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Championship clubs hold back on legal action

Championship clubs enraged by the new Sky TV deal are holding back on legal action against the EFL until they have consulted all 24 clubs in the Championship. Some of the smaller clubs are more accepting of the deal and were opposed to a plan for a breakaway league.

The clubs argue that the EFL lacks the authority to sign a contract against the wishes of its leading members and are calling for the resignation of Shaun Harvey, the EFL Chief Executive.

21 clubs are opposed to the new contract with Leeds United, Aston Villa and Derby County being among the most outspoken. However, the threat of a breakaway league has receded for now.

While the new deal represents a 35 per cent increase on the current contract, Sky has secured added content so that it will now be able to show Championship matches simultaneously on midweek evenings and add commentary and graphics to its red button broadcasts. In addition the final two years of the contract give Sky the right to increase the number of televised matches from 138 to 158.

No other broadcaster has come forward to challenge Sky whose offer was considerably higher than all of its rivals. It has been suggested that Championship clubs should be careful what they wish for: The ITV digital fiasco

Football finance experts Kieran Maguire and Simon Chadwick discuss the situation with City AM: Why clubs are in revolt

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