£1.8bn, the Carabao Cup and 3pm Blackout: Inside the Premier League's EFL Offer

The Premier League has put an additional £1.8 billion on the table for the EFL over the next decade, but there is quite a bit coming back the other way.

The proposal has been presented to the 72 clubs across the Championship, League One and League Two, with no agreement yet reached. After Premier League clubs met again on Thursday, the league said it wanted a deal quickly enough for extra funding to start reaching EFL clubs this season.

“The Premier League remains committed to concluding a football-led solution as soon as possible so additional money can flow to EFL clubs this season.”

Under the reported proposal, another £81 million would be provided this season, while the annual increase in solidarity funding would reach £163 million by 2028/29. Current payments are estimated at £134 million a year, meaning the amount distributed to EFL clubs would more than double.

Premier League clubs unanimously approved the proposal in July. For the EFL, however, the conversation goes well beyond how much money is being offered.

Extra funding would come with new cost controls intended to stop it disappearing into bigger wage bills. The Carabao Cup semi-finals would move from two legs to one, while the leagues would also have to agree a position on the Saturday 3pm television blackout before the next domestic broadcast deals.

The blackout prevents matches being shown live in the UK between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays and is designed to protect attendances further down the pyramid. For supporters accustomed to checking their phone at 3.07pm to discover their team is already losing a match they cannot legally watch at home, it remains one of English football's stranger traditions. For EFL clubs relying on those supporters coming through the turnstiles, there is plenty at stake.

The Carabao Cup issue comes back to the increasingly cramped football calendar. UEFA's expanded competitions have already forced the EFL to spread its third round across two weeks to accommodate clubs playing in Europe, yet three domestic fixtures still had to be rearranged last month after another scheduling clash.

Moving the semi-finals to one leg would give a date back to the calendar. It would also take a fixture away from the EFL's own competition, including the chance of a lucrative home semi-final for one of its clubs. You can see why the EFL might want to read that part twice.

Then there is the Independent Football Regulator. Established under the Football Governance Act 2025, it has backstop powers over financial distributions if the leagues cannot reach their own agreement.

It isn't going to arrive next week, open Excel and decide where the television money goes. Its first State of the Game report has to be completed before the backstop can be triggered, with the final report legally required by May 2027. Mediation would come first before the process could eventually move to final proposals and an independent expert panel.

Further talks are expected next month after EFL clubs have given their feedback.

After years spent arguing over how much Premier League money should travel down the pyramid, English football finally has £1.8 billion on the table.

Now it just needs to sort out wage controls, the League Cup, television rights and what everyone is doing at 3pm on a Saturday.