EFL streaming deal ‘may close gap to the Premier League’
A deal with DAZN to stream all EFL matches and end the Saturday afternoon blackout could help the competition close the financial gap to the Premier League, sources close to the bid have claimed.
The streaming platform is understood to be keen on a long-term deal with the EFL of at least five years. The league issued an invitation to broadcasters last month to submit offers for its rights from 2024-25 onwards, and that process is still ongoing.
DAZN’s offer is reported to be worth £200million a year and would require the lifting of the traditional Saturday afternoon blackout period, which blocks the broadcast of games at any level in England between 2.45pm and 5.15pm.
Sources close to DAZN’s bid feel the EFL is currently “underexposed”, with some clubs in League One and League Two never featuring on television.
The partnership “could help close the gap with the Premier League – which is good for the whole league structure”, sources say.
The original purpose of the Saturday blackout was to protect live attendances and grassroots participation, but sources close to the DAZN bid believe the deal would help create equal billing for all 72 clubs, allowing them to grow their fan bases and increase commercial revenues.
“All recent evidence points to the more matches that are broadcast, the better it is for attendances,” the source said.
