EFL names Sky Sports as preferred bidder for new TV rights deal

The league’s current deal with Sky runs until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The EFL has entered a month-long exclusive negotiation period with preferred bidder Sky Sports (Barrington Coombs/PA) (PA Archive)

The EFL has entered into an exclusive negotiating period with Sky Sports for its next set of broadcast rights.

The league’s current five-year deal with Sky runs until the end of the 2023-24 season, and it issued invitations to tender earlier this year.

The league issued a statement on Monday afternoon which read: “The EFL has now completed a full and comprehensive review of the multiple ITT submissions received as part of its broadcast rights sales process from 2024 onwards.

“The league will now enter into an exclusive month-long negotiating period with the preferred bidder, Sky Sports.

“No further comment will be made on this matter at the current time.”

Streaming platform DAZN was understood to be keen on a long-term deal which it felt would help the EFL close the financial gap with the Premier League.

Screening all matches under DAZN’s plans would have required the EFL making a request to lift the Saturday blackout between 2.45pm and 5.15pm.