SKY'S THE LIMIT
Sky Sports customers get huge boost as new streaming option offers hundreds more live games at NO extra cost
The changes will see fans have access to every game in a major cup competition
SKY SPORTS have announced a new streaming option which will come at no extra cost to subscribers as part of a major broadcasting change.
The new service is called Sky Sports+ and will feature every EFL club over 20 times a season.
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The channel will also feature every Carabao Cup game.
It comes after the EFL were given permission to break the 3pm blackout for games.
The blackout has been in place since the 1960s to protect lower league football.
The theory is that by preventing football being shown on TV on Saturday afternoons, it will encourage fans to attend lower league football in person.
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But that was scrapped for the EFL after it was judged that the injection of money through a new TV deal with Sky would give lower league clubs a much needed cash-boost.
Sky’s new deal with the league means 10 matches across the three divisions will be shown every weekend, with six of them shifted to the 12.30pm Saturday slot.
It will also see every opening game of the 2024-25 EFL season shown live on TV.
The expansion to more than 1000 live games per season means fans of all 72 EFL clubs are guaranteed to be able to see their club in action at least 20 times.
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Sky’s £930m five-year deal with the EFL kicks off in August, when the broadcaster will launch a new free streaming channel as part of current subscriptions.
Sky Sports+ will offer 50 per cent more live sport and up to 100 streams at once.
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It will see five Championship matches and five more from across Leagues One and Two each weekend in the current broadcasting slots.
All matches played midweek and on Bank Holidays will also be available for fans to watch.
Every Championship match will be covered by at least six cameras, with four cameras at the League One grounds and a minimum two in the bottom tier, with commentary for all matches.
Fans will also be able to follow action from the ATP and WTA tennis tours on the new streaming service as well as have access to men's rugby Super League games.
Golf fans will be delighted to learn that they will also be able to stream the PGA Tour on the channel.
Every game from the US Tennis Open will also be streamed on the service.
Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports managing director, promised: “We are making a commitment to every club in the EFL and this is a big step-change for League One and Two.
“This season, 20 of the 48 clubs in those divisions were not covered live even once.
“But we will also announce in July all the games we are screening live up until the first week in January.
"And by the start of November that will be extended to the beginning of March, to give fans as much notice as we can.”
The opening weekend plans from Friday August 9 are possible because the FA only applies for the 3pm “blackout” rule to apply when 50 per cent of Prem and Championship matches are kicking off - with the top flight starting a week later.
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Licht added: “This is going to be a huge moment for football fans up and down the country and a fitting way to kick off our ground-breaking new partnership with the EFL.”
What do Sky's broadcast changes mean for subscribers?
Sky's £930million deal with the EFL will change the way fans consume sport in the country. For a start, it has ended the 3pm blackout for EFL clubs which has been in place for more than 60 years. Here's what it will mean for Sky subscribers.
- Fans will now be able to watch 3pm EFL games with 10 matches across the three EFL leagues being shown over the weekend.
- Six of these matches will be shifted to the 12:30pm Saturday slot
- 1000 live games will be shown every season, meaning EFL fans will be able to watch their club's games on TV at least 20 times.
- New channel Sky Sports+ will offer 50 per cent more live sport and up to 100 streams at once.
- It will see five Championship matches and five more from across Leagues One and Two each weekend in the current broadcasting slots.
- All matches played midweek and on Bank Holidays will also be available for fans to watch.
- The channel will also stream every Carabao Cup game
- New channel will also show rugby men's Super League matches
- Both the WTA and ATP tennis tours will be shown as well as every game of the US Open.
- Fans will be able to stream PGA golf events
- The streaming service will be included as standard in Sky subscribers contracts - meaning it will not come at an extra cost for consumers
- The streaming service will be integrated into Sky TV and available via the NOW TV app