Sky Sports: EFL agrees new five-year television deal worth £595m with broadcaster. The English Football League has agreed a controversial new television rights deal with Sky Sports, worth £595m. The deal, which runs from the start of next season until May 2024, is a 35% increase on the previous contract. But a number of the Championship's larger clubs feel it undervalues how much the rights are worth and will meet on Tuesday to discuss their next move. One senior club executive told BBC Sport: "The EFL has just started a war." The broadcaster will show 138 league matches a season as well as every play-off game and the Carabao Cup final. They will also show 14 ties from the earlier rounds of the Carabao Cup and the semi-finals and final of the Checkatrade Trophy. The list of Championship fixtures to be broadcast will include 16 on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with an additional eight to be broadcast simultaneously. Sky have the option to increase the number of matches to 158 in the final two years of the agreement - these games can only be taken from weekend games. It is understood that Derby County, Leeds United and Aston Villa are among the clubs opposed to the new contract. Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani, who also owns broadcaster ElevenSports, has previously criticised the current deal, saying clubs are not getting enough money for games which are shown on live television. 'Unanimous decision' please log in to view this image BBC Sport understands that the nine-member EFL Board unanimously agreed to the deal, including representatives of three Championship clubs, Reading, Brentford and Bristol City. The deal covers the Championship, League One and League Two, with the money split between all 72 clubs depending on which division they are in. EFL interim chair Debbie Jevans said in a statement that she will review how the league discusses future deals with clubs as a result of the concerns: "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," she said. By comparison, the Premier League's three-year television deal with Sky and BT Sport is worth £4.55bn, but the amount Amazon paid for one package of games has not been disclosed. "The deal we have entered into with Sky, after fully testing the current market through our external advisors, allows our clubs the benefit of financial security which was an absolute priority for us throughout this process," said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey. "It is a partnership that, as well as having the necessary financial benefits, provides the EFL with the platform to maximise reach and exposure for its competitions, alongside providing further opportunities for clubs to monetise some of those games not broadcast on television through a DTC offering." 'They have just started a war' - Analysis Simon Stone, BBC Sport The EFL have stuck their necks out in signing this deal. This morning, I was told 21 out of the 24 Championship clubs wanted the EFL to ask Sky for more time, or even negotiate a shorter contract, to allow some of the issues - amount of money being paid, the number of times clubs are on TV, the mass streaming of midweek games - to be sorted out. Should this deal go through against their wishes, I was told by one senior club executive that the "EFL should not be patting themselves on the back thinking they have won and they should not see this as being done, because in fact, they have just started a war". Now the Championship clubs must decide whether there is any substance behind their rhetoric, whether they are willing to do anything to back up their claims of incompetence. A meeting is due to take place on Tuesday. The outcome will be very interesting indeed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46267320
why these 3 clubs? if the money is shared equally [ it isn't I know ] it would amount to £1.66m per season. In that time 2760 games will be played in leagues It appears the championship games will be ? 94 ? games per season from "weekend " fixtures which likely includes Friday night / Sun / even Monday? ON AVERAGE 32 GAMES ARE PLAYED ON WEEKEND S …….. 14 GAMES ARE MIDWEEK [ championship ] So that 94 games means at least 6 teams a week will figure on WEEKENDS?! [ figures give or take a match ] Lower leagues might get at least 1 appearance during the contractual period? It will be interesting if they publish the blanket base payment for each of 72 teams ! assuming 80% of the fund is shared and divided 50% 30% 20% ??? 2nd division would get about £900k a season, championship £2.5m [ premier £90m? ] first div about £1.5m that would leave a pot of £120m to cover games @ about £110k each [ rough figure, as equal for all games posted, but likely wont be] on paper it does not seem to bad as a freebie, however if a club lost say 3000 paying supporters for a televised game then that would likely be around £75k for a top championship club …. . . .. . ? I think IT IS PROGRESS but maybe another £75m wouldn't go amiss! ……….
That's an absolute pittance compared to what the greedy clubs in the Premiership get. The Championship is an attractive spectacle compared to a lot of leagues as is L1 and L2 and I'm surprised all 24 clubs didn't tell Sky where to stick their money. I'm always happy to watch the Vanarama Conference on BT Sport. Proper football, honest endeavour and no Prima Donnas
I honestly don’t know - is this deal better than the current one? If so then it’s ok. If not then it’s not.
I bet Leeds, Villa and Derby are only complaining that they don’t get the lions share seeing as they are always on Sky.
Doesn’t bother me either way, unless you get mega bucks as In the premier league , the money isn’t great , im not sure if it really is worth it , with the red button and such like I think it should be much more or don’t bother . I hate the times changing to accommodate live games on Sky, much prefer Sat 3pm , I’m not even keen on midweek night games .
changing the time is c*** however to get all the fixtures in, and it is getting worse! with the new euro format you have to have mid week ….. 8 or 9 games!
You do realise that before this Euro format that there was still international breaks? And believe it or not there was just the same amount.
Greed is the word that comes to mind. If we are one of the 3 who are standing by the other 48 clubs in the EFL then I'm proud of us.
If only that was the case. I think its got more to do with Mark Ashton (and the other 2) having a conflict of interest with a foot in both camps and being on the EFL board.
nobody knows what went on and who was maybe calling the others bluff …. for all we know the £600m was reduced because SKY WANTED 158 games although conceding 60 lge games for £5m [ about £80k per game ] and would leave the table if they didn't get their way? the teams that benefit one would think are the teams with small gates??? if the match fee is a standard one …. although they would only get the minimum of 2 home games!
