‘Season ruined’ – Fans take issue with the new Sky TV deal amid the EFL opening day fixtures and the scattered kick off times.
The 2024/25 fixtures for the English Football League were confirmed, and in a landmark first, all games for the opening weekend will be broadcast live on Sky Sports to kick-off the new season.
We’ve got games on Friday night, Saturday lunchtime, Saturday 3pm, Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4pm and Monday 8pm.
And it’s fair to say fans had plenty to say upon casting their eyes on all the first batch of games picked for broadcast.
EVERY opening weekend game across the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two will be live on Sky Sports or Sky Sports+ #EFL | #EFLFixtureReleaseDay
— EFL (@EFL) June 26, 2024
Friday 9 August
Blackburn Rovers v Derby County – Championship – 8pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
Preston North End v Sheffield United – Championship – 8pm – Sky Sports+
Barnsley v Mansfield Town – League One – 8pm – Sky Sports+
Chesterfield v Swindon Town – League Two – 8pm – Sky Sports+
Saturday 10 August
Oxford United v Norwich City – Championship – 12.30pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
7 Matches – Championship – 12.30pm – Sky Sports+
MK Dons v Bradford City – League Two – 3pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
10 Matches – League Two – 3pm – Sky Sports+
Birmingham City v Reading – League One – 5:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
10 Matches – League One – 5:30pm – Sky Sports+
Sunday 11 August
Sheffield Wednesday v Plymouth Argyle – Championship – 4pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
Monday 12 August
Luton Town v Burnley – Championship – 8pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Football
The EFL said via their website: “Within seven days of today’s EFL Fixture Release, all matches selected for broadcast for the period to the end of September will be announced, and before a ball is kicked of the 2024/25 season, all TV selections will be confirmed for the period up to the FA Cup third round in early January. This is a landmark commitment, providing fans and clubs up to five months’ notice, an increase from the five weeks’ notice given across the majority of the 2023/24 season.
“In line with the uplift in matches, weekends where all divisions and the Premier League are scheduled to play, 10 regular weekend games across the three divisions will be broadcast, including 7 games at 12.30pm on a Saturday. This will include up to five Sky Bet Championship matches and up to five matches across Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two.
“Sky Bet EFL fixtures will be broadcast via either an existing Sky Sports channel or Sky Sports+ – a new way for fans to discover and stream live sport. Integrated into the current Sky TV experience and the revamped Sky Sports mobile app, Sky Sports+ is available at no extra cost for subscribers of the full Sky Sports package. All televised fixtures will also be available on streaming service NOW.”
‘Season ruined’ – As mentioned, fans take issue with the new Sky TV deal amid the EFL opening day fixtures being released…
@matthewtups: Sky ruining it from the start 🤦♂️
@andypryor68: That’s not really something to celebrate. Going to be so many games this season when kids will have to choose between playing themselves or going to watch their team with so many gams now kicking off at 12:30
@RockySAFC: Zero thought for match going fans. New TV deal is hideous.
@chrisbrad75: Sky killing football since 1992
@KYLECLA42776881: Game has been ruined by @skytv
@KevinLe80105518: Killing the game for true fans !!!!
@TheDB30: This season is gonna be absolute pony. This shitty new Sky deal meaning all sorts of weird KO times, shit new format to European competitions, no FA Cup replays from 1st Round onwards.
@RussWWFC: Plus for the people watching at home, Sky will probably install one of their own half-interested commentators rather than the passionate club guys they had previously. A bad deal for all
@CS__UTV: That’s not going to be popular if that’s a sign of things to come. That’s too many games on a Friday night.
@tomdaviesE17: “And half of you legacy-fan peasants will miss your last train home”
@Steve_Hibees: I don’t think destroying Saturday 3pm kick offs is anything to be proud about.
@KYLECLA42776881: Wish @SkySports didn’t exist to be honest
@19andrew85: So you’re basically killing the 3pm KO, cheers lads 👍🏼
@pmr6627: 12:30 no thought for the away fans sky 💩
@Chantelle144: 12.30 pm KO in a different country. Thanks Sky. Zero thoughts given to away fans once again
@MHollo92: What game is at 3pm? You know the kick off time we all love! Sky ruining football since 1992
@michael_beston: Bottom four fixtures are a disgrace of a journey for a 12:30 kick off. We knew you were already killing our game but this is taking the complete lack of respect for fans to a whole new level
@SCFCDan_: Not a thought given about Bristol City ourselves nor Sunderland which is absolutely horrific
@Harrymas8: You’re ruining football. Give us our 3 o’clocks back
@mwwhtafc81: That’s balls man it this gunna happen all season with stupid kick off times
@Chantelle144: 12.30 pm KO in a different country. Thanks Sky. Zero thoughts given to away fans once again
@WSM_Bluebird: Terrible decision to show every game. No thought for those who go to games.
@CobbyNFFC: This new deal is so grim for a match going fan – the distance needed to travel for those half 12 games is just so wrong, not a single thought given to the away supporters
@milburn60: Sunderland to Cardiff for 12.30 kick off!! 😡
@Ian_M1: Opening day of the season, all at 1230. Sunderland to Cardiff and Swansea to Boro? Thinking about the fans again eh, lads? 🤦♂️
@b_daws19: Portsmouth away at Leeds Saturday early kick off, Sky really are horrible aren’t they
@MikP1927_mike: Joke – ruining the game and pandering to the armchair fan – no doubt this will hit attendances and and what’s the 1230 ko’s about – lovely for @SunderlandAFC fans heading to God’s country for the first game – modern football rapidly turning me away 😡
@CallumJ_1927: This is an absolute shambles. 12:30 kick offs and look at how far the away teams have got to travel
@LiamRyan06: Sunderland travelling to Cardiff. Bristol to Hull. Pompey to Leeds and Swansea to Boro for a half 12 kick off on a Saturday. Plymouth to Wednesday for 4 on a Sunday and Burnley to Luton for 8 on a Monday. What an absolute disgrace and punch in the gut to match going fans
@njglufc: You ever going to think of the fans?? Out of order constantly, why should pompy travel all that way for 12.30 kick ofd
@Rsmalbion: Acting like you’re doing match going fans a favour. Get in the bin
@ben____06: 12:30 for Cardiff away you lot taking the piss out of our fans
@safceth_: Well it’s taken one game of the new season to fuck over fans once again. Cardiff away for a half 12 kick off👍
@JaidenBcfc: Sky killing the game 12.30 for Sunderland and Swansea fans especially is a shambles
@finch_fx: Football for match going fans being ruined very quickly by sky. Only matter of time before games being played abroad in PL and Championship. 🤑🤑🤑🤑
@RoyalsDan95: Those kick off times are a disgrace 😡
@JuceeRob: Saturday 3pm kicks offs are a legacy fan thing now I guess 😖😖😖🤮🤮🤮
@toastytoad79: Gotta feel bad for Sunderland, Bristol City, Portsmouth and Swansea here
@davefoster1991: Absolute joke of kick off times. Year after year constantly caring less and less about the fans who travel up and down the country to watch their teams.
@BobbyWest7: Nice to see the away fans don’t have to travel far for 12:30 kick offs opening weekend
@Banouby: better set off now Pompey fans
@ghjrob: 12:30 kick off for Swansea fans travelling to Middlesbrough 🤣 new season, same trend of match-going fans being given no thought whatsoever
@BarnBcfc: Could these helmets @efl & @SkyFootball have picked any further games for fans to travel for an early kick off on the first day of the season? Horrific scheduling that will ruin the season for fans of most clubs if it’s allowed to continue
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