The EFL has confirmed Sky Sports as its preferred bidder for the next set of TV rights and will now enter exclusive talks with the broadcaster to finalise an arrangement.
In a potentially huge shakeup of the football rights market in the UK, the EFL has made every single game across the Championship, League One, League Two, the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy available for domestic broadcast starting with the 2024-25 season.
Sky has held EFL rights since the collapse of ITV Digital two decades ago and currently pays around £119m a season for 138 live games - but the EFL's decision to make well over 1,600 games available is an attempt to increase the value of the package beyond £200m.
Late last week it emerged that streaming service DAZN had submitted a bid to broadcast every game, although the EFL has now decided to pursue further talks with incumbent broadcaster Sky.
A statement said: "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."
The exact nature of Sky's bid - including whether it is for complete broadcast of the EFL's competitions - remains unknown.
Follow us on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.
Media Mole Black Friday Offer: Get Sky Entertainment, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £19 a month + £0 upfront fee for 24 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends December 3, 2024
