EFL’S SKY BONUS
Championship clubs only pay £7m rebate in new deal
THE EFL have reached a financial settlement with Sky that will see clubs pay a £7million rebate and grant the broadcaster an additional 10 live Championship matches.
The agreement, which the EFL board will put to the clubs next Wednesday, details the TV coverage and associated costs that will follow the resumption of play on June 20. They include:
A £7m rebate to Sky payable over three years and deferred until the start of the 2021-22 season.
Award of 10 extra matches this season, which will also be streamed on club websites to verified season-ticket holders via promotional codes.
Provision for clubs to stream the 78 remaining non-Sky Championship matches on their website to season ticket holders, with these games not available on Sky’s red-button service.
Facility to sell additional match passes to fans for £10.
Retaining Sky’s exclusive rights to broadcast the 15 play-off matches in Championship, League One and League Two, which will not be made available to stream on club websites.
The maximum number of times a Championship club can be selected for a live Sky broadcast is six, so each club will be able to stream a minimum of three matches exclusively to season-ticket holders and fans.
The deal is something of a coup for the EFL, who have protected the vast majority of a contract worth £119m per year, as well as securing a deferral.
The EFL had budgeted for a worstcase scenario of a £42m rebate if all three leagues were curtailed and were working on a £15m payment to Sky, which they have cut by 50 per cent.
Obtaining exclusive rights for the clubs to stream the 78 non-Sky games is also a significant achievement by the EFL, as it will enable the clubs to provide content to fans and should create additional revenue through the sale of match passes. The deferral will also be welcomed by the clubs as it means Sky will continue to pay the full £119m next season, before beginning to make deductions spread over three years in the summer of 2021.