The new agreement marks the first contracted link between the broadcasting revenues of the top tier and Football League since the Premier League’s creation in 1992.
