Burton Albion Football Club

INTRODUCING Sky Sports+, giving more choice to sports fans via live streams and a new dedicated channel, at no extra cost

• Sky Sports customers can enjoy over 50% more live sport this year
• Four times as many matches from the EFL with all 72 teams featured over 20 times a season
• Every match from the men’s Super League and coverage from the ATP & WTA Tours, US Open, PGA Tour and more all available via live streams
• Sky Sports + offers the capability to show up to 100 events concurrently
• Integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the new, improved Sky Sports mobile app - providing a more personalised experience, making it easier for fans to follow their teams and sports

 

Launching this August, Sky Sports+ will be transformational in the amount of choice sports fans will have access to via live streams, the mobile app and a dedicated new channel, all at no extra cost. With more coverage than ever before from the EFL, both tennis Tours and men’s Super League, Sky Sports customers can enjoy over 50% more live sport this year.

Integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW, and a revamped Sky Sports mobile app, Sky Sports+ will make it easier for fans to browse, discover and watch the sport they love. With the capability to show up to 100 live events via concurrent streams, fans will have more choice than ever before on what to watch, while the dedicated Sky Sports+ linear channel will showcase a selection of the best live sport.

Sky Sports+ comes at the start of a new long-term and landmark partnership with the EFL, with over 1,000 EFL games a season featuring every team more than 20 times, and every Championship club on at least 24 occasions. The scale of Sky Sports+ will be evident from the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season, with every game from across all three divisions - the Championship, League One and League Two - streamed live, a first in broadcasting history.

Jonathan Licht, Managing Director at Sky Sports, said: “Exceptional sport, covered in an innovative and compelling way, has been a big part of our history. With the introduction of Sky Sports+, we are now able to offer sport fans more choice and an even better experience when watching the live action, at no extra cost.

“For the first time, we will broadcast every game live from across the EFL on the opening weekend. It’s going to be a huge moment for football fans up and down the country and is a fitting way to kick off our ground-breaking new partnership with the EFL. And this is just the beginning; Sky Sports+ unlocks the potential for us to keep evolving and finding new ways to deliver brilliant sport to our customers.”

It’s not just greater choice that subscribers can look forward to; Sky Sports+ will give exclusive access to Sky’s great sports documentaries, such as the much-anticipated Darts documentary, two weeks before anyone else. With new and enhanced features, the viewing experience will be more immersive for fans, giving greater optionality on how they watch their favourite sport. Live pause and rewind will be available on all concurrent streams, and the ‘Recap’ feature currently available for Premier League and Championship games will also be made available for EFL games shown on the Sky Sports+ linear channel.

Once live, customers with a full Sky Sports subscription won’t need to do a thing; Sky Sports+ will simply drop into the existing Sky experience, across Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Sky Q, and NOW.

The revamped Sky Sports app will also become the ultimate home of sports streaming on mobile devices with Sky Sports+ streams accessible via event centres in the app. New personalisation features will help fans follow their favourite teams and competitions more easily. An improved multi-sports scores section will offer fixtures, live scores and an extended view beyond the usual seven-day football calendar. Refreshed design and navigation, including a much-requested dark mode will improve usability.

For instant, contract-free access to all Sky Sports channels, non-Sky subscribers can purchase a NOW Sports Day or Month Membership. From August, this will also include every single live Sky Sports+ stream and on demand catch-up content. As part of the Sky Sports+ launch, NOW members will also be able to pause and rewind live sports content for the first time.

The full Sky Sports package includes an unrivalled line-up of sport and record audiences tuned in during 2023. Football fans can watch more coverage of domestic leagues with Sky Sports than any other broadcaster, including Premier League, EFL, SPFL, and WSL. Through long-term deals, sport fans can continue to enjoy award-winning coverage of Formula 1 and England domestic cricket. 2024 has also seen the return of tennis and a ground-breaking Super League deal where every match will be covered live. This, on top every golf Major, NFL, netball, darts, boxing, summer rugby union internationals, means that Sky Sports has something for every sports fan.

