Daily Junction.mobi portalSports · July 6, 2026 · Tom Bennett · 8 min
Sky and TNT pay £5 billion for three years of Premier League rights — here's how TV deals work, why they're so valuable, and why fans pay the price.
The Premier League is the richest football league in the world, and the reason is simple: TV money. Broadcasters pay £5 billion for three years of domestic rights (2022–2025), and another £5.3 billion for international rights, totaling £10.3 billion. This money is distributed to the 20 Premier League clubs, with each club receiving £100–170 million per year depending on league position and TV appearances. The TV money has transformed English football, allowing mid-table clubs to spend £50–100 million on transfers and compete with Europe's elite. But it has also made football more expensive for fans, who must pay £912 per year to watch all Premier League matches legally (Sky Sports £46/month, TNT Sports £30/month). Here is everything you need to know about Premier League TV rights — how they work, why they are so valuable, and what it means for fans.
The Premier League sells domestic TV rights in packages, with different broadcasters bidding for different packages.
Current deal (2022–2025):
Total: £5.12 billion over three years (£1.7 billion per year)
This is slightly down from the previous deal (2019–2022, £5.14 billion), the first time Premier League domestic rights have fallen in value. The decline is due to:
The Premier League sells international rights to broadcasters in over 188 countries. The league is watched by 4.7 billion people worldwide, making it the most-watched football league in the world.
International rights (2022–2025): £5.3 billion over three years (£1.77 billion per year)
This is up from the previous deal (2019–2022, £4.2 billion), and international rights are now worth more than domestic rights for the first time.
The biggest markets are:
Total TV revenue (2022–2025): £10.3 billion over three years (£3.4 billion per year)
This is distributed to the 20 Premier League clubs based on:
| Position | Club | TV revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Manchester City | £170 million |
| 2nd | Arsenal | £165 million |
| 3rd | Liverpool | £160 million |
| 4th | Aston Villa | £155 million |
| ... | ... | ... |
| 17th | Nottingham Forest | £105 million |
| 18th | Luton Town | £103 million |
| 19th | Burnley | £101 million |
| 20th | Sheffield United | £100 million |
Even the bottom club gets £100 million per year, more than most clubs in Europe earn from all sources combined.
The Premier League distributes TV money more equally than other leagues:
This equal distribution makes the Premier League more competitive — mid-table clubs can afford to buy good players and challenge the top clubs.
The Premier League is watched by 4.7 billion people in 188 countries, making it the most-watched football league in the world. This gives broadcasters access to a huge audience, which they can monetise through subscriptions and advertising.
The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world, with multiple clubs competing for the title and European places. This makes every match important and exciting, which attracts viewers.
In contrast, La Liga (Spain) and Bundesliga (Germany) are dominated by 1–2 clubs (Real Madrid/Barcelona, Bayern Munich), making the league less exciting.
The Premier League attracts the best players in the world (Haaland, Salah, De Bruyne, Saka), which makes matches more exciting and attracts viewers.
English is the most widely spoken language in the world, making the Premier League accessible to a global audience. Commentators, pundits, and interviews are in English, which is easier to export than Spanish, German, or Italian.
Premier League matches are scheduled to maximise global audiences:
This allows broadcasters to attract viewers in multiple time zones.
To watch all Premier League matches legally in the UK, fans must subscribe to:
Total: £84.99 per month (£1,020 per year)
But most fans only subscribe to Sky Sports (£46 per month, £552 per year), which shows the majority of matches.
Only 200 of 380 matches are shown live on TV in the UK. The remaining 180 matches (mostly Saturday 3pm kick-offs) are not broadcast due to the 3pm blackout — a rule that bans live broadcasts between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays to protect match attendance.
The blackout is controversial:
Millions of fans watch Premier League matches on illegal streams (free websites or IPTV services). The Premier League estimates that illegal streaming costs £1 billion per year in lost revenue.
The Premier League has cracked down on illegal streaming by:
But illegal streaming remains widespread, and many fans see it as justified given the high cost of legal subscriptions.
Premier League clubs are the richest in the world, with even mid-table clubs earning £100–150 million per year from TV money. This allows them to:
The equal distribution of TV money makes the Premier League more competitive. Mid-table clubs (Aston Villa, Newcastle, Brighton) can challenge the traditional top six (Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham).
Premier League ticket prices have risen 1,000% since 1992 (when the Premier League was founded), far outpacing inflation. The average Premier League ticket costs £40–£60, with some clubs charging £80–£100 for premium matches.
Clubs argue that ticket revenue is a small share of total revenue (10–15%), and that TV money allows them to keep ticket prices lower than they would otherwise be. But fans argue that clubs are pricing out working-class supporters.
Premier League clubs dominate European competitions (Champions League, Europa League) because they have more money than clubs in other leagues. Since 2018, English clubs have won:
The gap between the Premier League and the Championship (second tier) has widened. Premier League clubs earn £100–170 million per year from TV money, while Championship clubs earn £7 million per year.
This makes promotion to the Premier League worth £200 million over three years (including parachute payments if relegated), making the Championship playoff final the most valuable single match in world football.
The future of TV rights is streaming. Sky and TNT are losing subscribers to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, and younger fans prefer streaming to traditional pay TV.
The Premier League may eventually:
But this is risky — the Premier League earns £5 billion from domestic rights because Sky and TNT charge subscribers. If the Premier League streamed matches themselves, they would have to build their own platform, negotiate with telecoms providers, and compete with established broadcasters.
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