The latest EFL TV selections have been revealed by broadcaster Sky Sports for the next few months, with some surprises.
TV selections are bound to wind fans up, and you can see the reaction further down in this article, as always with these picks, bound to see some controversy.
Sky Sports broadcast selections for the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two have been made for the period of 11 January up to and including 24 February.
Broadcast selections are subject to change due to fixture rearrangements in relation to international call-ups, fixture postponements and cup ties.
Championship
17-Jan-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Burnley v Sunderland – Sky Sports Football
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Cardiff City v Swansea City – Sky Sports Football
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Millwall v Hull City – Sky Sports+
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Plymouth Argyle v Queens Park Rangers – Sky Sports+
19-Jan-25 – Sunday – 12:00 – Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday – Sky Sports Football
21-Jan-25 – Tuesday – 20:00 – Millwall v Cardiff City – Sky Sports Football
22-Jan-25 – Wednesday – 20:00 – Plymouth Argyle v Burnley – Sky Sports Football
24-Jan-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Sheffield United v Hull City – Sky Sports Football
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Luton Town v Millwall – Sky Sports Football
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Norwich City v Swansea City – Sky Sports+
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Stoke City v Oxford United – Sky Sports+
27-Jan-25 – Monday – 20:00 – Burnley v Leeds United – Sky Sports Football
31-Jan-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End – Sky Sports Football
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Plymouth Argyle v West Bromwich Albion – Sky Sports Football
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Oxford United v Bristol City – Sky Sports+
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Watford v Norwich City – Sky Sports+
03-Feb-25 – Monday – 20:00 – Middlesbrough v Sunderland – Sky Sports Football
07-Feb-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Stoke City v Middlesbrough – Sky Sports Football
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 Sunderland v Watford – Sky Sports Football
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers – Sky Sports+
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – West Bromwich Albion v Sheffield Wednesday – Sky Sports+
09-Feb-25 – Sunday – 12:00 – Bristol City v Swansea City – Sky Sports Football
11-Feb-25 – Tuesday – 20:00 – Norwich City v Preston North End – Sky Sports Football
12-Feb-25 – Wednesday – 20:00 – Sheffield United v Middlesbrough – Sky Sports Football
14-Feb-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Queens Park Rangers v Derby County – Sky Sports Football
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Preston North End v Burnley – Sky Sports Football
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Oxford United v Portsmouth – Sky Sports+
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Cardiff City v Bristol City – Sky Sports+
17-Feb-25 – Monday – 20:00 – Leeds United v Sunderland – Sky Sports Football
21-Feb-25 – Friday – 20:00 – Burnley v Sheffield Wednesday – Sky Sports Football
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Sunderland v Hull City – Sky Sports Football
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Derby County v Millwall – Sky Sports+
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Plymouth Argyle v Cardiff City – Sky Sports+
24-Feb-25 – Monday – 20:00 – Sheffield United v Leeds United – Sky Sports Football
League One
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Mansfield Town v Lincoln City – Sky Sports+
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Reading v Wrexham – Sky Sports+
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 17:15 – Rotherham United v Wycombe Wanderers – Sky Sports Football
16-Jan-25 – Thursday – 20:00 – Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham – Sky Sports Football
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Blackpool v Huddersfield Town – Sky Sports+
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Peterborough United v Leyton Orient – Sky Sports+
23-Jan-25 – Thursday – 20:00 – Wrexham v Birmingham City – Sky Sports Football
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Cambridge United v Mansfield Town – Sky Sports+
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Huddersfield Town v Bolton Wanderers – Sky Sports+
28-Jan-25 – Tuesday – 20:00 – Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City – Sky Sports Football
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Barnsley v Burton Albion – Sky Sports+
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Stevenage v Exeter City – Sky Sports+
02-Feb-25 – Sunday – 15:00 – Bristol Rovers v Peterborough United – Sky Sports Football
06-Feb-25 – Thursday – 20:00 – Burton Albion v Blackpool – Sky Sports Football
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Charlton Athletic v Stevenage – Sky Sports+
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Stockport County v Barnsley – Sky Sports+
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Cambridge United v Exeter City – Sky Sports+
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Northampton Town v Wrexham – Sky Sports+
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Reading v Birmingham City – Sky Sports+
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Rotherham United v Barnsley – Sky Sports+
23-Feb-25 – Sunday – 15:00 – Mansfield Town v Wrexham – Sky Sports Football
League Two
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Grimsby Town v Notts County – Sky Sports+
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Salford City v Chesterfield – Sky Sports+
