Sky Sports looks set to retain the EFL broadcasting rights in the UK after the Comcast-owned television company was named as the ‘preferred bidder’ for the next cycle.
International sports streaming service DAZN was keen to change the face of football broadcasting in the UK by showing every single EFL match from the start of the 2024-25 season.
DAZN’s proposal would have brought an end to the Saturday 3pm blackout, which prohibits UK broadcasters from showing live football between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays.
However, it has been reported that Sky Sports will continue to air EFL games for the foreseeable future, meaning the contentious 3pm blackout looks set to remain in place.
“The EFL has now completed a full and comprehensive review of the multiple ITT submissions received as part of its broadcast rights sales process from 2024 onwards,” a statement read.
“The League will now enter into an exclusive month-long negotiating period with the preferred bidder, Sky Sports. No further comment will be made on this matter at the current time.”
Thanks to a £119m-a-year deal, Sky Sports currently holds the rights for the EFL. But with only 138 matches shown live each season, many fans do not get the chance to watch their club on television.
20 League One games were broadcast live last season, in addition to just 10 League Two clashes. On top of that, only two Championship matches are currently shown each weekend.
By contrast, DAZN would have made every single EFL game available to stream, giving fans of smaller clubs the opportunity to watch their side on a weekly basis.
It is also worth noting that DAZN was willing to share the rights with other broadcasters, although the EFL appears to be set on sticking with Sky Sports for the time being.
Both Sky Sports and DAZN are also among the top contenders for the Premier League rights, which are expected to go up for auction for the first time since 2018 later this year.
Other high-profile broadcasters such as BT Sport, Viaplay and Apple TV are also expected to bid for the Premier League rights, with the next cycle running from 2025 to 2028.
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