Q&A: EFL & SKY SPORTS BROADCAST RIGHTS AGREEMENT

In May 2023, EFL Clubs overwhelmingly approved a recommendation put forward by the EFL Board and Commercial Committee to enter into a new five-year broadcasting deal with Sky Sports worth £935m.

The following updated Q&A provides further details on what is a landmark deal for EFL Clubs, establishing the League as a “premium partner” with a world-renowned broadcaster in Sky Sports and giving supporters unparalleled access to more EFL action than ever before.

THE HEADLINES

• From 2024/25, the EFL and its Clubs will embark on a record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports worth £935m over a five-year period
• Over 1,000 (1,059) of the EFL’s 1891 games across the Sky Bet EFL, EFL Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy will be broadcast:
• 328 Sky Bet Championship matches
• 248 Sky Bet League One matches
• 248 Sky Bet League Two matches
• All 15 Play-Off matches
• All 93 Carabao Cup matches
• All 127 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches
• Games will be broadcast on existing Sky Sports channels or via Sky Sports+ - a new offering which will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and a revamped Sky Sports mobile app
• The new deal includes an agreement that there is a more equal spread of Club picks – every one of the 72 EFL clubs will be featured live on Sky more than 20 times next season.
• Each regular weekend fixture round will see 10 live EFL fixtures shown:
• Five matches in the Sky Bet Championship
• Five from Sky Bet League One and League Two

• Before the start of the 2024/25 season, all broadcast-selected matches will be allocated for the period up to the FA Cup third round proper before the start of the season. This is a landmark commitment, providing fans and Clubs almost six months’ notice, an increase from the 5 weeks' notice given across the majority of the 2023/24 season.

• From the 2024/25 season onward, this new deal with Sky Sports will effectively replace the EFL’s domestic video streaming option provided via iFollow and Club streaming services. Audio services will remain domestically, alongside existing audio-visual arrangements for international audiences.

• Across the divisions, each EFL club will be financially better off thanks to the level of rights uplift, with the deal unanimously approved.

• The new deal represents a more than 60% increase on the current rights value and will see significantly enhanced exposure for all EFL Clubs with an uplift in coverage across all divisions.
• The Sky Sports deal, along with new international TV rights deals – in partnership with Pitch International and Relevent Sports –will see increased audio-visual production and will elevate EFL’s offering as a premium experience for viewers at home and abroad.

FAQ'S

WHAT BROADCAST RIGHTS PACKAGE HAS THE EFL AGREED?

• EFL clubs have agreed a record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports worth £935m over a five-year period.
• The deal is worth £895m in rights fees plus £40m in additional marketing benefits.

WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT?

• Running from season 2024/25 to season 2028/29, the deal will run for five seasons
• Over half of all EFL competition games to be broadcast live via both existing Sky Sports channels or via Sky Sports+available on TV and mobile devices.

DOES THE NEW RIGHTS AGREEMENT VALUE REPRESENT AN UPLIFT ON THE PREVIOUS DEAL?

• The new agreement represents a record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports worth £895m in guaranteed payments over a five-year period (£179m annual average)
• This represents an uplift of £300m over the five-year period and £60m per season in comparison to the current agreement.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN REAL TERMS FOR CLUBS?

• The new deal represents a more than 60% increase on the current rights value and will see significantly enhanced exposure for all EFL clubs with an uplift in coverage across all divisions
• It also includes an additional £40m worth of commercial and marketing investment from Sky Sports to boost the profile of EFL competitions, Clubs, and community initiatives.

DO CLUBS RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL MATCH FEE EACH TIME THEY ARE SELECTED FOR BROADCAST?

• Facility fees will be applicable, but this still requires a debate amongst clubs in respect of how they will be allocated which will take place in due course.

ARE CLUBS LOSING OUT WITH DOMESTIC STREAMING NO LONGER AVAILABLE?

• Sky Sports+ will replace domestic streaming from the 2024/25 season.
• As it currently stands, the League’s annual domestic broadcasting revenue for the 72 member clubs is £119million, plus approximately £7m from streaming.
• From next season, there will be an increase in that income to £180million.
• International streaming remains, and the growing global interest in the EFL indicates that this will result in significant revenue uplift for our Clubs, hence the logic in preserving this under the International broadcast deals.

