The new agreement will see The Football League’s online arm FL Interactive – which includes clubs from across The Football League, Premier League and non-league game – launch Official YouTube Channels for more than 85 clubs, as well as The Football League itself. From launch, they will become football’s largest network of Official Club Channels across the YouTube platform.
Each season more than 20,000 videos will be launched across these channels, including match highlights and clips from Football League competitions – including the Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League 1, Sky Bet League 2, the Capital One Cup and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. It will also give supporters behind the scenes access at their club, live programming, match preview and review shows, as well as footage and compilations from The Football League archive.
Clubs will also be able to use the YouTube platform to showcase content available through their official website and also deliver YouTube content on their website. Their premium subscription service, Player, will continue to be the exclusive destination to listen to match commentaries and to watch extended match highlights and interviews.
The new channels, which will be available globally, will also feature co-productions with established YouTube partners in the sport, music, entertainment and gaming spheres that will enable clubs to interact with an ever wider audience.
The Football League’s Chief Commercial Officer, Richard Heaselgrave said: “This is completely new territory for The Football League and fits with our vision of entertaining fans seven days a week, 365 days a year rather than for just ninety minutes every Saturday.
“To do this we are investing in new resources and platforms to deliver better, more diverse content to fans when and how they want it.
“This new agreement is a crucial element of that strategy as it gives clubs a truly global platform from which to engage with both new and existing fans through regular, creative and original programming.”
Stephen Nuttall, Senior Director, YouTube Sports EMEA: “A partnership with The Football League, notably during its 125th Anniversary season, will expand the fast growing range of football content that YouTube’s viewers the world over can enjoy. The Football League and clubs in its FLi network will provide entertaining, fresh and fun content, including match highlights and news, throughout the week”.
About The Football League:
Celebrating 125 years since it was formed in 1888 by its twelve founder members, The Football League is the world’s original league football competition and is the template for leagues the world over. With 72 member clubs, it is also the largest single body of professional clubs in European football and is responsible for administering and regulating the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, as well as reserve and youth football.
About YouTube:
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc
