Football Returns To Sky Sports

Premier League viewing on Sky rose 25% year on year in 2025/26, its most-watched season to date, as pubs and bars prepare for a new campaign featuring more than 1,500 live fixtures across the Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and Scottish Premiership.

With matchday interest building last season, 70% of pub-going sports fans said the increased number of Premier League games gave them more reasons to visit hospitality venues, while 63% reported watching more matches in pubs and bars than the season before.

In 2026/27, Sky Sports will broadcast over 1,500 live matches, including 215 Premier League fixtures shown exclusively live. Coverage includes every first-pick Premier League match, the return of the 4.30pm Super Sunday slot, and expanded Friday and Monday night schedules to capture the biggest moments across each weekend.

Out-of-home viewing continues to be a valuable driver of spend: 81% of fans who plan to watch sport away from home say they typically spend more in venues when live events are on.

Sales data underscores the impact. Matchdays on Sky have been shown to deliver a 9% sales uplift for Sky venues versus non-Sky sites, rising to 14% for ‘Big Six’ encounters and up to 45% on the final day of the season. With all final-day fixtures available in one place and multiple live Sunday 2pm games on selected weekends, venues can stage more major occasions for supporters.

Beyond the men’s top flight, Sky Sports remains the home of the WSL. During the first season of its five-year rights deal, WSL viewing increased by 16% year on year, reflecting sustained growth in women’s football.

Sky Sports+ offers hospitality operators greater flexibility, enabling more tailored screenings around the teams and fixtures that matter locally, and helping to build the atmosphere and shared experiences that keep fans returning.