Sky is close to securing continued coverage of the EFL (English Football League) in a deal worth £180 million a season.
The Guardian reports that Sky has entered exclusive negotiations with the league following a bidding war with BT that has resulted in a doubling of the current price.
Sky still has two years to run on the current deal, but the league chose to go back to the market early, passing on an option to automatically extend the arrangement by another 12 months.
ITV is expected to take the rights to the Saturday night highlights package from Channel 5.
The EFL represents the 72 clubs below the Premier League and is a vital part of Sky’s football strategy that includes two football channels as part of the make up of the new Sky Sports package.
