EFL secures lucrative international rights deal
The EFL has secured a record 188million-dollar (£147.7m) minimum revenue guarantee for its international television rights for the next four seasons, the PA news agency understands.
The deal through to 2027-2028 represents a 40 per cent uplift in revenue compared to the previous cycle.
The EFL has signed up with a specialist partner agency, American firm Relevent, for the sale of its rights in North, Central and South America at a time when Wrexham’s ownership by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is driving up overseas interest in the league.
The international rights sale follows the announcement last year of a five-year, £935million deal with Sky Sports for the EFL’s domestic rights starting from next season.
Pitch International, which has been working with the EFL for the last 15 years, will continue to distribute the league’s rights in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and ‘rest of the world’.
For rights in the Americas, the EFL said Relevent would “work with the EFL to build member clubs’ profile in this key region via a dedicated marketing partnership”.
Pitch will distribute 155 exclusive Championship matches and 38 matches from Leagues One and Two, plus all play-off matches, all EFL Cup ties and three matches in the EFL Trophy.
The 155 Championship matches will be made up of 118 that are part of the domestic linear TV feed plus an additional 37 3pm kick-offs.
Relevent can sell all EFL matches in the Americas, plus all play-off matches, all EFL Cup ties and three matches in the EFL Trophy. Relevent also holds all betting rights in the United States.
Clubs can stream matches direct to fans overseas in all the international regions with the exception of the 155 Championship matches ringfenced as exclusive.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said: “These new agreements represent not only guaranteed levels of revenue but also present the league and our 72 clubs with a fantastic opportunity to establish further the EFL as a premium football brand in markets across the world.
“In Pitch and Relevent we have two partners with an in-depth understanding of the global TV rights markets and that knowledge, coupled with the enthusiasm of their teams, will hopefully ensure we achieve our objective of delivering value to clubs alongside taking EFL football to as wide an audience as possible outside the UK.”
