ITV to show live Carabao Cup and EFL Championship fixtures from 2025

Sky Sports and ITV have reached a deal that will see ITV show live Carabao Cup and EFL Championship fixtures from 2025.

The new deal starts in January 2025, commencing with the Carabao Cup semi-finals, running until the end of the 2026/27 season and means ITV will jointly broadcast a select number of games also available on Sky Sports.

ITV will screen at least nine Carabao Cup matches in total, including:

• One tie from each of the first four rounds
• One additional tie from either the third or fourth round
• Two quarter-final ties
• One semi-final tie
• The final

ITV will also simulcast 10 matches from the EFL Championship each full season, and five matches in the second half of the 2024/25 season, with the option to flex their selection to matches from League One or League Two.

These matches and highlights will be shown across ITV1 and ITV4 with live streaming and on demand viewing available on ITVX.

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.”

This announcement comes as the EFL and Sky Sports kick-off their ground-breaking partnership at the start of the 2024/25 season, with over 1,000 matches every season broadcast live – four times as many matches as now and all 72 teams featured over 20 times a season.

This huge number of games will be brought to sports fans via Sky Sports+ which comprises multiple live streams, a new dedicated channel and revamped Sky Sports mobile app, all at no extra cost for Sky Sports subscribers.

EFL clubs will enjoy unprecedented exposure as a result, and the additional reach of ITV from 2025 ensures more of the action from the League will be available to broader audiences and millions of football fans.

Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport added: “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.”