British soccer followers are spending greater than anybody else within the western world to observe the Premier League on tv, and but they nonetheless don’t get to see each match.
In accordance with a comparative research by , UK viewers are paying as much as 408% greater than Australians for a considerably smaller share of the season’s video games, with the 3pm Saturday blackout persevering with to disclaim home audiences entry to at least one in each three fixtures.
Commercial
For the 2025–26 season, UK followers pays £564 per 12 months for subscriptions to Sky Sports activities and TNT Sports activities, a worth that grants entry to only 267 of the 380 Premier League matches.
In stark distinction, viewers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and america will all be capable of watch each single match reside, and for much much less cash.
Australian followers, for instance, pay simply £111 a 12 months by way of Optus Sports activities for full entry. That’s lower than 1 / 4 of the UK worth.
Canada provides one other placing distinction: by way of FuboTV, viewers pay simply £196 for all 380 video games.
Even in america, the place entry comes by way of Sling TV and Peacock, the annual price sits at £487, giving followers your entire fixture checklist at their fingertips.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Photographs
Commercial
The disparity is sharpened by the truth that UK viewers, regardless of being the home viewers, are the one main fanbase prevented from watching Saturday 3pm kick-offs reside. The blackout, launched to guard decrease league attendances, stays firmly in place.
A current try to deal with this imbalance in Parliament failed decisively. An modification proposing that at the very least 10 Premier League video games be made free-to-air by 340 votes to 86.
60% since 2020, and that inflation has led to a pointy spike in demand for unofficial alternate options. Google searches for “the place to observe Premier League totally free” have risen 160% prior to now month alone, suggesting rising discontent amongst UK followers as the price of residing squeezes individuals within the UK from all instructions.
Picture by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Photographs
Commercial
SeatPick’s analysis additionally attracts consideration to the truth that the £564 price of a TV subscription is now virtually as a lot as a mean Premier League season ticket, which at present stands at £618.
There may be little indication that the Premier League or broadcasters intend to treatment the state of affairs. As a substitute, UK followers discover themselves paying the very best charges for the least entry, their loyalty monetised extra aggressively than that of another viewers in world soccer, whereas politicians appear very happy to let this proceed.
Arsenal’s opening six Premier League fixtures have all been chosen for TV protection.