The English Football League are said to have reached a huge deal with Sky Sports to allow every club in all three divisions to stream every match from the coming season, live on their websites.
Coventry City are back in the Championship for the 2020/21 term, after being promoted as title winners.
They will get their league campaign underway on September 12, away to Bristol City, with matches – at least initially – taking place behind closed doors.
The EFL’s deal with Sky Sports will allow games to be streamed for a fee of around £10 for the more casual supporters, while season ticket holders are likely to be able to watch their team’s home matches free of charge.
The deal is largely to help raise funds after the loss of matchday revenue due to the coronavirus crisis.
This is according to a report in the Daily Mail, which says while Sky Sports pay £119m for the exclusive rights of the Championship, League One, League Two and the Carabao Cup, they do have sympathy for the clubs who have lost out as a result of the pandemic.
Sky will allow every club to stream online their games which were scheduled to be televised, without the club having to pay the broadcasting company, as long as the majority of supporters are still not allowed in stadiums.
This plan will be reviewed to try to help clubs out on a more regular basis, but for the time being, this will be in place until the Government allows more than 50 percent of a stadium’s capacity back in the ground.
October is when supporters are expected to be allowed back in attendance – but that is expected to be capped at around 33 percent of capacity, or perhaps even lower, according to some recent reports.
