New Premier League domestic TV deal

Sky Sports will show 215 games live each season.
TNT Sports will show 52 games live each season.

That only leaves 113 games that won’t be televised.

Which means there will only be 113 Saturday 3PM kick-off games per season from the 32 Premier League weekend fixture dates.

That equates to 3.53 Saturday 3PM games per week.

And the average Premier League team will only have 5.65 Saturday 3PM fixtures per season. Some will have more. Some will have less. Maybe someone will have none?

As long as those overseas cash cows can tune in at a reasonable time then who cares about the fan who tries to turn up week in week out.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Sky Sports will show 215 games live each season.
TNT Sports will show 52 games live each season.

That only leaves 113 games that won’t be televised.

Which means there will only be 113 Saturday 3PM kick-off games per season from the 32 Premier League weekend fixture dates.

That equates to 3.53 Saturday 3PM games per week.

And the average Premier League team will only have 5.65 Saturday 3PM fixtures per season. Some will have more. Some will have less. Maybe someone will have none?

Yet you can go online and via various means watch 100% of the games. Most countries around the world can watch them except those in the UK, for one single reasonably priced subscription. Just abolish the 3PM rule, it's stupid and unenforceable now.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Sky Sports will show 215 games live each season.
TNT Sports will show 52 games live each season.

That only leaves 113 games that won’t be televised.

Which means there will only be 113 Saturday 3PM kick-off games per season from the 32 Premier League weekend fixture dates.

That equates to 3.53 Saturday 3PM games per week.

And the average Premier League team will only have 5.65 Saturday 3PM fixtures per season. Some will have more. Some will have less. Maybe someone will have none?

That’s 215 overanalysed games that won’t be worth watching then. I was in the company of a Leicester fan yesterday who is enjoying watching football again even though it’s a level below.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

That’s 215 overanalysed games that won’t be worth watching then. I was in the company of a Leicester fan yesterday who is enjoying watching football again even though it’s a level below.

It’s no coincidence that our Tuesday night crowds have gone from our best to our worst since live tv football became endemic . Scrapping the 3pm blackout would be bad for lower league clubs

Quoted from HerveJosse

It’s no coincidence that our Tuesday night crowds have gone from our best to our worst since live tv football became endemic . Scrapping the 3pm blackout would be bad for lower league clubs

I’m not sure any of that is true.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

That’s 215 overanalysed games that won’t be worth watching then. I was in the company of a Leicester fan yesterday who is enjoying watching football again even though it’s a level below.

I’d imagine them winning every week helps somewhat.

Rather not support a prem team. Imagine trying to organise journeys

Fck em. Let them eat themselves.

When we get into the Premier League I will stop watching.




Well the first season might be a bit of a novilty.



Then after that I will stop watching.  

A good time to be a former player looking for a job as a tedious pundit who talks in clichés and platitudes.

Quoted from Maringer

A good time to be a former player looking for a job as a tedious pundit who talks in clichés and platitudes.

Don’t forget to come across in an aggressive manner to make a point

  So how much of the moola will filter down the leagues...........very little the greedy b******ds will want it all.

So about 6 or 7 games that are going to be broadcast live each round of fixtures?

I mean who wants to watch that?  I get it that some people like football more than others but I don't think I can think of anything worse than watching a marathon of football on a Sunday featuring Sheffield United v Wolves and Bournemouth v Everton.

I can barely stomach watching MOTD most weeks, in fact I'll often end up catching 20 minutes or so.  

There's got to be an oversaturation point, surely?

Quoted from diehardmariner

So about 6 or 7 games that are going to be broadcast live each round of fixtures?

I mean who wants to watch that?  I get it that some people like football more than others but I don't think I can think of anything worse than watching a marathon of football on a Sunday featuring Sheffield United v Wolves and Bournemouth v Everton.

I can barely stomach watching MOTD most weeks, in fact I'll often end up catching 20 minutes or so.  

There's got to be an oversaturation point, surely?

I don't think there is an oversaturation point. Most Premier League clubs have at least 100k fans, some a lot more. Plenty of them will watch every game their team has, then there's the nutters who will watch any football because they love it so much. Every game will be televised eventually.

