Wednesday 11 February 2015 09:30, UK
Sky has strengthened its position as the home of sport and unrivalled choice for sports fans by winning the UK rights to 126 live Premier League matches a season from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
In a successful outcome to the Premier League’s tender process, Sky Sports was awarded five packs of live rights.
The new deal ensures that Sky Sports will be the only place to follow the biggest matches and stories throughout the Premier League season. Viewers will be able to rely on Sky Sports to bring them three times as many live matches as any other broadcaster, including the best match picks and the most-watched slots in the schedule.
By securing the rights to matches on Friday evenings for the first time, Sky Sports will also bring viewers an entirely new way to start the weekend with live Premier League football.
The expanded schedule of live Premier League matches will be a key part of the unrivalled breadth of coverage offered by Sky Sports across seven channels.
The key points of the new Premier League rights deal include:
* More live matches than ever before, with 126 fixtures a season versus 116 under the existing contract
* Live coverage on more days of the week, with matches on Friday evenings for the first time as well as Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings
* The best match picks, including 26 first picks and 31 second picks, meaning that Sky Sports will offer more of the biggest matches
* Live coverage of every Premier League club at least four times a season
* Rights to offer live coverage across a range of platforms, including online and mobile
* Access to all 126 matches a season through the Sky Sports day pass and week pass on NOW TV
Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Group Chief Executive, said: “This is a good result and confirms that Sky is the unrivalled choice for sports fans. We went into the Premier League auction with a clear objective and are pleased to have secured the rights that we wanted."
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, added: “We are looking forward to bringing even more live Premier League football to viewers. Only Sky Sports will have the best match picks and the best slots so our viewers will be able to follow the biggest matches, the key head to heads and every club at least four times. No other broadcaster comes close.
“The best Premier League coverage is part of an unrivalled range of sport across our seven channels and digital platforms. This new deal follows our recent success in the rights market, ensuring Sky Sports will be the first choice for years to come.”
