As pubs and bars prepare for the new Premier League season, live football continues to demonstrate its power to bring fans together and transform hospitality venues into thriving destinations. The 2025/26 season was Sky Sports’ most watched Premier League season ever, with total Premier League viewing up 25 per cent year on year.

Last season, which saw Arsenal emerge as champions for the first time in 20 years, 70 per cent of pub going sports viewers agreed that the increased number of Premier League matches available gave them more reasons to visit hospitality venues. That appetite translated into increased footfall, with 63 per cent watching more Premier League matches in pubs and bars than they had in the previous season.

For the 2026/27 season, Sky Sports will show over 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League and Scottish Premiership, including 215 exclusively live Premier League fixtures. 

With pubs and bars navigating a tough trading environment, the new football season will offer a significant boost. When out-of-home sports viewers do visit, they are likely to spend more, as 81 per cent of sports viewers planning to watch a game out of home say they typically spend more in a pub or bar when live sport is on.

That impact is evident in sales. Matchdays on Sky have proven to drive a 9 per cent sales uplift for Sky venues versus non-Sky venues, rising to 14 per cent for ‘Big Six’ clashes and up to 45 per cent on the final day of the season. 

Beyond the Premier League, Sky Sports also remains the home of the Women’s Super League. During the first season of Sky Sports’ five-year rights agreement, WSL viewing grew by 16 per cent year on year.

Sky Sports+ gives hospitality venues greater flexibility in how they serve customers, helping pubs and bars create more localised viewing experiences around the matches and teams their customers care about most.

James Tweddle, Director of Sales at Sky Business, said: “Football is woven into the fabric of British life, bringing communities together and creating shared moments that extend far beyond the final whistle. For hospitality venues, live sport has always been a powerful way to bring people through the doors, create atmosphere and crucially boost revenue. Last season, an average of 1.77 million people per week watched Premier League matches on Sky Sports in an out-of-the-home venue, up 23 per cent year on year, showing the massive appetite there is for live football. As venues prepare to kick off for another season, having access to the right content, alongside the technology and connectivity to deliver a seamless experience, will be key to reinforcing the important role pubs and bars play in the matchday experience.”

The 2026/27 Premier League season kicks off on August 21st with reigning champions Arsenal taking on newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium, live on Sky Sports (8pm KO).

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Tags: Arsenal, premier league, pub, sky, sky sports