EFL Agrees New Sky Deal
The English Football League (EFL) has reached an £595m agreement with Sky Sports for its domestic broadcasting rights until the end of the 2023/24 season.
It follows strong criticism of the proposed terms from a number of Championship clubs.
The five-year deal worth £119m a season was formally concluded following a meeting of the EFL Board and represents a 35% increase on the current arrangement with the satellite pay-tv broadcasters.
As part of the new contract, EFL clubs will be allowed to continue using the EFL’s iFollow OTT platform to monetise games not broadcast on television outside of the Saturday afternoon blackout.
Sky Sports will also continue to broadcast live the Sky Bet EFL, Carabao Cup, Checkatrade Trophy and Sky Bet Play-Offs as part of the agreement, which will come into effect next season.
Overall, the deal covers 138 Sky Bet EFL League matches, the 15 Sky Bet EFL Play-Off matches, 15 games throughout the Carabao Cup, including the showpiece Final and the Semi-Final and Final of the Checkatrade Trophy.
EFL is positioning the new deal as one that will maximise the financial return and exposure for each of the 72 Member Clubs and EFL competitions.
It claims the nine-strong EFL Board was swayed by its responsibility to ensure “a sustainable and profitable League that gives all Clubs an environment to prosper and succeed.”
Debbie Jevans, EFL interim chair, said: “Having fully considered the matter, its implications and any associated risks, the EFL Board is satisfied that the right deal for the EFL and its Clubs has been reached.
“Concluding these negotiations has indeed been challenging, as is the case when managing a diverse group of stakeholders, and the Board took on board the comments and frustrations voiced by a number of Clubs and has committed to reviewing the way the League engages with its Clubs to ensure that we move forward in a collaborative way in the future.”
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports added: “We’re delighted to finalise our agreement with the EFL and give certainty to its clubs, their fans and our customers for five more years. By confirming this deal with the EFL, Sky Sports gets even stronger, alongside 128 Premier League games, the home of F1 and English cricket – the rights that matter most to our customers are secure into the next decade.”
