The English Football League (EFL) has struck a new deal with Sky Sports to broadcast more than 1,000 games live on TV from next season, with a brand-new channel being added to their overallpackage,which will let fans watch their club at least 20 times every year.
Better still, the new channel will come at no extra charge to existing Sky Sports customers and help get more eyes on the lower leagues each week.
Making the announcement on Monday, 13 May, the EFL confirmed that there are set to be more games than ever aired by the broadcaster thanks to the new record deal and the introduction of Sky Sports+, a new red-button style channel and streaming service allowing fans more freedom.
Kicking off from 2024/25 and running until 2028/29, the new TV rights deal will see a total of 1,059 EFL matches shown across multiple platforms in a contract worth £895m and £40m in marketing benefits.
Watch your EFL team over 20 times a season from next season, live on Sky Sports.
As per the official press release, Sky Sports has promised to broadcast a minimum of 328 Sky Bet Championship matches, 248 League One matches and the same number of League Two matches.
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In addition to the normal season fixtures, they will also be delivering every playoff game throughout the EFL, as well as all of the 93 Carabao Cup and 127 EFL Trophy matches for the very first time.
Breaking this down to how this looks each round, this equates to 10 live EFL fixtures shown each weekend: Championship games and another five split between the third and fourth divisions.
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According to Sky themselves, this represents “a 50% increase on the value of the current rights agreement and will see significantly enhanced exposure for all EFL clubs provided through on-air and digital support from Sky Sports to promote EFL competitions, clubs, and community initiatives.”
The EFL agrees a new four-year international broadcast deal from next season worth a minimum of £150m – a 40% increase on the existing deal 💰📈 pic.twitter.com/Ktm7KasbwE
With the 3pm/Article 48 TV blackout remaining in Britain, this means that more games will be scheduled outside of this time zone, however, they are also promising to give better notice periods for fixtures selected for TV broadcast and Sky Sports+ coverage.
The new Sky x EFL deal will also ensure that all opening, final day and midweek fixtures in the Sky Bet EFL will be shown live, as well as all games played on Bank Holidays including Easter, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and lower league fixtures pencilled in for the international breaks.
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Fans further down the pyramid have been crying out for better visibility when it comes to their clubs for years, making this a landmark moment in the history of English football, but one that still goes to show just how much TV rights and the entertainment industry continues to dominate the beautiful game.
Still, more games for everyone to enjoy on the telly – that’s a good thing, right?
Manchester United set to make up to 250 staff redundant in cost-cutting move
Emily Sergeant
Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant in a bid to cut costs, it is being reported.
Following on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS’s completed purchase of a 27.7% stake in the Premier League club for a whopping £1.25 billion back in February, and his taking charge of football operations alongside it as part of the agreement, the Manchester-born billionaire has been reviewing the current running of the club ever since.
Most notably, Ratcliffe commissioned a cost review ahead of the 2024/25 football season, as his team not only moved to shake things up on the pitch, but also behind the scenes at Manchester United as a whole.
And now, it’s being widely reported by reputable sources such as Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, The Athletic, and more, that interim Chief Executive, Jean-Claude Blanc, informed staff yesterday lunchtime (3 July) that the club intends to make a wave of redundancies.
Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant / Credit: Javid Naderi | Mags (via Unsplash)
Sources at Old Trafford have indicated that the club will now follow a formal process to propose such redundancies.
Believed to be a decision that has not been taken lightly, the club will begin to consult with staff across all departments and levels – with the exception of the Manchester United Foundation, according to Sky News.
According to sources, the decision to propose redundancies was finally reached upon following several other alternatives being considered beforehand, but these would apparently have only had a short-term impact, and were therefore deemed unsuitable, given that the long-term goal is to return United back to success in the future.
It’s part of new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s, wider cost-cutting mission at the club / Credit: INEOS
The proposed redundancies also align with the Premier League’s new financial regulations.
And, as United’s costs have risen year-on-year, it’s now also understood that the size and shape of the club “structurally” does not reflect the its current performance.
AO announced as new front-of-shirt sponsor for Altrincham FC
Danny Jones
In another big step forward for non-league Altrincham FC, local electric retailer AO has been unveiled as their new front-of-shirt sponsor.
As the Greater Manchester club continues in its bid to become a bigger sporting entity and one of the fastest-growing football teams in the region, AO being announced as the new official sponsor of Altrincham FC kits for the upcoming season onwards is a big step.
The Bolton-based brand is recognisable throughout the UK and lends its name to Manchester’s iconic arena, so to get them on the front of their 24/25 strip is a landmark moment for the resurgent side, who will debut the new look this weekend.
Confirming the announcement via social media on Tuesday, 2 July, the club confirmed that AO will replace the J. Davidson logo after 13 years, though the Alty scrap company will remain as the club’s long-serving stadium sponsor.
🚨 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 🚨
We are delighted to announce @ao as our main shirt sponsor ahead of the 2024/25 season 👍
Being splashed front and centre on the new Altrincham FC strips also marks AO’s fourth North West sponsorship alongside the self-titled AO Arena, this year’s Netball Super League Grand Finalists Manchester Thunder, Bolton Lads and Girls Club as well as Lancashire County Cricket Club.
The partnership will see the distinctive AO smile logo feature on the front of the National League team’s home and away shirts as part of a multi-year agreement.
Alty’s new home shirt will be debuted in their pre-season fixture against Colne this Saturday, 6 July and the away version is set to be worn for the first time next week.
However, the club have now given their fans a first glimpse at the latter:
The new shirt sponsor also comes not long after they received sizeable investment for a club of their size as a number of local individuals and organisations decided to back The Robins.
Last season was one of the most successful in the club’s history, reaching the playoffs and falling just two games shy of securing promotion to the EFL for the first time ever, ultimately missing out in the semi-finals to League Two debutants, Bromley FC.
It’s an exciting time for the town and their football club.
Sam Mackenzie, Chief Executive at Altrincham FC, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with such a dynamic and thriving company as AO. Their values and outlook align closely with ours, making this partnership a perfect fit.
“The longevity and commitment from both sides in this partnership will mirror the successful ongoing relationship we have with J. Davidson. We deeply appreciate J. Davidson’s invaluable contribution and thank them for their continued support as we enter this exciting new partnership.
“The AO partnership is a significant development for the club, particularly in terms of the activation and outreach it will bring. As a national brand with a strong presence, AO will help us grow. Their culture is something I hugely admire – their team have been wonderful to deal with and work alongside.”
As for AO, Group Marketing Director Vicky Monky expressed a palpable buzz about teaming up with the club during such an “exciting time in their history” as they continue to consolidate as a full-time professional outfit. It’s not the only eye-catching collaboration they’ve announced recently either.
Danny Jones -
14th May 2024 