HOW CAN I WATCH MY EFL CLUB FROM SEASON 2024/25?

• Matches will be broadcast live across both existing Sky Sports channels or on the brand-new Sky Sports+, via live streams, a new dedicated channel, and a revamped app for TV and mobile devices. 
• This will effectively replace the EFL's domestic streaming option provided via iFollow and club streaming services.

WHAT IS SKY SPORTS+?

• Sky Sports+ is a new platform that will have the capability to show up to 100 live events via concurrent streams and will give customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year.
• The EFL is front and centre to the brand-new Sky Sports+

DO I NEED TO BE A SKY SPORTS SUBSCRIBER TO ACCESS SKY SPORTS+?

• For instant, contract-free access to all Sky Sports channels, non-Sky subscribers can purchase a NOW Sports Day or Month Membership.
• From August, this will also include every single live Sky Sports+ stream and on demand catch-up content.

I AM A SKY SUBSCRIBER, DO I NEED TO PAY EXTRA TO WATCH MY TEAM?

• Customers with a full Sky Sports subscription do not pay extra to access Sky Sports+
• Once live, Sky Sports+ will simply drop into the existing Sky experience, across Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Sky Q, and NOW.
• The revamped Sky Sports app will also become the ultimate home of sports streaming on mobile devices with Sky Sports+ streams accessible directly from the app.

WILL MATCHES STILL BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH VIA IFOLLOW, OR CLUBS’ ALTERNATIVE STREAMING SERVICES?

• From the 2024/25 season onward, this new deal with Sky Sports will effectively replace the EFL’s domestic video streaming option provided via iFollow and club streaming services
• Audio services will remain domestically, alongside existing audio-visual arrangements for international audiences.

DOES THE LOSS OF DOMESTIC STREAMING MEAN CLUBS WILL BE FINANCIALLY BETTER OFF OR WORSE OFF WITH THIS NEW DEAL?

• Given the significant uplift in rights values across the duration of the deal, EFL clubs as a collective will be significantly better off than if they maintained the current combined arrangement of linear broadcasting and individual club streaming
• As it currently stands, the League’s annual domestic broadcasting revenue for the 72 member clubs is £119million, plus approximately £7m from streaming.
• From next season, there will be an increase in that income to £180million.

WHAT ABOUT FOR INTERNATIONAL FANS?

• The existing audio-visual arrangements will remain for overseas fans..
• EFL clubs will be able to continue international streaming services direct to fans overseas, where matches are not being broadcast exclusively, enabling those based abroad the chance to watch their team’s matches throughout the whole season
• This is as a result of a new international TV rights deals, in partnership with Pitch International and Relevent Sports, that will showcase and promote EFL competitions across the globe for the next four years (until the end of the 2027/28 season)
• Pitch International will distribute EFL rights in Europe, MENA and rest of world (including LATAM and Canada) regions.
• Pitch will distribute:
  • 155 exclusive Sky Bet Championship matches
  • 38 League One and Two matches
  • All Sky Bet Play-Off matches
  • All Carabao Cup matches
  • 3 Bristol Street Motor Trophy matches (2 Semi Finals and Final)
• Relevent Sports will distribute EFL content through the United States, which includes:
  • All Sky Bet EFL matches
  • All Sky Bet Play-Off matches
  • All Carabao Cup matches
  • 3 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches (2 Semi Finals and Final)

WILL ARTICLE 48 (3PM BLOCKED BROADCASTING PERIOD) STILL APPLY?

• Yes, the blocked period between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on regular weekends will remain.
• This means there will be 26 games (seven in Championship, and 19 in League One and Two combined) in the Saturday 3:00pm slot, which will not be broadcast in the UK each regular weekend

WHY HAS THE EFL RETAINED THE 3PM BLOCKED BROADCASTING PERIOD?

• As above, all options were considered and on the table for the right bid
• The bid from Sky Sports was ultimately the strongest which sought to make a significant amount of EFL match action available while protecting Saturday blocked hours

WHEN WILL LIVE EFL MATCHES BE BROADCAST?

