EPL and EFL agree to sell their TV rights together for the first time
The Premier League are set to agree an historic deal with the EFL in which they will sell their television rights together for the first time.
Under the terms of a proposal from the Premier League that was presented to clubs earlier today the EFL will also receive 14.75 per cent of their pooled media rights from next season and an £88million bonus payment this season, with collective selling to begin in 2028.
The details presented to EFL clubs at a meeting in Derby represent a major breakthrough in what has been a protracted stand-off with the Premier League for several years, and will lead to an immediate increase in funding for the lower divisions.
Whilst the exact figures will depend on future television deals the 14.75 per cent share is expected to more than double the current £130m in solidarity payments the Premier League provide to the EFL, a figure which excludes parachute payments.
The agreement to sell television rights on a collective basis is also hugely significant, and should ensure that the funding of EFL clubs rises in line with that of the Premier League.
While the deal presented today is only for the collective selling of overseas TV rights from the 2028-29 season onwards, it could be extended to included domestic TV deals in the future.
This sales model would be welcomed by broadcasters, particularly Sky Sports, as it would give them more certainty over future content.
The Premier League’s current overseas TV contracts are worth around £5billion over three years and their value has outstripped that of domestic deals, with the EFL due to go to market with their overseas rights for 2024 to 2028 in the next few weeks. From 2028 the Premier League and EFL will run the overseas sales process together.
EFL chairman Rick Parry has been calling on the Premier League to agree to a collective approach to selling TV rights since his involvement in the infamous Project Big Picture three years ago.
The compromise agreement will also please the Premier League however, as Parry had initially been demanding a 25 per cent share of the top-flight’s media revenue.
In another boost for lower division clubs the Premier League have also agreed to pay an additional £130m-a-year as part of the so-called New Deal for Football.
The EFL clubs have accepted the Premier League’s offer, but are resistant to some of the spending restrictions that would be imposed on them as a result of the increased funding.
The Premier League and EFL declined to comment.
