Elected officials in the United Kingdom considered legislation on Tuesday that would have made Premier League games more accessible to fans within the country.
British Parliament voted on a proposal that would force the Premier League to designate at least 10 games per season as free-to-air as mandated by law, according to Ben Rumsby and Ben Riley-Smith in The Telegraph. Unfortunately for Premier League fans hoping the proposal would pass, it failed by a vote of 340-86.
The Liberal Democrats party, who hold 72 seats in the 650-person House of Commons, made the 10-game free-to-air mandate part of their platform during the last general election in 2024. However, both the Labour and Conservative parties in the U.K., which control 523 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, did not endorsed the legislation.
Since the Premier League was formed in 1992, “virtually every match has been exclusively behind a paywall,” The Telegraph notes. Between its domestic media rights deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, the Liberal Democrats’ party suggests that fans would need to spend £660 to watch every Premier League fixture next season. The party also cited viewership data showing the respective channels’ audiences shrunk by 10% and 17% last season.
“I’m urging MPs of all stripes to back our amendment to tear down the paywall and make Premier League games available on free-to-air channels,” a Liberal Democrats spokesperson told The Telegraph prior to the failed vote. “For too long, the jewel in the crown of British football has been locked behind an expensive barrier that keeps fans out while lining the pockets of broadcasters. Fans are being rinsed of every last penny to watch the beautiful game, while the next generation of Bellinghams and Bronzes are priced out of the chance to see football played at the very top level. That must end today – with a free-to-air revolution that gives the Premier League back to the country.”
Frustrations around the cost of watching live sports are not exclusive to Premier League fans in England. Similar estimates about what it would cost a fan to watch every NFL game in America have sparked angst.
The reality is, however, that these professional sports leagues are businesses. And as long as fans are willing to pay the price to watch games, that business will continue to thrive.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.