11-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Walsall v Tranmere Rovers – Sky Sports Football
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Carlisle United v Bradford City – Sky Sports+
18-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Gillingham v Doncaster Rovers – Sky Sports+
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Bradford City v Walsall – Sky Sports+
25-Jan-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Milton Keynes Dons v AFC Wimbledon – Sky Sports+
29-Jan-25 – Wednesday – 20:00 – Barrow v Doncaster Rovers – Sky Sports Football
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Cheltenham Town v Chesterfield – Sky Sports+
01-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Gillingham v Notts County – Sky Sports+
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Bradford City v Harrogate Town – Sky Sports+
08-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Swindon Town v Port Vale – Sky Sports+
13-Feb-25 – Thursday – 20:00 – Port Vale v Notts County – Sky Sports Football
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – AFC Wimbledon v Salford City – Sky Sports+
15-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Doncaster Rovers v Grimsby Town – Sky Sports+
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Crewe Alexandra v Barrow – Sky Sports+
22-Feb-25 – Saturday – 12:30 – Morecambe v Walsall – Sky Sports+
ALREADY PICKED:
Saturday 9-Nov 24 12:30 – Harrogate Town v Morecambe – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 9-Nov 24 12:30 – Salford City v Carlisle Utd – League Two – Sky Sports +
*Saturday 16-Nov 24 12:30 – Exeter City v Lincoln City – League One – Sky Sports Football
Friday 22-Nov 24 20:00 – Plymouth Argyle v Watford – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Coventry City v Sheffield United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff City – Championship – Sky Sports +
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Bristol City v Burnley – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 24-Nov 24 15:00 – Swansea City v Leeds United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Bolton Wanderers v Blackpool – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Stevenage v Leyton Orient – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Grimsby Town v Colchester United – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 23-Nov 24 12:30 – Notts County v Newport County – League Two – Sky Sports +
Monday 25-Nov 24 20:00 – Port Vale v Crewe Alexandra Sky Sports Football
Tuesday 26-Nov 24 20:00 – Sunderland v West Bromwich Albion – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 27-Nov 24 20:00 – Derby County v Swansea City – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Friday 29-Nov 24 20:00 – Sheffield United v Sunderland – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 30-Nov 24 12:30 – Watford v Queens Park Rangers – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 30-Nov 24 12:30 – Middlesbrough v Hull City – Championship -Sky Sports +
Saturday 30-Nov 24 12:30 – Oxford United v Millwall – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 1-Dec 24 15:00 – Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Tuesday 3-Dec 24 20:00 – Huddersfield Town v Wigan Athletic – League One – Sky Sports Football
Friday 6-Dec 24 20:00 – Burnley v Middlesbrough – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Leeds United v Derby County – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Sheffield Wednesday v Preston North End – Championship – Sky Sports +
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Sunderland v Stoke City – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 8-Dec 24 15:00 – West Bromwich Albion v Sheffield United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Wigan Athletic v Leyton Orient – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Lincoln City v Charlton Athletic – – League One – Sky Sports +
Monday 9-Dec 24 20:00 – Northampton Town v Peterborough Utd – League One – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Crewe Alexandra v Bradford City – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 7-Dec 24 12:30 – Port Vale v Walsall – League Two – Sky Sports +
Tuesday 10-Dec 24 20:00 – Leeds United v Middlesbrough – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 11-Dec 24 20:00 – West Bromwich Albion v Coventry City – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Friday 13-Dec 24 20:00 – Derby County v Portsmouth – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Preston North End v Leeds United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers – Championship – Sky Sports +
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Coventry City v Hull City – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 15-Dec 24 15:00 – Norwich City v Burnley – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Bolton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Leyton Orient v Burton Albion – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Salford City v Notts County – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 14-Dec 24 12:30 – Tranmere Rovers v Harrogate Town – League Two – Sky Sports +
**Monday 16-Dec 24 20:00 – Fleetwood Town v Accrington Stanley – League Two – Sky Sports Football
Friday 20-Dec 24 20:00 – Luton Town v Derby County – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Portsmouth v Coventry City – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Hull City v Swansea City – Championship – Sky Sports +
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Sheffield Wednesday v Stoke City – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 22-Dec 24 15:00 – West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Bristol Rovers v Wrexham – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Lincoln City v Reading – League One – Sky Sports +