• EFL matches will be broadcast on regular midweek slots, and regular weekend slots T
• outside blocked hours across the weekend
• These include:
  • Five Sky Bet Championship matches
  • Five matches across Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two
• 10 regular weekend games across the three divisions
• All opening and final day fixtures in the Sky Bet EFL
• All midweek league fixtures
• All bank holiday fixtures including Easter, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
• All fixtures played in League One & Two during international breaks
• All matches played in Sky Bet League One and League Two during International breaks
• All Play-Off, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy fixtures (as above)

DOES THE EFL BELIEVE THE NEW RIGHTS AGREEMENT COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT ON CLUB ATTENDANCES?

• As Article 48 has been protected, we do not believe that attendances will be significantly impacted by more match action being made available.
• Nothing beats the live matchday experience and we are confident that fans that can and are able to attend a match will continue to do so in the large numbers that we continue to see through the turnstiles.
• We also know that there is a large demand from fans that cannot always get to games, so making more EFL action available through one established provider represents another way of taking EFL action to the audience.

WILL THE NEW DEAL JUST SEE SOME CLUBS SELECTED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN OTHERS?

• The new deal includes an agreement that there is a more equal spread of club picks
• Championship clubs will be live up to 24 times per season
• League One and League Two clubs will be live approximately 20 times per season
• The objective has been to apply more balance and certainty to broadcast selections

I’VE SEEN THAT I CAN WATCH MY TEAM MORE 20 TIMES IN A SINGLE SEASON, DOES THIS MEAN THAT FIXTURES WILL BE MOVED FOR THE SAKE OF LIVE OF TV GAMES?

• The EFL and Sky Sports committed to greater parity in the number of times that Clubs are selected for TV coverage across all competitions
• While clubs are set to feature more than 20 times per season on Sky Sports this will not mean that all of the fixtures will be moved or displaced
• Mid-week TV-selected fixtures will not be moved throughout the season
• Opening Weekend, Final Day and Bank Holiday matches are subject to move, as they won’t clash with Article 48-protected fixtures
• For each League One and League Two team, at least 16 of the minimum 20 matches broadcast will not be moved.
• For each Championship Club, at least 11 of the broadcast matches will not be moved.

HOW MUCH NOTICE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THE SELECTION OF LIVE TV GAMES?

• Sky Sports and the EFL will make good on a landmark new commitment for clubs and fans which will provide longer notice periods on TV selections.
• The notice periods for selections are as follows:
  • Within seven days of the 2024/25 Fixture Release selections shall be made in respect of all matches to be played before the end of September.
  • Before the start of the season, selections shall be made in respect of all matches scheduled to be played prior to the end of the third round of the FA Cup (January 2024).
  • By November 1, selections shall be made in respect of all matches to be played between the end of the third round proper of the FA Cup and the first weekend of March.
  • Selections for matches scheduled after the first weekend in March will be made on a four-week rolling basis starting from February 1 (e.g. a selection for the first weekend in April will be selected in the first weekend in March).
• This is almost six month’s notice provided to fans and Clubs, a significant increase on the current deal, which sees five weeks' notice given across the majority of the season.
• By selecting TV picks early and giving much more notice, fans will be able to plan with certainty when making travel and hotel arrangements. 

HOW MANY LIVE GAMES WILL THE NEW DEAL INCLUDE?

• In total, over 1,000 (1,059) of the EFL’s 1891 games across the Sky Bet EFL, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy will be broadcast:
• 328 Sky Bet Championship matches
• 248 Sky Bet League One matches
• 248 Sky Bet League Two matches
• All 15 Play-Off matches
• All 93 Carabao Cup matches
• All 127 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches

ARE ALL OF THESE MATCHES AVAILABLE ON SKY SPORTS MAIN CHANNELS?

