Football fans are facing a 60% increase in TV costs since 2020 to watch big games.
The analysis shows an increase from £89.23 per month to £140.21 between the 2019-20 and 2024-25 seasons.
Football fans are now spending almost 60% more than five years ago to watch the 15 most sought-after tournaments and leagues. This increase is attributed to the increase in the number of broadcasters and streaming platforms needed to access these events, which has increased from four to ten over the past decade.
Ten years ago, football fans only needed a subscription to Sky, along with its sports package, BT Sport, and free-to-air channels ITV and BBC, to enjoy the first 15 competitions. These included the Premier League, English Football League, FA Cup, Champions League and top European leagues such as the Italian Serie A, the Spanish La Liga, the German Bundesliga and the MLS in the United States.
However, the landscape has changed significantly since then, as broadcast rights for many competitions have fragmented, largely driven by the streaming revolution. As a result, football fans now need eight subscription services in addition to the BBC and ITV to continue watching all competitions.
Emerging competitors in the market are pay-TV channel Premier Sports and various streaming platforms such as DAZN, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and aggregator OneFootball. Additionally, the French Ligue 1 offers its own direct subscription service.
A study by analytics firm Ampere Analysis found that the total cost of subscribing to the eight services required to access all sporting events increased by 57% between the 2019-20 season and the 2024-25 season, rising from £89.23 per month. at £140.21.
“The fragmentation of television provision for club football has reached a peak in the UK,” said Danni Moore, senior analyst at Ampere. “With all the main [non-UK] Leagues are now available on different platforms in the UK, so the price of watching multiple leagues is increasing for fans.
The study reveals that only 1% of football fans are ready to invest in all the services necessary to follow the 15 competitions.
Just over two thirds of fans preferred to satisfy their footballing interests by subscribing to the three main rights holders: Sky, TNT Sports – which encompasses previous BT Sport content and is operated by Warner Bros Discovery – and Amazon.
Collectively, these three entities hold the rights to the most sought-after competitions available on pay television, including the Premier League, English Football League, Champions League and FA Cup, with some matches of the latter broadcast by the BBC via a licensing agreement with TNT.
For the 68% of fans who simply subscribe to these three major pay-TV providers, the price increases haven’t been as significant.
Ampere’s analysis shows that overall monthly spend, which includes the essential basic Sky TV subscription, has increased by 14% over the past five years, to £91.99.
“The price of these three services has increased more moderately over the past five years,” Moore said. “However, subscribers to these services may feel like they are getting less value for their money as they have access to fewer football competitions than before. »
In a bid to retain football fans who might be hesitant to sign up for long-term pay TV subscriptions, Sky and TNT Sports have introduced more affordable options for streaming games through platforms such as Now TV and Discovery+ .
Research from Ampere indicates that customers who exclusively use streaming services provided by Sky, TNT and Amazon have managed to limit their monthly spending to an increase of just 5% over the past five years.
Additionally, dedicated fans wanting to watch all 15 tournaments only via streaming services currently pay £111.20 per month, almost £30 less than the £140 required for a pay-TV subscription. However, this figure has increased by 52% over the past five years due to the increasing number of services required to access all matches.
According to Ampere, a quarter of fans now express a preference for watching live sports exclusively via streaming services.
As the cost of living has risen significantly in recent years, live sports have become increasingly critical to retaining customers in the pay-TV industry as households re-evaluate their spending habits.
An Ampere survey of UK football fans found that 38% of respondents said their access to the sport was the main reason stopping them from canceling their cable or satellite TV subscription.
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The skyrocketing costs of football in the UK highlight the growing inaccessibility of the sport for many fans. The fragmentation of broadcast rights, driven by the proliferation of streaming platforms, has made football a luxury that few can afford. Even though pay TV providers offer more flexible options, they fail to address the underlying issue of affordability.
With costs rising nearly 60% in five years, fewer fans can justify subscribing to multiple services, decreasing the sport’s accessibility and alienating its core audience. As the cost of living rises, the once unifying experience of watching football risks becoming an exclusive privilege, further disconnecting the game from its loyal supporters.