UK pay-TV giant Sky has announced the launch of a new streaming and linear channel offering, Sky Sports+, that will expand the availability of its portfolio of sports rights for customers.
Available to Sky Sports subscribers at no extra cost, the broadcaster claims Sky Sports+ will increase sports coverage on Sky by 50%.
The service will be integrated into all existing Sky platforms, its linear TV options, the company’s NowTV streaming service, and its Sky Sports app, all of which will host live streams or linear broadcasts of its selected sports.
This will include a swathe of fixtures from English soccer’s EFL competitions, with each of the 72 teams from across the Championship, League 1, and League 2 to be shown on Sky Sports+ over 20 times per season.
This will include each of the 36 games from the opening day of the EFL for the first time, with several kickoff times through the season changed to accommodate it.
Other notable broadcast rights owned by Sky and assigned to Sky Sports+ include every game of rugby league’s Super League competition, tennis coverage from the ATP and WTA tours and the US Open, golf coverage from the PGA Tour, and exclusive access to Sky Sports produced documentary content.
Sky states that the service allows it to show “up to 100 events concurrently”, with non-Sky subscribers still able to access its content through NowTV contract-free packages.
Speaking on the announcement, Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht stated: “With the introduction of Sky Sports+, we are now able to offer sport fans more choice and an even better experience when watching the live action, at no extra cost.
“For the first time, we will broadcast every game live from across the EFL on the opening weekend. It’s going to be a huge moment for football fans up and down the country and is a fitting way to kick off our ground-breaking new partnership with the EFL. And this is just the beginning; Sky Sports+ unlocks the potential for us to keep evolving and finding new ways to deliver brilliant sport to our customers.”
In April, Sky Sports announced a renewed five-year deal to broadcast over 1000 matches per year of EFL soccer through 2029, with this tally now facilitated by the addition of Sky Sports+ to its broadcast offerings.
