Sky Sports has agreed a further one-season extension to its broadcast deal to screen exclusively live matches from the Football League.
The broadcaster has extended its existing domestic broadcasting agreement covering the 2018/19 season, with the Football League also having an option to extend the arrangement into 2019/20.
This deal comes on the day that clubs meeting at St George’s Park near Burton learned that the League has concluded a new ‘Solidarity’ agreement with the Premier League – ensuring significant financial boosts on two fronts.
Sky’s agreement, across its initial four seasons, is the most lucrative in the Football League’s history with 148 matches per season from the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy being broadcast live on Sky Sports along with highlights and clips from all three competitions.
The deal, which encompasses internet, Sky On Demand and mobile services, will ensure Sky Sports’ partnership with the Football League extends to 23 years, since the broadcaster first screened live games from the League in 1996/97.
Additionally, the Football League and Premier League have concluded a new ‘rolling’ Solidarity agreement that will see a proportion of Premier League television revenues re-distributed to Football League clubs from 2016/17.
It provides the first contracted link between the broadcasting revenues of the two domestic professional leagues since the formation of the Premier League in 1992.
Under the agreement, parachute payments to relegated Premier League clubs will be reduced from the current four seasons to three seasons, with Championship clubs (that are not in receipt of parachute payments) being awarded a solidarity payment equivalent to 30% of a third-year parachute payment. League 1 and League 2 clubs will receive 4.5% and 3% of a third-year payment, respectively.
Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “Sky Sports have demonstrated, once again, their outstanding commitment to the Football League and its clubs.
“In extending this agreement we’ve delivered greater financial certainty to clubs for at least the next four seasons which I’m sure will be welcomed in boardrooms and by supporters across the country.”
Barney Francis, the Managing Director of Sky Sports said: “We are pleased to extend our agreement with the Football League, and provide further security to the 72 clubs long into the future.
“Sky Sports viewers will have more of the drama and excitement that is part and parcel of the Football League and its cup competitions.
“The Football League is part of Sky Sports’ unrivalled schedule that includes Premier League, England cricket, The Ashes, three of golf’s four majors and Ryder Cup, England Rugby Union, F1 and many more of the sports that matter.”
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