Portsmouth seal ‘significant’ financial boost with likes of Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham City & Co as new EFL deal agreed

The Blues will gain a ‘significant’ boost to their coffers, as the league and their ‘title partner’ sealed an agreement extension running until the end of the 2028-29 campaign,

The new terms represent a massive 50 per cent hike, and will see Sky Bet extend their link-up to 15 seasons. The deal will also see Sky Bet sink a total £6m into a community fund, to be invested where EFL clubs are located.

It will also help the EFL on their mission to make members financially sustainable across all four divisions, with their statement saying the deal will provide ‘significant revenues for EFL clubs’.

Former Pompey administrator Trevor Birch is now EFL chief executive, and feels the deal offers security for members.

He said: ‘For over a decade, Sky Bet has been a valuable partner for EFL clubs, offering sustained investment to help clubs navigate a volatile financial landscape and ensure fans can enjoy fantastic footballing entertainment in every corner of the country.

‘We have consistently seen our partnership evolve to move with the times and, with community at the heart of the EFL, a new community investment fund is perfectly aligned and will help strengthen the partnership’s commitment to social responsibility.

‘The government’s recent gambling white paper highlighted the social responsibility measures that have accompanied our partnership with Sky Bet as being an example of good practice for the wider sports sector to learn from, and we will look to deepen our commitment to the promotion of safer gambling as part of this extension.

‘On behalf of our clubs, we thank Sky Bet for its ongoing support to English football, and we look forward to seeing our much-loved competition develop yet further with the additional certainty this investment provides.’

The news comes off the back of the whopping £935m TV deal agreed between Sky Sports and EFL last month, which runs from the 2024-25 until the end of the 2028-29 campaigns.

A total of 1,059 EFL matches will be broadcast exclusively across Sky Sports channels or streaming destinations. Each season a minimum of 328 Championship games, 248 League One games and 248 League Two games will be shown along with all play-off, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy fixtures.

Five Championship games will be screened each league weekend, along with five games from League One and League Two.

From the 2024-25 season it will mean the end of domestic streaming via iFollow, however, along with Sky Sports’ red button coverage. International streaming stays in place, however.

The new agreement will see ‘article 48’ remain, which ensures a Saturday afternoon blackout between 2.45pm and 5.15pm continues domestically.

Reports suggest the split of the TV deal will be weighted towards the Championship receiving an 80 per cent split, with 12 per cent to League One clubs eight per cent to League Two sides.