In a landmark development for British football broadcasting, the Premier League has announced its latest television rights deals, set to redefine (again) how the nation watches football.
These agreements, heralding a new era in how the nation engages with its most beloved sport, have catapulted Sky Sports and TNT Sports into the spotlight as the primary broadcasters of England’s top-flight football.
Sky Sports, reaffirming its leading position in sports media, has secured the lion’s share of live matches, promising viewers an unparalleled range of coverage.
Meanwhile, newcomer TNT Sports (which replaced BT Sport), has strategically clinched a key live rights package, further solidifying its growing influence in UK sports broadcasting.
The deals, amounting to a staggering £6.7 billion over four years, not only underscore the Premier League’s financial muscle but also provide a level of financial certainty and stability for clubs.
This infusion of funds is expected to trickle down, benefiting the broader football community across England and Wales.
Sky Sports: The Dominant Player
Sky Sports has once again asserted its dominance in sports broadcasting, especially when it comes to Premier League football. By securing four out of the five live rights packages, Sky Sports will showcase an unprecedented number of matches.
From the 2025/26 season, this includes 215 live games each season, covering a diverse range of fixtures. Viewers can expect to see more than 140 weekend matches, a significant increase from previous seasons.
This variety ensures that fans have access to a wide array of games, from the high-stakes clashes of top teams to the critical battles at the bottom of the table.
Sky has secured the rights to all first-pick matches, guaranteeing that the most anticipated and pivotal games of each week are aired on their channels.
Additionally, Sky Sports retains its flagship ‘Super Sunday’ slot at 4:30 pm, a time that has become synonymous with premier football viewing in the UK.
The introduction of multiple live matches on some weekends, particularly at Sunday 2 pm, is a new feature, offering fans more choices and flexibility.
A notable first for Sky Sports is the exclusive live broadcast of all 10 matches on the final day of each season.
This move allows viewers to experience the climax of the league in its entirety, a time when the fate of the title, European qualification, and relegation can all hang in the balance.
Most of the Boxing Day fixtures, a highlight of the Premier League calendar, will also be broadcast on Sky.
Sky Sports is available as a subscription either directly from Sky (via Sky Q, Sky Glass or Sky Stream), through its standalone streaming service NOW, and as an add-on with the other pay-TV providers such as Virgin Media and BT TV (soon to become EE TV).
TNT Sports: A Focused Offering
TNT Sports (which replaced BT Sport earlier this year), while not as expansive as Sky, has made a strategic acquisition of one live rights package.
This package allows them to air 52 live matches per season, including exclusive coverage of Saturday 12:30 pm games and two midweek match rounds.
TNT Sports, a relative newcomer compared to Sky, has been steadily building its presence in UK sports broadcasting, and this deal is a testament to its growing influence.
TNT Sports is available either as a paid standalone on the pay-TV platforms (Sky, BT TV, Virgin Media TV), as part of the Discovery+ streaming service, where TNT Sports is included in the Premium, £29.99/month package, or as an Amazon Prime Video Channel.
BBC Sport: Keeping The Highlights
BBC Sport continues its long-standing tradition of bringing Premier League highlights to the masses.
With rights to all 380 matches each season, the BBC’s Match of the Day will remain a staple for football fans across the country.
This deal ensures that even those without access to live matches can still enjoy the thrills of the Premier League, on the BBC’s linear channels and on BBC iPlayer.
Amazon’s Prime Video Is Out Of The Game
A significant talking point in this new broadcasting era is the absence of Amazon’s Prime Video.
In previous seasons, Amazon had made inroads into Premier League broadcasting, streaming several matches exclusively for its Amazon Prime subscribers.
However, this time around, they are noticeably absent from the list of rights holders.
The Cost Of Watching Premier League
The announcement of these new TV rights deals marks another pivotal moment in the evolution of sports broadcasting in the UK.
While Sky Sports and TNT Sports have secured their positions as key players, the absence of Amazon’s Prime Video from the equation signals a potential shift in the streaming landscape.
On the plus side, this time around, Premier League fans will “only” need to subscribe to two services – Sky and TNT Sports. But, as always – it won’t be cheap.
It’s time for the bbc channels to go private and keep pensioners free tv over 70+
well done sky
Stop paying the BBC staff crazy salaries and allow them to put bids in for some of the cake instead of the big taking everything.
Why should sky and TNT get all the games should have some on bbc and itv .some people can not afford sky or tnt
Amazon had the best camera work of any. I am very disappointed.