The interesting thing is that this deal is only 4% higher than the last one, which rolled over the previous deal. I think that means 4% increase over 6 years. So it seems the money may be reaching the peak. Although I don't think this includes international rights, which probably grow faster.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Sky Sports will show 215 games live each season.
TNT Sports will show 52 games live each season.

That only leaves 113 games that won’t be televised.

Which means there will only be 113 Saturday 3PM kick-off games per season from the 32 Premier League weekend fixture dates.

That equates to 3.53 Saturday 3PM games per week.

And the average Premier League team will only have 5.65 Saturday 3PM fixtures per season. Some will have more. Some will have less. Maybe someone will have none?

You often get games played on  Sunday that aren't televised too, if one of the teams has had a Thursday European game so it'll be a lot less that 113 I would think.

Quoted from pen penfras

I don't think there is an oversaturation point. Most Premier League clubs have at least 100k fans, some a lot more. Plenty of them will watch every game their team has, then there's the nutters who will watch any football because they love it so much. Every game will be televised eventually.

The interesting thing is that this deal is only 4% higher than the last one, which rolled over the previous deal. I think that means 4% increase over 6 years. So it seems the money may be reaching the peak. Although I don't think this includes international rights, which probably grow faster.

Only 4 percent higher but haven't they had to show more games live to get that 4? Probably less money per game? At a time when inflation is running so high it seems maybe the peak cash point has been reached a few years ago (before COVID) domestically in terms of money per match to be made.

Was reading that the amount Sky pay per game is less in the new contract then now, so I suppose in their eyes that’s a good deal,also Sky have grabbed 80% off all televised games, they will only be happy when they have a monopoly, if allowed? Would assume with the new football league deal and this new premiership one then not be too long where every game will be shown, probably with a type of club tv season ticket.

Quoted from pen penfras

Every game will be televised eventualy.

They are already, except some earlier FA Cup / Carabao Cup matches. Just on some random channel in the Middle East rather than in the UK. Usually with British/English-speaking commentators too. That's why IPTV is so popular because you can get access to them.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Was reading that the amount Sky pay per game is less in the new contract then now, so I suppose in their eyes that’s a good deal,also Sky have grabbed 80% off all televised games, they will only be happy when they have a monopoly, if allowed? Would assume with the new football league deal and this new premiership one then not be too long where every game will be shown, probably with a type of club tv season ticket.

They aren't allowed to have all the games, hence why multiple packages

The prem and its circus clown players will soon run english football. They have the money and the power having been given to them on a plate .

Our own EFL deal is going to be a much bigger game changer than this next season. So many games are going to be televised it's going to change many people's viewing patterns, especially with multiple cameras instead of just one. I do worry that people are going to not develop the habit of attending games. Games without many away fans are going to become the norm and the atmosphere will be dead no matter how much they big it up on screen. Also season ticket use is likely to plummet with so many games away from their traditional times. It will only really be non league that will fly the flag of 3pm and 7:45pm as the norm starting next year.

Quoted from GrimRob

Our own EFL deal is going to be a much bigger game changer than this next season. So many games are going to be televised it's going to change many people's viewing patterns, especially with multiple cameras instead of just one. I do worry that people are going to not develop the habit of attending games. Games without many away fans are going to become the norm and the atmosphere will be dead no matter how much they big it up on screen. Also season ticket use is likely to plummet with so many games away from their traditional times. It will only really be non league that will fly the flag of 3pm and 7:45pm as the norm starting next year.

Respectfully disagree. We've an amazing away support, even though it's trivial to watch games online. Watch any away town game in the play-offs for example which were broadcast on BT Sports, fully packed out, would've sold more if it weren't for allocation. If you can go or want to go, you'll go, there's a lot that can't be replicated on the telly. If it weren't for me living in Scotland and being a minimum 3+ hour one-way journey to any game I'd go. Games away from traditional times isn't the fault of the TV, it's the fault of the 3pm rule, if it weren't for that rule they'd be at the traditional time.

Just give people options and capitalise from the people who want to watch at home rather than them giving money to shady piracy outfits - give the money to the clubs.

Same as Spotify etc. Killed music piracy for the most part (other than those that want the audio files for offline purposes like DJ'ing etc). Still get sell out gigs. Can't replicate live music.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Was reading that the amount Sky pay per game is less in the new contract then now, so I suppose in their eyes that’s a good deal,also Sky have grabbed 80% off all televised games, they will only be happy when they have a monopoly, if allowed? Would assume with the new football league deal and this new premiership one then not be too long where every game will be shown, probably with a type of club tv season ticket.

