Viewers respond in record numbers to Sky Sports’ biggest ever Premier League Season

Sky Sports has set new records for live Premier League football this season, with more fans enjoying its unrivalled coverage than ever before.

As the most exciting Premier League season in years reaches its climax, Sky Sports customers have set new records for viewing across TV and mobile. Based on data for the season so far, average audiences for live matches on Sky Sports are up 7% on last season.*

Sky Sports is showing more matches this season than ever before: 116 live fixtures across Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays. New analysis shows that 49 of the 50 most watched Premier League matches this season have been on Sky Sports.*
 
With less than two weeks before the end of the season, Sky Sports will be the only place to watch the title race unfold with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all live this weekend.  Manchester City will also face Aston Villa live on Sky Sports next Wednesday, before Sky Sports shows three matches on the final day of the season exclusively live.

The figures come ahead of another busy summer on Sky Sports with live England cricket, weekly live golf including US Open and US PGA, every Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, international rugby union including England’s tour to New Zealand, Super League and ATP tennis. 

Barney Francis, Sky Sports Managing Director, said: “This is our biggest and best Premier League season and viewers are responding in record numbers.  Sky Sports has offered the best range of matches, the best analysis and the best production.”

“We’re delighted that the thrilling Premier League title race will go all the way on Sky Sports and that our customers will see the title deciders exclusively live. Then we launch into a great summer of live sport and we have more exciting plans as we look forward to the next football season too.”

This season Sky has enhanced its coverage by adding Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher to its fantastic line-up of experts, launching new programming and shows including Saturday Night Football and added various production innovations including the introduction of augmented reality on MNF, Tracab analysis during live matches and table touch-screen technology.

The Barclays Premier League is part of an unrivalled schedule of live football on Sky Sports which includes the SkyBet Football League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga and the SPFL as well as a host of shows.  Next season, Sky will offer more live football than ever before as it adds live UEFA EURO 2016 qualifiers from September.

Sky Sports has also secured 17 major rights announcements in 2014 alone, including deals for Masters and PGA Tour golf, IPL and England overseas cricket, British & Irish Lions, European Champions Cup and Top 14 rugby union, Scottish FA, Super League, WWE and GAA.

*Source: BARB 

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Information:
Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and communications company.  Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.

Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.5 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News.   Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes.  More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.

Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator.  Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.

Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi.  NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV.  Sky is also the UK’s fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.

Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts.  Sky employs 24,000 people, has annual revenues of £7.2 billion and is estimated to support a £5.9 billion contribution to UK GDP.  Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).