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The TV rights for one of England’s top soccer leagues are reportedly set to double in value.
The organizing body for the second, third, and fourth tiers of the English Football League is set to issue an invitation to tender to broadcasters and expects to bring in $239.1 million annually from TV rights, according to The Daily Mail.
Sky Sports, BT Sport, Viaplay, and DAZN are all reportedly interested. Sky has held the rights since 2002 and currently pays around $142.2 million annually.
The tender invitation includes all three divisions, the playoffs, the EFL Trophy, the EFL Cup — which also includes Premier League teams — and has been split up into 20 separate packages. There are 72 teams across the divisions.
The EFL is reportedly considering a hybrid model with several broadcasters and is inviting bids for between three and five years.
Every game will be available for purchase, according to the report, which could put an end to the Saturday 3 p.m. TV blackout — a rule that’s been in place since the 1960s.
A change to the blackout, which applies when 50% of the Premier League and Championship matches kick off at 3 p.m. local time on a Saturday, would likely face opposition from the Premier League.
