EFL clubs unanimously vote to accept £935m deal to broadcast over ONE THOUSAND matches a season

More than 1,000 EFL matches will be broadcast live each season from the 2024-25 campaign after Sky Sports signed a new five-year contract for exclusive coverage worth £935million.

The deal is a major boost for lower division clubs as it represents a huge increase on the existing £119m-a-year Sky contract, but the broadcaster will also benefit significantly by being allowed to televise four times as many games.

A total of 1,059 matches will be shown each season, but despite the huge increase the Saturday afternoon blackout will remain.

The EFL have committed to seven out 12 Championship matches kicking off at 3pm on Saturdays, as well as 19 out of 24 games in Leagues One and Two.

Games not subject to the blackout will be shown on Sky Sports’ main channels or via a new streaming app to be set up by the broadcaster, which will replace the iFollow services on club websites. 

EFL clubs have agreed to a new streaming agreement with Sky Sports worth £935million

A total of 1,059 matches will be shown live either on a Sky main channel or alternative streaming platform

The 3pm Saturday blackout will stay in place with the deal, with televised kick-offs set for 12:30pm on Saturdays

Newly-promoted Wrexham will likely be heavily involved in the broadcasts should they avoid relegation next season

Many of the streamed matches will kick off at 12.30pm on Saturdays, with Sky committing to broadcast 328 out of 552 Championship games each season and 248 of the 552 fixtures in League One and Two, in addition to all games in the Carabao Cup, the EFL Trophy and the play-offs.

Under the EFL’s distribution model, Championship clubs will benefit from a 46 per cent increase in television revenue, with those in Leagues One and League Two getting a welcome 25 per cent increase.

DAZN were keen to enter negotiations to broadcast the EFL but Sky were again the preferred bidder