Sky Sports & ITV Clinch Pact for Carabao Cup Matches

ITV and Sky Sports have agreed in principle to a deal that delivers free-to-air coverage of select Carabao Cup and Championship fixtures in the U.K.

The new agreement begins in January 2025 and runs through the end of the 2026/27 season. With it, ITV will provide free-to-air coverage of select games also available on Sky Sports. The arrangement, approved by EFL Clubs, will grant ITV each season nine Carabao Cup matches, including one semi-final tie and the final. Further, ITV will simulcast ten EFL Championship matches each full season.

Sky Sports and EFL kick off their new pact with the 2024/25 season, delivering more than 1,000 matches live every season on Sky Sports+. Beyond sub-licensing matches, ITV is extending its current EFL highlights deal with plans to broadcast 55 highlights programs per season on ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX.

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 endeavor 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’s 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.”

Trevor Birch, CEO of the EFL, 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 organizations for their ongoing support and genuine commitment to all EFL competitions.”