Sky Bet to be title sponsor next season and beyond
The Football League and Sky Sports have agreed a new five-year partnership that includes extending their existing broadcasting agreement for a further three years until 2018.
The partnership will also see Sky Bet become title sponsor of The Football League and Sky Sports offer more exclusively live matches than ever before, an increase of 37 live games per season.
The partnership ensures that Sky Sports viewers can enjoy Football League coverage for another five years, including coverage of all 72 clubs from the three divisions. From 2015/2016, a total of 148 live games will be shown each season from the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
The announcement, on the eve of Sky Sports’ biggest ever season of football, is more good news for viewers who already enjoy unrivalled live football coverage.
From August 2015, Sky Sports will broadcast exclusively live each season:
• 112 matches from across the Sky Bet Football League.
• The Football League Play-Offs including all three Finals.
• 15 matches from the Capital One Cup including both legs of each semi-final and the final.
• The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final and at least two matches from the preceding rounds.
Sky Sports will also broadcast highlights and clips of the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The agreement encompasses television, broadband internet, video-on-demand and mobile services.
Supporters will also welcome this news given the outstanding breadth of coverage delivered by Sky Sports. Football League Chairman Greg Clarke said: “We place huge value on the commitment Sky has made to our competitions and our clubs over many seasons and we are delighted that they wish to extend our relationship in this way.
They will be delighted by this news and the financial certainty it brings for the next 5 years.” Already we are delivering careful management of costs through our Financial Fair Play regulations and now we can add increased revenues to our clubs. “The Football League is focused on delivering financial sustainability to our member clubs and this agreement will help us achieve that aim.
Sky’s Football League coverage is screened live and in HD in home and on the move via mobile and tablet devices. This season it has launched FL72, a new live showcase for the best matches from the Football League. Presented by Simon Thomas, fixtures from the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2 will kick off in a regular slot at 12.15pm.