Monday 23-Dec 24 20:00 – Crawley Town v Birmingham City – League One – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Barrow v Fleetwood Town – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 21-Dec 24 12:30 – Doncaster Rovers v Tranmere Rovers- League Two – Sky Sports +
Thursday 26-Dec 24 17:30 – Derby County v West Bromwich Albion – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Thursday 26-Dec 24 20:00 – Stoke City v Leeds United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Thursday 26-Dec 24 15:00 – Charlton Athletic v Cambridge United – League One – Sky Sports Football
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Sheffield United v West Bromwich Albion – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Norwich City v Queens Park Rangers – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 29-Dec 24 17:45 – Derby County v Leeds United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Sunday 29-Dec 24 20:00 – Middlesbrough v Burnley – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers – League One – Sky Sports +
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Rotherham Utd v Stockport County – League One – Sky Sports +
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Carlisle United v Accrington Stanley – League Two – Sky Sports +
Sunday 29-Dec 24 12:30 – Bromley v Swindon Town – League Two – Sky Sports +
Monday 30-Dec 24 20:00 – AFC Wimbledon v Gillingham – League Two – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 1-Jan 25 12:30 – Queens Park Rangers v Watford – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 1-Jan 25 17:30 – Hull City v Middlesbrough – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 1-Jan 25 20:00 – Sunderland v Sheffield United – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Wednesday 1-Jan 25 15:00 – Swindon Town v Colchester United – League Two – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Blackburn Rovers v Burnley – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Stoke City v Plymouth Argyle – Championship – Sky Sports +
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion – Championship – Sky Sports +
Sunday 5-Jan 25 15:00 – Sunderland v Portsmouth – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Monday 6-Jan 25 20:00 – Queens Park Rangers v Luton Town – Championship – Sky Sports Football
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Cambridge Utd v Bristol Rovers – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Burton Albion v Northampton Town – League One – Sky Sports +
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Cheltenham Town v Walsall – League Two – Sky Sports +
Saturday 4-Jan 25 12:30 – Notts County v Swindon Town – League Two – Sky Sports +
Fans reacted to the latest EFL TV selections revealed by Sky Sports for January and February…
@Maddo11SAFC: what a load of shits. Fuck Sky Sports
@SteveR69420419: Fuck off @SkySports. Killing football and you have the front to mention fans not turning up and atmosphere getting worse YOU ARE THE CAUSE !!!
@swainy997: What a load of shit, sky killing footy once again never for the fans
@argyleross1985: No 3pm home game for almost 3 months for Plymouth. May as well stop getting a season ticket at this rate. Fuck Sky!
@WirralhornetS: Whatever happened to “football is nothing without fans” Watford at Sunderland with a 12.30 kick off. Your taking the piss
@FreddieJackMar1: Fuck sky sports and fuck the efl, money grabbing bastards. Also feel for those Lincoln fans that will be travelling down this Saturday. Football is meant to be for the fans. What’s happened to our beautiful game??
@Chivsy123: See Doug. Even Sky have turned their backs on you for booting Robins out 😉
@markandliz1: Really looking forward to getting to Bradford for a 12.30 kick off. Ruining the game one day at a time . Money is all that matters clearly
@2022BenjiC: Sunderland watford 12:30 kick off. Sky really are scum ain’t they
@SamBirdyy: Football is a TV show to Sky Sports. They don’t give a fuck about match going fans. 4 games that were supposed to be on a Saturday 3pm are not Sunday 12pm and the other 3 on a Monday night. It’s a disgrace
Meanwhile, the EFL confirms its stance on a potential scrapping of the 3pm television blackout rule.
Clubs in the English Football League are to have their say about potentially scrapping the 3pm television blackout rule this summer.
The rule, which was brought into force back in the 1960s, bans live football from being shown on TV between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday. However with people’s viewing habits changing and the pandemic seeing blackout rules temporarily axed, it raises talk of Saturday 3pm games being made available to broadcast.
However, contrary to various reports, the EFL aren’t said to be actively promoting this outcome but do insist that member clubs who want change can talk about it during this summer’s AGM which takes place in June.
When football returned after the Covid break in June 2020, all EFL games were broadcast over the iFollow streaming service with fans unable to attend matches. This included those taking place at 3pm on Saturdays.
That rule remained for all of the 2020-21 campaign, which took place almost entirely behind closed doors and allowed one source of much-needed income for many clubs, though it would have been considerably less than normal gate receipts.
The temporary rule was got rid of for the start of the current season, with no restrictions on attendances inside stadiums and this meant lower amount of games streamed over iFollow, instead showing them during midweek but only if they weren’t already on Sky Sports. Speaking in October 2021, the EFL’s chair Rick Parry refused to rule out the prospect of the law being scrapped.
He said: “I don’t see (an end to the blackout) as being essential. Having said that, I don’t necessarily rule it out. We are almost unique in Europe now in having a blackout period. I’m not presuming that it goes, but equally, if we’re looking at streaming, at new technologies and new broadcasters, we will probably have to be open-minded in terms of scheduling.”