I like football and that includes the premiership. I’m happy for sky to get 80%. Having to pay for TNT , prime and anyone else that gets a package just makes it more expensive.

Quoted from supertown

I like football and that includes the premiership. I’m happy for sky to get 80%. Having to pay for TNT , prime and anyone else that gets a package just makes it more expensive.

Can near guarantee that your Sky Sports package will significantly increase to factor in their increased number of games.  Not that it went down when they lost Champions League, Cricket etc. etc.  

Quoted from BenBB

Respectfully disagree. We've an amazing away support, even though it's trivial to watch games online. Watch any away town game in the play-offs for example which were broadcast on BT Sports, fully packed out, would've sold more if it weren't for allocation. If you can go or want to go, you'll go, there's a lot that can't be replicated on the telly. If it weren't for me living in Scotland and being a minimum 3+ hour one-way journey to any game I'd go. Games away from traditional times isn't the fault of the TV, it's the fault of the 3pm rule, if it weren't for that rule they'd be at the traditional time.

Just give people options and capitalise from the people who want to watch at home rather than them giving money to shady piracy outfits - give the money to the clubs.

Same as Spotify etc. Killed music piracy for the most part (other than those that want the audio files for offline purposes like DJ'ing etc). Still get sell out gigs. Can't replicate live music.

I agree with you but my point was really about new young fans. We all grew up travelling to games and it seems "normal". In 30 years we have gone from Teletext to every game shown live, that's a massive societal change and behavioural changes are inevitable. Lots of people "support" teams on TV and never even think of going to a game. That's only been possible for national or top-flight teams until recently. The EFL television offering has been pretty poor until recently, one camera angle and radio commentary out of sync being the norm, it's no substitute for being there. You also have to be quite IT literate to watch games. Next season I understand we will have a much better offering for many games and it will be easier for everyone to use.  Technology is going to get better and easier every season, this is just the start! The likes of VR Headsets could follow, whatever it is will make it a better experience! People who actually go will be legacy supporters. They'll have to simulate crowds and chants like they did during Covid.

That's a long way off but I think away fans at Blundell Park could especially be affected quite soon as it is a long (and unappealing) trip for many supporters. Watching from your living room is a big temptation.

I hope football doesn't go the way of (traditional forms of) cricket where it is mainly watched by the old and retired, but there is a danger we are starting to head down that road.

Quoted from GrimRob

I agree with you but my point was really about new young fans. We all grew up travelling to games and it seems "normal". In 30 years we have gone from Teletext to every game shown live, that's a massive societal change and behavioural changes are inevitable. Lots of people "support" teams on TV and never even think of going to a game. That's only been possible for national or top-flight teams until recently. The EFL television offering has been pretty poor until recently, one camera angle and radio commentary out of sync being the norm, it's no substitute for being there. You also have to be quite IT literate to watch games. Next season I understand we will have a much better offering for many games and it will be easier for everyone to use.  Technology is going to get better and easier every season, this is just the start! The likes of VR Headsets could follow, whatever it is will make it a better experience! People who actually go will be legacy supporters. They'll have to simulate crowds and chants like they did during Covid.

That's a long way off but I think away fans at Blundell Park could especially be affected quite soon as it is a long (and unappealing) trip for many supporters. Watching from your living room is a big temptation.

I hope football doesn't go the way of (traditional forms of) cricket where it is mainly watched by the old and retired, but there is a danger we are starting to head down that road.

I'm not necessarily sure we're headed in that direction. There are fundmental differences between the armchair supporters who follow a big club from a city they have no meaningful connection with and most match going fans who regularly watch their local team in the flesh (irrespective of the level). That's not a dig at armchair fans either, they're entitled to enjoy football however they prefer to enjoy it. But they are not you or I.

What they get is regular, high quality broadcasts of a very high standard of football, in the environment of their choice (living room, pub), with no travel or hassle from the police or other fans, all at a much lower cost than actually going to games. There's nothing wrong with that, it's all good stuff.

