The English Football League (EFL), the oldest professional football league competition in the world, has secured a renewed national radio rights deal with talkSPORT and BBC Radio, ensuring comprehensive coverage for the next four seasons.
Starting from the 2024/25 season, talkSPORT will provide exclusive live commentary rights for a minimum of 130 (maximum 150) matches in the Sky Bet Championship, 15 matches in League One and League Two, all Play-Off matches across the three divisions, 10 Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches per season, and up to 30 non-exclusive live commentaries for Carabao Cup matches. Additionally, the channel retains non-exclusive rights for score flash updates across all EFL competitions.
While, BBC Radio bags non-exclusive rights for score flash updates across all EFL competitions and the right to broadcast live commentary for up to 25 Carabao Cup matches, including the final, on BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Sports Extra.
Ben Wright, Chief Commercial Officer at the EFL said, “We’re delighted to continue working alongside talkSPORT and the BBC as long-time partners of the League and look forward to maximising the potential coverage for our Clubs, competitions and our radio partners.
“talkSPORT’s approach to EFL coverage over the recent years has been both innovative and engaging, bringing the storylines and drama of the EFL to fans. The new deal will not only continue that trend, but also sees a strong commitment to supporting the life changing work delivered by our community across England and Wales.
“The new agreement will also see the BBC continue its excellent coverage of the Carabao Cup, whilst also keeping supporters up and down the country informed on the latest EFL action on a match-by-match basis. These are incredibly important components to keep all audiences informed of the action and jeopardy witnessed week-in, week-out across our competitions.”
Liam Fisher, Head of talkSPORT, added, “It’s fantastic to be able to extend our exclusive deal with the EFL past the 10-year mark. The Championship, League One and League Two continue to provide some of the most exciting and competitive football in the world and the Play-Offs remain a fascinating end-of-season conclusion.
“Along with the Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy we will be delivering comprehensive live match coverage alongside dedicated complementary output whoever you follow.”
Heidi Dawson, Controller at BBC Radio 5 Live, continued, “The BBC are a long-time partner of the EFL and agreeing this deal to support the wider football pyramid is really important for the BBC. Keeping audiences updated on EFL action and providing live commentary for Carabao Cup games alongside our wider football portfolio is a key element of our offering on BBC Radio 5 Live.”
This agreement is valid until the end of the 2027/28 season, with the possibility of an extension for an additional year at the EFL’s discretion.
talkSPORT, based in the United Kingdom, offers live commentary, analysis, debates, and interviews. This year, the radio station has covered marquee events like the Super Bowl and England’s cricket tour of India. It is also providing coverage of Euro 2024 and commentary on the Premier League season. Recently, the radio channel announced the acquisition of non-exclusive coverage rights for the Paris Olympics 2024 in the UK and Ireland.
BBC Radio, a part of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is a massive radio broadcaster offering a wide range of content. It includes national stations covering various music genres, news, and talk shows, alongside local stations catering to specific regions.
The 2024/25 EFL Championship is set to kick off on August 10 with Blackburn Rovers facing Derby County in the opening match at 12:30 AM IST.