• The 1,059 matches will be split across the branded Sky Linear Channel (main channel) and the new Sky Sports+ offer
• More than 193 matches will be available on Sky Sports main channel:
  • 118 Sky Bet Championship matches
  • 19 Sky Bet League One matches
  • 19 Sky Bet League Two matches
  • 15 Sky Bet EFL Play-Off matches
  • 19 Carabao Cup matches
  • 3 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches
• A further 866 fixtures will be available on Sky Sports+, including:
  • 210 Sky Bet Championship matches
  • 229 Sky Bet League One matches
  • 229 Sky Bet League Two matches
  • 74 Carabao Cup matches
  • 124 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches
• All other fixtures are protected by Article 48 and are not broadcast into the UK

SO, THIS MEANS INCREASED EXPOSURE FOR CLUBS IN ALL DIVISIONS?

• Yes, increasing the amount of EFL action shown under any new rights deal was a key objective with research showing that fans wanted more access. This agreement delivers that uplift
• In the current agreement, roughly 13% of EFL matches are shown by Sky Sports, whereas in the new deal, approximately 56% will be shown
• Each regular weekend fixture round will see 10 live EFL fixtures shown. Five matches will take centre stage in the Sky Bet Championship and fans in Sky Bet League One and League Two will benefit from greater coverage than ever before with five games being broadcast live across the two divisions.
• For the first time ever, fans will be able to watch every match from the Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

DOES THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT INCLUDE LIVE COVERAGE OF CARABAO CUP AND BRISTOL STREET MOTORS TROPHY MATCHES?

• Yes, beyond league action, for the very first time, alongside the Sky Bet Play-Offs, Sky Sports will now show ALL match action in the Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy. This includes:
• 15 Play-Off games
• 93 Carabao Cup games
• 127 Bristol Street Motors Trophy games

WITH AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF GAMES, WILL THERE BE ANY OTHER NEW MATCHES AVAILABLE TO VIEW THAT AREN’T CURRENTLY?

• For the first time ever, every game of the 2024/25 opening weekend from across all three divisions - the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two – will be broadcast or streamed live
• Under the new deal, the following will be available to view:
• 10 regular weekend games across the three divisions
• All opening and final day fixtures in the Sky Bet EFL
• All midweek league fixtures
• All bank holiday fixtures including Easter, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
• All fixtures played in League One & Two during international breaks
• All Play-Off, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy fixtures (as above)

DO YOU THINK YOU’VE MADE TOO MANY MATCHES AVAILABLE?

• The total number of matches to be broadcast is 1,059 compared to 243 in the current Sky deal
• However, in total clubs currently stream 360 matches domestically on iFollow and club streaming services, so the actual total is 603 matches already broadcast or streamed
• The additional 456 matches includes 202 additional Cup matches with the remaining 254 matches coming from bank holidays, opening and closing weekends and weekend matches
• That leaves 832 matches and 26 out of 36 regular weekend fixtures that are not broadcast
• We believe we have made a proportionate step of making matches available to fans

 WILL THIS VOLUME OF GAMES IMPACT ATTENDANCES?

• It is clear that supporters want more broadcast content
• We already make 603 matches available and we have no evidence that they impact attendances. 2023/24 League attendances are up by 10% on last season we’ve reached the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs, with approximately 23 million fans attending this season
• We have protected 832 key Saturday 3pm matches and introduced extended notice periods for fans, balanced club selections and five weekend matches at Sat 12.30
• We believe the balance we have struck grows media income but not at the expense of attendance income

SO WILL SKY SPORTS OTT MEAN SINGLE CAMERA PRODUCTION LIKE IFOLLOW?

• Announced in April, EFL production partner IMG will produce 866 matches per season for Sky Sports’ streaming service with the remaining balance produced by Sky for their main channel output
• IMG will produce a further 832 matches (1,698 in total) which will be utilised outside of the UK by EFL rights holders Pitch International and Relevent Sports, who will distribute the premium broadcast feed across the world  
• Fans will see increased camera setups across every division with six cameras in the Championship, four cameras in League One and two cameras in League Two – up from four, one and one cameras respectively.
• Carabao Cup matches will feature a minimum of two cameras plus an up-scaled four-camera set-up for later rounds of the competition.
• All Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches will remain available to view with a one camera setup until the semi-finals