Premier League increasing number of live games as part of new broadcasting deals
An extra 70 matches will be shown per season from 2025/26 onwards
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Around 270 Premier League games a season will be broadcast live in the UK every year as part of the next broadcast deal as the division looks for an increase on its current £5bn domestic rights deal.
It means an extra 70 games a season will be shown, the most live coverage yet, with more than two-thirds of the 380 matches each season being televised.
The Premier League have started the process of selling rights for a four-year period, starting in the 2025-26 season, whereas previous deals have been for three years.
The Premier League is inviting tenders for five broadcast packages, which will mean 3pm kick-offs on Saturdays are still not televised – a blackout devised to protect attendances in the lower leagues – but all 2pm kick-offs on Sunday, which tend to feature sides in European action on Thursdays, will be shown.
The 270 live games will be arranged into five packages of between 42 and 65 matches in a change from the current system of seven packages. No broadcaster will be able to get a monopoly with a maximum of four packages permitted.
Those five packages will be linked to current kick-off formats: 12.30 and 17.30 on Saturday, 14.00 and 16.30 on Sunday, plus a 20.00, split across Monday and Fridays. The Premier League has not confirmed where midweek matches will fit into the packages.
In the current contract, Sky have four packages, amounting to 128 matches per season, TNT (formerly BT Sport) two, with 52 games, and Amazon Prime one package of 20 matches.
The Premier League is also inviting tenders for highlights, including of the 110 games that will not be shown live, and free-to-air highlights of all 380 matches, currently owned by the BBC and used in Match Of The Day.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments