Derby County and Aston Villa are among the clubs threatening a breakaway from the EFL.GETTY IMAGES
Fifteen League Championship clubs are "threatening a breakaway" from the English Football League over their "objections to a planned new TV deal with Sky," according to Ridley & Barclay of THE SUN. The sides, which include Derby County, Aston Villa and Leeds United, are "unhappy about the details of a new deal, believing they should be getting more." They also have "concerns about their matches appearing on red button and the internet." The five-year deal, due to take effect next season and increasing from £90M ($115.6M) a year to £119M ($152.9M), was negotiated last season. It "was due to be rubber-stamped at the end of last month" and has the backing of League One and League Two clubs. When the Championship clubs refused to sign, however, the EFL called a "special meeting for the full 24." After that, last Tuesday, the 15 biggest clubs "decided to threaten a breakaway if they did not get a better deal." The EFL has now given the Championship clubs until 4pm on Nov. 19 to reconsider their position. Under the new deal, the Championship clubs would receive £2.95M ($3.79M) each and a share of the appearance fees pot of £17.7M ($22.7M). Some Championship clubs are believed to think that they should be receiving at least double what is on offer, though the EFL does not "believe those sums are out there in a wider TV market." Another "sticking point" appears to be a dispute over appearances on the red button and internet. Many clubs believed that there would be just one match shown as an alternative on the platform on live midweek nights but "plans to show several could affect gates, they believe." One EFL club chair said, "I am not completely sure what the agenda of these 15 clubs is but their bullying tactics beggars belief" (THE SUN, 11/11).
