Local rivals in spotlight as more TV game announced for the EFL

The EFL and Sky Sports have announced that an additional 14 Sky Bet EFL fixtures will be screened live across August and September.

The second tranche of live Sky Bet EFL TV games to be played between Saturday August 20 and Saturday 24 September 2016 have been announced which includes the return of the East Anglian derby between Ipswich Town and Norwich City. In addition the first ever meeting between Newcastle United and Aston Villa in the Championship will be screened, where Rafa Benitez and Roberto Di Matteo, both UEFA Champions League winning managers, will go head to head at Villa Park.

In what is a new derby for the EFL, Championship debutants Burton Albion and Nigel Pearson’s Derby County will compete for the first time in a league fixture on Friday August 26 and there is more local rivalry set for the TV screens when Preston North End entertain last season’s Sky Bet League One champions Wigan Athletic at Deepdale on September 23.

Beyond the Championship, a double header on September 4 will see newly promoted Northampton Town fight MK Dons for local bragging rights upon their return to League One while a new-look Sheffield United will travel to Gillingham under the guidance of the 2016 EFL Manager of the Year, Chris Wilder.

The full list of games selected for live coverage are as follows:

Sat 20 August Derby County v Aston Villa Kick Off 17.30

Sun 21 August Ipswich Town v Norwich City Kick Off 12.00

Fri 26 August Burton Albion v Derby County Kick Off 19.45

Sat 27 August Newcastle United v Brighton Kick Off 17.30

Sat 3 September Peterborough United v Swindon Town Kick Off 12.15

Sun 4 September Northampton v MK Dons Kick Off 12.00

Sun 4 September Gillingham v Sheffield United Kick Off 14.15

Fri 9 September Reading v Ipswich Town Kick Off 20.00

Sat 10 September Derby v Newcastle Kick Off 17.30

Sun 11 September Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Kick Off 13.15

Sat 17 September Cardiff v Leeds Kick Off 12.30

Sat 17 September Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday Kick Off 17.30

Fri 23 September Preston North End v Wigan Kick Off 19.45

Sat 24 September Aston Villa v Newcastle Kick Off 17.30

Throughout the course of Season 2016/17, 92 Sky Bet Championship fixtures will screened live along with 20 games from Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two.

Offering cutting edge live coverage for clubs across all three EFL divisions, Sky TV continue to make an unrivalled investment in football with the broadcaster providing greater financial certainty for the EFL’s 72 clubs.

The current contract provides the EFL and its clubs £88.3 million per season and is set to run until 2018/19.

The next round of TV selections are due for consideration early next month with an announcement set for just after the opening weekend of the season.