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Sources: Sweeping changes imminent as £935m West Brom lifeline revealed
There are plans to give fans of West Brom and other EFL clubs the choice to access more interactive coverage as part of the historic new TV deal, Football Insider has learned.
The EFL unanimously voted through a new £935million broadcast arrangement last Friday which will see over 1000 matches per season broadcast by Sky Sports from 2024-25 to 2029-30.
That package is worth almost twice as much the previous deal and it comes after several other media firms showed an interest in the rights, which have been held by Sky since 2002.
The lucrative new deal could prove a lifeline for the likes of West Brom, whose finances in recent years are widely adjudged to have been catastrophically mismanaged by owner Guochuan Lai.
The Baggies will remain in the Football League next season after missing out on a play-off spot on the final day of the Championship campaign on Monday (8 May).
Despite the huge upswing in the number of matches set to be televised, the Saturday 3.00pm blackout will remain in place for the course of the five-year deal.
An indsutry source has told Football Insider that Sky plan to make several major changes – in addition to those already announced, such as extra camera angles – to refresh and add value to their coverage.
The changes – which have been in the works for over six months – will focus on supporter participation on matchdays, with plans to create fan-centred online communities through a new streaming app.
Sky are also believed to have ambitions to offer enhanced ‘watch party’ facilities, which will allow supporters in differnt households to interact with one another during broadcasts.
It is not known whether Sky plan to roll out the changes in time for the start of the new broadcast deal or if they will be introduced on a staggered basis while the infrastructure is set up.
The arhitects of the new deal hope that the enhanced coverage will help to arrest an increase in media piracy in recent years.
All League Cup and EFL Trophy matches will also be aired under the terms of the arrangement.
In other news, industry insider slams “disingenuous” West Brom amid new £5m Guochuan Lai twist.