Sky Sports has retained the rights to broadcast the EFL in the UK in a five-year deal worth £600m.
Under the terms of the arrangement, Sky will show every midweek Championship game live - some 80 fixtures - on its interactive service beginning from next season. Furthermore, all 72 clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two will be able to broadcast any games not scheduled for Saturday 3pm or selected for Sky broadcast on their own club websites.
Sky has also secured an increase in the number of EFL games it can air live on its traditional, non-interactive TV channels, from 112 to 150 a season from 2019-20. The quota will include a minimum of 20 League One and League Two games as well as 16 midweek games.
Sky can also show all 15 playoff games from the three divisions and has retained the rights to the EFL Cup, with 15 matches included in its packages, as well as the semi-finals and final of the EFL Trophy.
"Sky Sports has for many years been a hugely important and valued partner of the EFL and we are delighted to extend our relationship by a further five years," said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey. "I would like to thank all those who submitted bids and we now look forward to working with the Sky Sports team as they cement their position as the broadcast home of live EFL matches.
"These negotiations came at what was an incredibly challenging period in the sale and acquisition of sports rights in the UK and, having fully tested the market, we believe that not only has a significant increase in value for our clubs been achieved, but also the very best deal, with the best partner has been delivered.
"In agreeing a deal over five seasons, it delivers a guaranteed increase in the level of income distributed to EFL clubs from 2019-20 and long-term financial certainty was an absolute priority throughout this process."
Sky's retention and expansion of EFL rights comes in advance of a bidding war for the next set of Premier League rights, which is due to get underway before the end of the year.
Neil Wilkes
