EFL & Sky Sports in Landmark Broadcasting Deal

Clubs of the English Football League (EFL) have unanimously approved a record domestic rights deal with Sky Sports worth £935 million ($1.18 billion) over a five-year period.

Effective from the 2024-25 season to 2028-29, the agreement includes guaranteed payments of £895 million ($1.13 billion) and £40 million ($50.5 million) in marketing benefits.

The new deal represents a 50 percent increase on the value of the current rights agreement and will see significantly enhanced exposure for all EFL clubs provided through on-air and digital support from Sky Sports to promote EFL competitions, clubs and community initiatives.

In total, 1,059 EFL matches are set to be broadcast exclusively across existing Sky Sports channels or live via a Sky Sports streaming destination available on TV and mobile devices.

Trevor Birch, chief executive of the EFL, said: “After completing an extensive tender and negotiation process, this is a landmark broadcast deal for EFL clubs, establishing the League as a premium partner with a world-renowned broadcaster in Sky Sports.

“The EFL is an iconic sports property and one of the biggest and best-attended leagues in European football. This increased investment and coverage from Sky Sports will showcase much more of our compelling match action to fans while delivering record rights values as we seek to make our clubs sustainable at all levels.

“For decades, Sky Sports has been a fantastic broadcast partner for both the EFL and English football, helping our sport grow through its sustained support, so we are delighted to announce this innovative agreement that combines the strength of an established brand with a modern streaming service for the benefit of EFL clubs, fans and Sky Sports alike.

“With some 20 million attending Sky Bet EFL matches each season and significant interest in the League at home and abroad, we look forward to growing our collective fanbase further, and we’d like to thank Sky Sports for its ongoing commitment to the clubs and the communities which this investment will directly support.”

Sky Sports’ managing director, Jonathan Licht, said: “This is a ground-breaking deal for Sky and our long-standing partners, the EFL. We believe that fans of all 72 league clubs will benefit with increased coverage across all the leagues and competitions. With four times as many matches than we currently offer, we will capture even more of the excitement created by this unique league – and in a way that will be immediately accessible to millions of supporters.

“This is the biggest deal in football, in terms of the number of matches being broadcast and we look forward to working with the EFL and its 72 member clubs to give fans the most entertaining viewing experience.

“Between Sky and the league, we’re pleased to be able to make a commitment to fans that will ensure greater notice periods around the movement of matches for broadcast. There’ll also be greater parity in the number of times clubs are selected to be live on Sky Sports.

“The EFL stands alongside our key rightsholders we have partnered with for the rest of the decade, keeping Sky Sports as the number one destination for sports fans. We thank the EFL clubs and EFL board for their support and look forward to our future together.”