The EFL has confirmed that matches taking place from Round 2 of this season’s Checkatrade Trophy, including our game at Portsmouth on Saturday December 2nd, will be broadcast to fans in the UK and overseas via the EFL’s live streaming platform, iFollow.
It means that fans at home and abroad will be able to watch their team live on screen no matter where they are based, with all ties up until the conclusion of the Quarter-Finals scheduled to be streamed online. The Semi-Finals and Final will then be screened live on Sky Sports.
Round 2 ties are being made available at a set price of £5, while any existing annual or monthly iFollow subscribers will be given access for free.
This development has been made possible due to the recently announced domestic broadcast agreement with Sky, whereby EFL clubs have been granted the rights to stream Checkatrade Trophy games to a domestic audience from the start of the 2019/20 season. That opportunity has now been brought forward to take effect from this season’s competition.
In addition, Round 2 matches of the Checkatrade Trophy will be used as the start of a trial to consider enhancements to the iFollow offer, as the EFL starts planning to increase the quality of coverage and production values ahead of the 2018/19 season.
EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey said: “The ability to live stream EFL matches is an exciting new innovation that is already having a major impact for overseas fans of EFL clubs since we launched iFollow ahead of the 2017/18 season.
“This opportunity is being extended to UK-based fans from next season, as we develop plans to deliver live domestic streaming for any non-Saturday 3pm league and live TV games.
“It therefore presents supporters in the UK with a great opportunity to get a taster of the online match day experience and follow their team as the competition nears its conclusion at Wembley on Sunday 8 April.
“I am confident that this latest development will bring the competition to a new audience as interest and excitement grows throughout the knock-out stages.”
Tickets for the game have been reduced in price to:
Adult: £10
Senior (63+): £5
Young Person (18-22): £5
Wheelchair/Ambulant: £5
Junior (17 and under): £1
Tickets are not yet on sale, the club will make a further announcement when they have been received from the home club.