I can't speak for everyone, but what I get from following from Town is very different. Forget what I might have grown up on in my formative years in the 90s, the reason I support Town is certainly not for the standard of football. It's about a connection to the town where I grew up and spent my entire childhood, but haven't lived in for two decades. It's about seeing old mates who I'd otherwise risk losing touch with. About having a beer or two, and a short break from the rigours and stresses of working and family life. It's about being in a football ground with thousands of people of all different ages and backgrounds, but who ultimately feel exactly the same way about something as I do. It's about a connection to the past; tracing the same steps as I did as a 6 or 7 year old, with my dad and grandad - the latter long since gone.

This will sound corny, but there's something spiritual about what we do. For me, there's nothing better than being in a random town, hundreds of miles away, and suddenly hearing Town fans en masse - "mariners, mariners". It never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The quality of the football might be poor more often than it is not, or at least that's been the case for us since the millennium. But it's a much richer experience than watching football on the telly, whether you support a big team or a little one. If you get that, you get it. And it's something armchair fans will never get, because they haven't experienced it. And that's why I feel no ill towards those kinds of individuals - it's their loss, ultimately.

Such is the way football allegiances and habits are handed down from one generation to the next, it's not something I see any TV deal or blackout abolishment changing in any meaningful way. I hate to use the word "experience" like some kind of millennial cliche, but ultimately that offered by live football in the flesh, following something you are deeply connected to, is incomparable to that of a Sky Sports subscription.

Quoted from Poojah

I'm not necessarily sure we're headed in that direction. There are fundmental differences between the armchair supporters who follow a big club from a city they have no meaningful connection with and most match going fans who regularly watch their local team in the flesh (irrespective of the level). That's not a dig at armchair fans either, they're entitled to enjoy football however they prefer to enjoy it. But they are not you or I.

What they get is regular, high quality broadcasts of a very high standard of football, in the environment of their choice (living room, pub), with no travel or hassle from the police or other fans, all at a much lower cost than actually going to games. There's nothing wrong with that, it's all good stuff.

I can't speak for everyone, but what I get from following from Town is very different. Forget what I might have grown up on in my formative years in the 90s, the reason I support Town is certainly not for the standard of football. It's about a connection to the town where I grew up and spent my entire childhood, but haven't lived in for two decades. It's about seeing old mates who I'd otherwise risk losing touch with. About having a beer or two, and a short break from the rigours and stresses of working and family life. It's about being in a football ground with thousands of people of all different ages and backgrounds, but who ultimately feel exactly the same way about something as I do. It's about a connection to the past; tracing the same steps as I did as a 6 or 7 year old, with my dad and grandad - the latter long since gone.

This will sound corny, but there's something spiritual about what we do. For me, there's nothing better than being in a random town, hundreds of miles away, and suddenly hearing Town fans en masse - "mariners, mariners". It never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The quality of the football might be poor more often than it is not, or at least that's been the case for us since the millennium. But it's a much richer experience than watching football on the telly, whether you support a big team or a little one. If you get that, you get it. And it's something armchair fans will never get, because they haven't experienced it. And that's why I feel no ill towards those kinds of individuals - it's their loss, ultimately.

Such is the way football allegiances and habits are handed down from one generation to the next, it's not something I see any TV deal or blackout abolishment changing in any meaningful way. I hate to use the word "experience" like some kind of millennial cliche, but ultimately that offered by live football in the flesh, following something you are deeply connected to, is incomparable to that of a Sky Sports subscription.

A simply wonderful post.

I agree with most of what you said though people need to go to games and immerse themselves into the culture of attending matches and experiencing the collective euphoria of a big win, start calling the team "us". The number of people who have never attended games I have tried to explain to over the years what it is all about! Watching games on a big screen with lots of other people in a pub or bar is the closest thing, or having a load of mates around and watching on TV. But you need to do those things to know what the experience feels like.

I remember getting a birthday card a few years back and someone had picked me a football-themed one, I guess we've all had them. I thanked them and then noticed that the whole premise of the card was you watched football on TV, it took place on the TV and you watched it with friends on a Sofa. I realised that was how many people thought of football as do I for World Cup games. I dismissed it as a card for "plastics", people who aren't proper supporters.

