As pubs and bars prepare for the start of the new Premier League season, live football continues to prove its value as a major driver of customer traffic and spending. According to Sky Sports, the 2025/26 campaign was its most-watched Premier League season ever, with total league viewership rising 25% year over year.
The increased number of televised Premier League matches also had a direct impact on the hospitality industry. Research showed that 70% of sports fans who watch games in pubs and bars said the expanded fixture schedule gave them more reasons to visit these venues. As a result, 63% watched more Premier League matches in pubs and bars than they had during the previous season.
For the 2026/27 season, Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and Scottish Premiership, including 215 exclusive live Premier League matches.
The broadcaster says live football continues to generate higher spending among customers. Eighty-one percent of fans planning to watch matches outside their homes said they typically spend more money in pubs and bars when live sport is available.
Sales data also highlights football’s commercial impact. Matchdays featuring Sky Sports broadcasts generated 9% higher sales for Sky Business venues compared with non-Sky venues. That increase rose to 14% for matches involving the traditional “Big Six” clubs and reached 45% on the final day of the Premier League season.
Women’s football is also contributing to growth. During the first year of Sky Sports’ new five-year Women’s Super League rights agreement, WSL viewership increased 16% year over year.
Sky Business Sales Director James Tweddle said football remains deeply embedded in British culture, bringing communities together while providing hospitality businesses with an important source of revenue. He noted that an average of 1.77 million people per week watched Premier League matches on Sky Sports from pubs and bars during the 2025/26 season, representing a 23% annual increase in out-of-home viewing.
The 2026/27 Premier League season will kick off on 21 August, with defending champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium in a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.