Any plans to scrap the rule would need to be passed by UEFA. Of what we know already, the decision to keep or axe the Tv blackout is a mixed one. Bradford City CEO Ryan Sparks told i news that he was in favour of the 3pm blackout being axed.
He said: “I know there’s people asking: ‘Will away fans still come?’ It’s a fear for League One or League Two clubs but they are two different markets. People who want to go to away games will still go to away games – the numbers don’t change when we have midweek games that are on iFollow. What you do get is a not inconsiderable extra revenue stream from those who wouldn’t go to the game but buy an iFollow pass. It is about opening up that new revenue stream.”
In contrast, The Football Supporters Association chairman Malcolm Clarke said earlier this season that he saw “no reason” to change the current broadcasting rules.
Another reason to raise discussion is the EFL’s existing TV deal with Sky Sports, who this season will show a total of 228 live games, is due to end in 2024 and ITV had won a two-year deal to show highlights of the competition, starting from the new season.
SEE MORE: EFL plan to end 3pm Saturday blackout and make available live games on streaming giants
Huge changes announced by EFL in landmark broadcasting deal with Sky Sports
EFL clubs have unanimously approved a record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports worth £935m over a five-year period with over 1,000 matches to be broadcast each season – a record number of games for any club football agreement.
Running from season 2024/25 to season 2028/29, the arrangement will be made up of guaranteed payments of £895m and £40m in marketing benefits. In total, 1,059 EFL matches are set to be broadcast exclusively across existing Sky Sports channels or live via a Sky Sports streaming destination available on TV and mobile devices.
Increased value and promotion
The new deal 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.
Each season, Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of:
- 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 EFL Trophy matches
Each League weekend fixture round will see 10 live EFL fixtures shown. Five matches will be shown from the Sky Bet Championship and supporters of Sky Bet League One and League Two teams will now benefit from greater coverage than ever before with five of their games being broadcast live. For the first time ever, fans will be also able to watch every match from the Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy.
All opening, final day, and midweek fixtures in the Sky Bet EFL will be shown live as will all games played on Bank Holidays including Easter, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day alongside the matches played in Sky Bet League One & Two during international breaks.
Increased notice for fans
With the substantial increase in the number of live matches, Sky Sports and the EFL will introduce a new commitment for clubs and fans which will provide longer notice periods on TV selections. The defined notice periods will enable clubs and fans to plan further in advance and this will include the placement of all live matches selected for broadcast for the period to FA Cup 3rd Round before the start of the season. Greater parity in the number of times that clubs are selected for TV coverage is also guaranteed.
Article 48 to remain
The new deal allows for ‘Article 48’, the blocked broadcast period between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons to remain, meaning that main broadcast fixtures will be scheduled for outside of this time. Final fixture slots will be confirmed at a later date.
Domestic Streaming
From the 2024/25 season onward, this agreement makes more matches available to stream and will effectively replace the current Sky Sports EFL red button coverage and the EFL’s domestic streaming option provided via iFollow and club streaming services. Domestic streaming audio services will remain alongside existing audio-visual arrangements for international audiences via iFollow and club streaming services.
Enhanced production values and camera numbers
The EFL and Sky Sports will continue to work together to innovate, seeking opportunities to improve coverage and take viewers closer to the action, while the EFL will be investing significantly in production infrastructure to enhance the viewing experience. Sky Sports will have a minimum of eight cameras for each game broadcast on existing channels. For matches available to stream, Sky commentary will be provided and a minimum of four cameras will be used at Championship and League One matches, and a minimum of two cameras in League Two.
Commenting, Chief Executive of the EFL, Trevor Birch said:
“After completing an extensive tender and negotiation process, this is a landmark broadcast deal for EFL clubs, establishing the League as a premium partner with a world-renowned broadcaster in Sky Sports.
“The EFL is an iconic sports property and one of the biggest and best attended Leagues in European football. This increased investment and coverage from Sky Sports will showcase much more of our compelling match action to fans, while delivering record rights values as we seek to make our clubs sustainable at all levels.
“For decades, Sky Sports has been a fantastic broadcast partner for both the EFL and English football, helping our sport grow through its sustained support, so we are delighted to announce this innovative agreement that combines the strength of an established brand with a modern streaming service for the benefit of EFL clubs, fans and Sky Sports alike.
“With some 20 million attending Sky Bet EFL matches each season and significant interest in the League at home and abroad, we look forward to growing our collective fanbase further and we’d like to thank Sky Sports for its ongoing commitment to the clubs and the communities which this investment will directly support.”
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