As technology changes audiences change with them. It used to be that the only way to listen to a piece of music was to attend a concert and hear it in person. Now I imagine 99.9% of all music is heard in recorded form. I like opera but it's too much hassle and expense to go and watch a concert, and frankly I am happy enough at having it on in the background and doing something else until a particularly good bit comes along. I have attended operas in person but sitting still for a couple of hours and trying to follow a libretto in a language I don't speak is a challenge.

People have sport on in the background and just like me look up from their phone and pay attention when things get interesting. Maybe they are not "proper" fans but perhaps they don't want to be either?

Quoted from GrimRob

I agree with most of what you said though people need to go to games and immerse themselves into the culture of attending matches and experiencing the collective euphoria of a big win, start calling the team "us". The number of people who have never attended games I have tried to explain to over the years what it is all about! Watching games on a big screen with lots of other people in a pub or bar is the closest thing, or having a load of mates around and watching on TV. But you need to do those things to know what the experience feels like.

I remember getting a birthday card a few years back and someone had picked me a football-themed one, I guess we've all had them. I thanked them and then noticed that the whole premise of the card was you watched football on TV, it took place on the TV and you watched it with friends on a Sofa. I realised that was how many people thought of football as do I for World Cup games. I dismissed it as a card for "plastics", people who aren't proper supporters.

As technology changes audiences change with them. It used to be that the only way to listen to a piece of music was to attend a concert and hear it in person. Now I imagine 99.9% of all music is heard in recorded form. I like opera but it's too much hassle and expense to go and watch a concert, and frankly I am happy enough at having it on in the background and doing something else until a particularly good bit comes along. I have attended operas in person but sitting still for a couple of hours and trying to follow a libretto in a language I don't speak is a challenge.

People have sport on in the background and just like me look up from their phone and pay attention when things get interesting. Maybe they are not "proper" fans but perhaps they don't want to be either?

I dunno. In the context of music, I’m probably the equivalent of your armchair football fan. I like music, I enjoy listening to it, and I listen to it a good few hours a day. All via Spotify. The only thing that’s changed in that regard is that it’s now Spotify instead of Napster, and it was Napster instead of CDs, and before that cassettes and vinyl records, and not because vinyl was cool back then - I just inherited them (and a record player) off my older sister.

I very much doubt the people who are devoted to live music, as we are to live football, will be swayed massively by the digitisation of the art form. Because for them, it’s the purest, richest way to enjoy music. Just like football in the flesh is to us.

Quoted from Poojah

I dunno. In the context of music, I’m probably the equivalent of your armchair football fan. I like music, I enjoy listening to it, and I listen to it a good few hours a day. All via Spotify. The only thing that’s changed in that regard is that it’s now Spotify instead of Napster, and it was Napster instead of CDs, and before that cassettes and vinyl records, and not because vinyl was cool back then - I just inherited them (and a record player) off my older sister.

I very much doubt the people who are devoted to live music, as we are to live football, will be swayed massively by the digitisation of the art form. Because for them, it’s the purest, richest way to enjoy music. Just like football in the flesh is to us.

Every form of entertainment has its day. We've grown up and digital music came along when we were young so we lapped it up. Go back far enough though and there was a lot of opposition to the gramophone, "they" (i.e. the older generations) said it would run music. The cinema would ruin theatre etc etc they claimed but the young always embrace new technology. In a sense the concert hall and the theatre have been turned into niche activities, young people just prefer their replacements and they become the norm for the next generation. Sport like anything else doesn't sit still, it moves with the audience. Cricket has all but reinvented itself.  Football has changed immensely over the last 20 years and will keep changing.

Quoted from GrimRob

Every form of entertainment has its day. We've grown up and digital music came along when we were young so we lapped it up. Go back far enough though and there was a lot of opposition to the gramophone, "they" (i.e. the older generations) said it would run music. The cinema would ruin theatre etc etc they claimed but the young always embrace new technology. In a sense the concert hall and the theatre have been turned into niche activities, young people just prefer their replacements and they become the norm for the next generation. Sport like anything else doesn't sit still, it moves with the audience. Cricket has all but reinvented itself.  Football has changed immensely over the last 20 years and will keep changing.

Change is inevitable, but progress isn't.

Nobody is disputing the changes, it's the progress - or otherwise - that's the issue here.

Shrugging your shoulders and uttering "well, things change" is why we have a climate crisis (and many other issues).

If the Sky deal is bigger will our league 2 payment rise.