The latest EFL and Carabao Cup Third Round TV selections have been revealed by broadcaster Sky Sports for the next two months.
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.
The EFL said on Frday afternoon: “The following fixtures have been chosen for live coverage on Sky Sports in the Sky Bet Championship and Carabao Cup.
“In the Championship, Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City has been moved from Friday 29 September to Sunday 1 October, while Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland has been added to the schedule.
“Sky Bet Championship TV selections:
Friday 29 September – Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland – 8pm
Sunday 1 October – Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City – 12pm
“The changes have come as a result of both Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City’s Carabao Cup Round Three opponents, Cardiff City and Liverpool, featuring in League action the Sunday prior to the Carabao midweek (due to scheduling & European commitments), which would mean the scheduled Cup ties would need to completed on Wednesday 27 September.
“Therefore, the initial Sky Sports selection at Ewood Park on Friday 29 September wouldn’t have allowed either Club enough recovery and preparation for the fixture, so a change has been made to the schedule.
“As such, Sheffield Wednesday’s fixture against Sunderland at Hillsborough has been chosen as a new selection for the Friday night slot, whilst Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City has been moved to Sunday 1 October to ensure the Carabao Cup Round Three ties can be completed.
“Carabao Cup TV selections:
Tuesday 26 September – Manchester United v Crystal Palace – 8pm
Wednesday 27 September – Newcastle United v Manchester City – 8pm”
ALREADY PICKED:
Sat 02 Sep 2023 – 12:30 KO – Sunderland v Southampton
Mon 04 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Cambridge United v Reading
Sat 09 Sep 2023 – 12:30 KO – Bradford City v Grimsby Town
Fri 15 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Southampton v Leicester City
Sat 16 Sep 2023 – 19:45 KO – Cardiff City v Swansea City
Sun 17 Sep 2023 – 12:00 KO – Millwall v Leeds United
Tue 19 Sep 2023 – 19:45 KO – Preston North End v Birmingham City
Tue 19 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough
Wed 20 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Norwich City v Leicester City
Fri 22 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Birmingham City v Queens Park Rangers
Sun 24 Sep 2023 – 12:00 KO – Stoke City v Hull City
Mon 25 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Coventry City v Huddersfield Town
Tue 26 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Wed 27 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Newcastle United v Manchester City
Fri 29 Sep 2023 – 20:00 KO – Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland
Sat 30 Sep 2023 – 12:30 KO – Southampton v Leeds United
Sun 01 Oct 2023 – 12:00 KO – Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City
Tue 03 Oct 2023 – 20:00 KO – Stoke City v Southampton
Wed 04 Oct 2023 – 19:45 KO – Sunderland v Watford
Wed 04 Oct 2023 – 20:00 KO – Rotherham United v Bristol City
Fri 06 Oct 2023 – 20:00 KO – Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion
Sat 07 Oct 2023 – 12:30 KO – Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Mon 09 Oct 2023 – 20:00 KO – Burton Albion v Cambridge United
Tue 31 Oct 2023 – 19:45 KO – Derby County v Northampton Town
Here’s how fans reacted to the latest EFL and Carabao Cup Third Round TV selections revealed by Sky Sports…
@sunlunwilll: So we’ve been fucked over because blackburn and leicester can’t play on a Friday ? Fucking joke man 😂
@tony_waugh5: Southampton are the new West Brom, might as well have dedicated channel.
@I_am_the_Paulus: Predictable, but awful #CarabaoCup live tv selections: Man United-Palace and Newcastle-Man City
@DarraghImp: Typical Premier League Bias
@SteveGrant1983: Newcastle v Man City, I get, but Man United v Palace? Really, lads??
@TALKOFTHE72: Never in my mind did I think that the EFL tv selections would be embarrassing🤥
@Nick_Whittaker: Imagine having the opportunity for Lincoln v West Ham and selecting Man Utd v Crystal Palace. No wonder fans are not interested in the EFL Cup
@TheSincilBanker: I genuinely think most neutrals would prefer to watch a lower league club at home against a Premier League side than a watered down all Premier League tie.
@Jason91047505: Shocking choice of cup ties. You get to watch united palace and city Newcastle twice a season already. Why not show Lincoln vs West Ham chance of a upset and money for Lincoln. Shame on you.
@DB_NorthEast: Four weeks notice and you change a fixture from Saturday to Friday evening. Shambles again from you both. @WeAreTheFSA @EFL_Comms
@joehunt2342: It’s just laughable at this point
@Wfcdanoc: Those cup picks 😂 we never see Newcastle & City reserves lock horns, can’t wait for that 🙄🤮
@CharlieStfcc: here we go.. i think you mean 📺The latest @SkyFootball championship coverage have been confirmed.
@Alexnelson2004: Embarrassing tv selections for the cup
Match dates
12-19 August – Announced by date 8 July
26 August – 20 September – Announced by date 21 July
23 September – 7 October – Announced by date 18 August
21 October – 11 November – Announced by date 15 September
25 November – 13 December – Announced by date 21 October
16 December – 1 January – Announced by date 10 November
13 January – 3 February – Announced by date 8 December
10 – 24 February – Announced by date 5 January
2 – 6 March – Announced by date 2 February
9 March – Announced by date 9 February
16 March – Announced by date 16 February
29 March – 1 April (Easter) – Announced by date 1 March
6 – 10 April – Announced by date 8 March
13 April – Announced by date 15 March
20 April – Announced by date 28 March
27 April – Announced by date 5 April
4 May – Announced by date 29 April
N.B. These dates are illustrative and subject to change
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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