ITT follows October request for proposals that was open to bids for all 1,891 of the organisation’s matches

football

The EFL has issued an invitation to tender for its broadcast rights from the 2024/25 season.

The ITT is the next formal step in the sales process, following the request for proposals (RFP) that was released in October 2022. The organisation has attracted headlines as it has specified that all 1,891 of its games are available for bids - which if all bought could mean an end to the 3pm blackout rule in the UK. The FA and UEFA would both have to give their permission for this to happen. 

According to the EFL, it received responses from “a range of broadcasters, OTT, and streaming platforms” to the RFP, and it says it is aiming to embrace “innovation and reflect changing audience habits.” Reports have named current exclusive rights holder Sky Sports, as well as BT Sport (soon to be named TNT Sports), DAZN, and Viaplay as among the interested parties, with the number of bidders potentially raising the price from £119 million-a-season to over £200 million.

Rights available include the Championship, League One, League Two, EFL Cup, EFL Trophy and all end of season Play-Off matches, with bids for three to five year deals accepted. Bidders must submit responses to the ITT by 5pm on Wednesday 22 March 2023.

EFL chief commercial officer Ben Wright spoke to Broadcast Sport shortly after the release of the RFP, and explaining that it was open to ending the 3pm blackout, as well as leaving the future of its current D2C service, iFollow, unclear, and saying that the league is open to a range of options - including free-to-air in a mix of broadcasters, global rights deals, and more.

Wright said of the ITT: “We had an encouraging set of responses in the autumn to the RFP and after continued dialogue with the market we are now moving to formalise the next stage of the process.

“Our objective remains to find the right mix of maximising value, increasing volume and providing a great viewing experience through evolution and innovation.

“Clubs received a full update at meetings last week and will continue to be kept informed on progress as we enter this latter phase.”