EFL EXCITEMENT ALL AROUND THE GLOBE!
IF YOU thought the EFL was just a domestic matter, then think again – games are set to be shown in more than 150 countries this season!
From Argentina to Andorra, from Mexico to Botswana, EFL league and cup games will gain screen time.
They will be broadcast or streamed into 166 countries with a reach of almost 614 million households across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania, reinforcing the EFL’s reputation as one of the most watched competitions in world football.
“This is great news for both clubs and their supporters, wherever they may be in the world,” said EFL chief executive, Shaun Harvey.
Opportunities
“We are delighted to see the increased appetite from existing and new partners for our competitions and that can only serve us well for the future.
“The proliferation of the global game means having a regular and prominent presence internationally has never been as important and is very significant to our clubs who are looking to further establish themselves in key overseas markets.
“This announcement is supported by this summer’s launch of the new ground-breaking digital platform, iFollow, that will revolutionise the way thousands of EFL supporters overseas gain access to their club as well as providing revenue opportunities previously not available.”
This weekend, 31 EFL matches were available to an international audience.
In total, more than 1,500 matches will be available in HD quality this season, with iFollow showing every EFL league match live unless that match has been selected by the EFL’s over- seas broadcast partners.
Subscribers will pay the equivalent of £110 per season for the service which will provide coverage of up to 46 live games per club. Individual match passes have also been made available for the equivalent of £5 per match, as have new free-to-download apps for 55 EFL clubs which are available for free from the App Store and Google Play Store.
Agreement
Meanwhile, fans based in the UK and Republic of Ireland will have access to live audio match commentary, highlights packages and exclusive content as part of the new offering.
League matches selected for live TV coverage, including those on Sky Sports and one other Saturday 3pm kick-off that will be broadcast internationally, are not available to stream on iFollow or comparative club services.
Fifty-eight EFL clubs offer the iFollow service with the remaining 14 clubs able to offer live streaming to international fans on a comparative service.
New apps have been built for 55 of the 58 clubs within the EFL Digital agreement. The three remaining clubs, Brentford, Cardiff City, and Nottingham Forest, have produced their own apps in conjunction with iFollow.