Fans have their say on why there’s a decline in Sky Sports viewer numbers for 2024/25 PL season

Fans took to social media to have their say on why there’s a decline in Sky Sports viewer numbers for the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Premier League TV viewership on Sky Sports dropped 10% last season, with TNT Sports also seeing a 17% decline.

The Times report that there was a 10% drop in Sky Sports Premier League viewership for the 2024-25 season, a surprising reversal after record-breaking audiences in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

This is partly linked to the lack of a competitive title race or relegation battle, as detailed in a Times Sport article by Martyn Ziegler.

Sky showed 128 games, while TNT aired 52. Viewership waned in the final six weeks due to the settled title and relegation outcomes.

It’s also claimed Sky’s new EFL deal, offering over 1,000 games, may have split audiences.

Piracy of live sports, including football, is a growing issue, straining broadcasters like Sky and DAZN, while rising rights costs drive up subscription prices for fans.

However, fans say there are a number of other reasons which explain why they having been tuning into the broadcaster in the last year.

TV viewer numbers for Premier League matches dropped last season after two previous record-breaking years, due in part to a lack of a close title race or relegation battle

Read the full story by @martynziegler ⬇️https://t.co/TYYvA5Nk9d

— Times Sport (@TimesSport) June 10, 2025

@carljpage: Hardly surprising. As a product the PL is stale and boring. Closed shop so no jeopardy. VAR sucks out all the spontaneity and fun, and most players do their best to cheat and con the ref. Otherwise it is great 🫣

@DaveC1992: Or because the prices are through the roof

@SocialEngland66: VAR, standard of refereeing, 3 horrific relegated clubs, VAR, Arsenal’s inevitable bottle job, top 7 guaranteed early, VAR, no end of season situations, VAR.

@mrcorney: No it’s entirely down to pricing and availability of games. Why should I pay £100 a month for the various packages to be told what I can watch? When someone in Europe pays 1/3 and gets every game

@SaveConcessions: Alternative headline could be ‘TV viewer numbers dropped as punters were fed up of being completely ripped off by SKY’

@jaffa_5:
Maybe, Just Maybe, people don’t want to watch because of:
The biased/piss poor commentators,
The endless talking about the same 6 clubs,
VAR and inconsistent refereeing,
The games they choose to show,
The kick-off time of televised matches.
The exorbitant fees they charge

@anthonyfdshaw: Various reasons for this, but i’m not having that anybody watches 8pm Saturday games unless it involves their own team.

@9yrspodcast: Because when live football is omnipresent, people are going to get bored. Who wants to watch Bournemouth vs Villa at 5.30 on a Saturday? Saturation is a killer. ^ND

@7kingsmanchest5: Sports channels are far to expensive. Pundits these days are boring and attention seekers. Just a bunch of ex pro’s moaning about life. Bringing YouTubers on is a turn off.

@Sully877: VAR means I watch less than before and the cost is way too much – I would guess lot of other people feel the same. Certainly not as fun to watch as it used to be. Also, there is just too much football on TV as well.

@SibsMUFC: Far more to this than just “no title race”. People want to watch their team not games TV companies pick for them. Sky’s coverage is also dreadful, little genuine analysis or insight but plenty of pundits trying to get a clip for social media… and the price keeps going up.

@FeyPaul20049: VAR has killed the prem for me, the championship is such a more entertaining league to watch, I’d rather keep the passion and accept human error than having jobsworths sitting in their little box trying their best to cancel out goals and any fun that’s left in the prem

@CraigCharles23: Due in part to the astronomical prices to watch in the UK and showing one game from the 3/4 that are played at 2pm on a Sunday.

@CraggerRagger: More due to the fact that sky sports and tnt are changing extortionate prices, while not showing several games and eith absolutely piss poor punditry for most games

@ToonFan14: People are sick of the talking about the same 6 clubs. Even when they’re not playing. Not to mention pundits that simply can’t be impartial.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports announced earlier this year than they are to show 215 Premier League games a season from 2025/26.

They said on the 9th of June, just over a week before Premier League fixture release day: Sky Sports will broadcast a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches a season from 2025/26 after finalising a new four-year agreement for TV rights.

From the 2025/26 season, Sky Sports’ exclusively live coverage will increase from 128 Premier League matches to at least 215 games.

As part of the new rights deal, Sky Sports will show more Premier League action than any other broadcaster with at least four matches per week.

Sky Sports’ 215 matches will include more than 140 matches played at weekends, evening matches on Fridays and Mondays and full coverage of three midweek match rounds.

For the first time, Sky Sports will also broadcast all 10 Premier League matches on the final day of each season.

Dana Strong, Group CEO, Sky said: “This is a fantastic result for Sky customers, who will see a significant increase in the number of matches from the most iconic league in the world. Sky is the undisputed home for sport fans in the UK.”

– At least 215 live games each season.

– All first-pick matches, giving fans the best matches week in week out until May 2029.

– Super Sunday remains the flagship kick-off slot at 4.30pm.

– First and last word on a Premier League weekend with more live games on Fridays and Mondays.

– For the first time, all the final games on the last day of the season will be live in one place, creating a real moment for fans.

– And in another first, Sky Sports will now be able to offer multiple live matches on a number of weekends at Sunday 2pm.

– Most of the festive season fixtures, with Boxing Day Premier League football back on Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, TNT will show 52 live games a season, Saturday 12.30pm kick-offs and EVERY game from two entire midweek fixture rounds.