MATCHES in the EFL League One and League Two are highly competitive and therefore always attract plenty of football betting.
This is especially the case with so many games being televised these days. But is the broadcasting revenue enough for lower division teams to survive?
Well they simply can’t exist on TV funding alone. But it is certainly a big help regarding their everyday football operations.
Clubs in League One receive a confirmed £1.58 million each season from the TV pot. In League Two, the overall verified figure is £1.13 million.
It forms a centrally administered ‘Basic Award’ distributed in monthly instalments throughout the year.
That reflects the EFL’s current five year broadcasting deal. In effect, member clubs accept a designated monetary split for fixtures being shown on television.
An allocated 1,000 games are presently broadcast each season. For the lower divisions, this embraces a minimum of 248 League One matches, 248 League Two matches, all Play-Off matches, all Carabao Cup matches and all EFL Trophy matches. Definitely a real boost for betting enthusiasts!
The television deal represents a 50 per cent increase on the value of the previous rights agreement in place. It is bringing significantly enhanced exposure for all EFL teams through on-air and digital support from Sky Sports to promote EFL competitions, clubs and community initiatives.
Again analysing the lower divisions, supporters of League One and League Two teams now benefit from greater coverage than ever before because five of their games are being broadcast live every weekend during the season.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said at the TV agreement launch: “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 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.”
Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht added: “This is a groundbreaking deal for Sky and our long-standing partners, the EFL. We believe fans of all 72 League clubs will benefit with increased coverage across all the divisions and competitions.
“With four times more matches than we currently offer, we will capture even more of the excitement created by this unique league - and in a way that will be immediately accessible to millions of supporters.
“This is the biggest deal in football, in terms of the number of matches being broadcast and we look forward to working with the EFL and its 72 member clubs to give fans the most entertaining viewing experience.
“Between Sky and the EFL, we’re pleased to be able to make a commitment to fans which will ensure greater notice periods around the movement of matches for broadcast. There’ll also be greater parity in the number of times clubs are selected to be live on Sky Sports.
“The EFL stands alongside our key rights holders we have partnered with for the rest of the decade, keeping Sky Sports as the number one destination for sports fans. We thank the EFL clubs and EFL board for their support and look forward to our future together.”
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
