BURNLEY could land a subtantial cash windfall after the Endsleigh League agreed a new £125 million deal with Sky Sports today.

The satellite station plans to screen games from the lower divisions on Friday nights and Sundays under the five-year agreement.

The £25m-a-season deal will bring live coverage of 48 Division One games and 12 from the Second and Third from the start of the 1996-97 campaign.

The Coca-Cola Cup is also included in the package and ties will be shown live from the first round stage. In addition, all three end-of-season promotion play-offs at Wembley will be shown.

"On the face of it does not seem a bad deal but it remains to be seen how much it benefits Burnley," said cautious Clarets boss Jimmy Mullen.

Sky, which already controls live Premiership coverage, pulled the rug from beneath both the Football Association and the Premier League, who had appeared to be the only competitors for Endsleigh League business.

Gordon McKeag, the League President, added: "This agreement breaks new ground for the Football League but at the same time assures us of autonomy. This deal will go a long way towards securing the financial future of the whole league."

The deal opens up the prospect of live football every night of the week.

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