What ITV's new deal means for the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Hull City

A new deal, which begins in January 2025, has been struck between Sky Sports and ITV to allow for free-to-air games. Select matches will be shown as part of a joint broadcast agreement that will remain in place until the end of the 2026/27 season.

ITV will screen at least nine Carabao Cup matches, including one game from each of the first four rounds. There will also be an additional tie from the third or fourth round, two quarter-final games, a semi-final tie and the final available to watch on ITV.

In addition, ITV can show 10 matches from the Championship, with five being shown during the 2024/25 season due to the deal starting in January. The channel will also hold the option to flex their selection to games in League One or League Two.

The existing highlights deal has also been extended, allowing ITV to continue broadcasting highlights programmes throughout the season.

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Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport, said: “This deal brings viewers free-to-air coverage of top level knockout football over the coming years, as well as standout matches from the EFL, adding regular live matches to our highlights shows. We’re looking forward to bringing fans some superb action and insight from this new, fuller EFL package across the next few seasons.”

The new agreement means Yorkshire clubs, such as Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday, could potentially be able to watch live on terrestrial television. Due to the coverage of the Carabao Cup and the possibility of showing fixtures in the bottom two EFL tiers, the likes of Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Bradford City could also feature.

Jonathan Licht, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “This momentous upcoming season of over 1,000 matches from the EFL on Sky Sports+ shows our huge ambition and increased dedication to the EFL and its supporters. Working with a free-to-air broadcaster isn’t new for us and many of our partners, as we endeavour to help grow and broaden audiences for sports.

“With ITV set to simulcast a select number of matches from the EFL from 2025 alongside Sky Sports full coverage, it means that millions of football fans in the UK will be able to enjoy plenty of action from the Cup and League, boosting the exposure for clubs which is great news for all.”