Sky Bet EFL broadcast selections for the period up until to the end of September have now been confirmed, with every EFL Club set to feature a minimum three times in total.

This will include an opening weekend fixture, a Carabao Cup tie and at least one regular weekend fixture on Sky Sports for all clubs.

With an increase in matches available for fans on Sky Sports this season, the League has also defined how TV selections will work for regular weekend matches selected for broadcast, and what this will look like.

Included in the selections are two Lancashire derbies in the Championship, with Blackburn Rovers travelling to both Burnley and Preston North End, whilst last season’s League One champions Portsmouth host Luton Town at Fratton Park.

In League One, Birmingham City will face Wrexham in front of the Sky cameras in September and Bromley’s first-ever home game in the EFL is set for live coverage against AFC Wimbledon in 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.

In a landmark first, all Sky Bet EFL fixtures for the opening weekend will be broadcast live on Sky Sports to kick-off the new season.   

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Schedule and Slots

With the uplift in matches, fans can expect the following template for broadcast-selection matches for regular weekends, where all divisions and the Premier League play, up until the end of September. This is subject to non-foreseeable match postponements:

• Up to 10 regular weekend games across the three divisions will be broadcast
  • Up to five Sky Bet Championship matches
  • Up to five matches across Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two
• Up to three Championship matches and, for the first time, at least one League One or League Two fixture will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Football
• The remaining broadcast fixtures will be available to watch via Sky Sports+
• 26 out of the 36 regular weekend games across the three divisions will remain in the Saturday 3:00pm slot, which will not be broadcast in the UK

For matches on a regular weekend broadcast outside of the blocked hours, fans can watch seven matches on a Saturday lunchtime (12.30pm kick-off), frequent slots on a Friday night and additional selected picks on a Thursday night, Sunday afternoon and Monday night.

TV Pick Notice

Following the EFL’s Fixture Release Day and announcement of the broadcast selections for the opening weekend, this announcement provides fans and Clubs further notice of schedule amendments.  

In addition, and prior to the start 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.

The League is committed to greater parity in the number of times that Clubs are selected for TV coverage across all competitions, with Clubs set to feature more than 20 times per season on Sky Sports.

International Break Weekends

All fixtures played in League One and League Two will be available for broadcast on Sky Sports, the majority of these in the Saturday 3:00pm slot.

At least one match from each division will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Football, with the remaining matches available to stream via Sky Sports+.

Article 48 “blocked hours” will not apply during International Break weekends. Before the season started, the EFL, with the Premier League, nominated applicable dates to submit to UEFA, via the Football Association.

TV Highlights

ITV will show highlights of the Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, Carabao Cup and the Bristol Street Motors Trophy across the 2024/25 season.

The ITV Highlights Show will provide a comprehensive round-up of all the day’s action from across the EFL will be screened in the primetime slot on Saturday at 9pm on ITV4, with a repeat being shown on ITV later in the evening.

Radio

talkSPORT will offer exclusive live commentaries on national radio across the Sky Bet EFL as well as non-exclusive rights to the Carabao Cup that are shared by the BBC. Both TalkSPORT and the BBC have the ability to broadcast score flash updates across all competitions.

International TV Audiences

Fans outside of the UK will be able to continue watching their favourite team in all EFL competitions via Club platforms, where matches are not being broadcast exclusively.