The EFL has announced that two Sky Bet Championship matches will be available for free-to-air viewing on ITV.
The two matches will be Leeds United vs Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday 19 January, broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX and Middlesbrough vs Sunderland on Monday 3 February, shown on ITV4 and ITVX.
Trevor Birch, Chief Executive of the EFL, commented: “The EFL is home to some of the most popular and exciting competitions in world football, and the competition for promotion places is already shaping up to be as competitive as ever across the three divisions as we head into the second half of the season.”
The Championship is usually broadcast on Sky Sports, which requires a £20 per month subscription. This new agreement allows fans without a ticket or a Sky Sports subscription to watch the games for free.
ITV and Sky Sports have collaborated with the EFL before, with the two networks agreeing last May to share coverage of both the EFL Championship and the EFL Cup until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Birch added: “We are delighted that this agreement between the League, ITV and Sky Sports will open them up to an even wider audience, and would like to extend our thanks to both partners for making this possible.”
ITV faced a setback in its football coverage last year when it was revealed that the BBC and TNT Sports would share broadcasting rights for the FA Cup, ending ITV’s three-year partnership with the BBC for the competition.
Despite this, ITV retains rights to the Carabao Cup and will continue its coverage with the second-leg match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, airing live from Anfield on Thursday 6 February, on ITV1 and ITVX.
“We are delighted to continue our relationship with the EFL by broadcasting free-to-air fixtures for our viewers to enjoy,” added Mark Demuth, Controller of ITV Sport.
“The Carabao Cup and Sky Bet Championship are staples of English football and I am sure fans will relish the opportunity to watch on ITV Sport.”
Despite taking a blow in terms of football coverage, the free-to-air broadcaster has compensated by expanding into other sports. Late last year, ITV secured a deal to broadcast Formula E and renewed its agreement with Premiership Rugby.
