Why several Premier League football games could become free to watch on TV in UK

MPs could be set to vote on whether a selection of Premier League matches will be made available to watch live on free-to-air TV. Premier League matches on live TV have been behind a paywall since the league's creation in 1992, aside from being shown on the BBC briefly during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

The Liberal Democrats seek to change that through their proposal for 10 league matches to be made available on non-subscription channels. The proposal has been tabled as an amendment to the Football Governance Bill, which has reached the report stage in the House of Commons. Football fans wanting to watch Premier League games at home have been forced to buy subscriptions for more than three decades, with Sky Sports dominating the domestic TV rights. However, the Lib Dems hope to usher in a significant shake-up, with MPs set to vote on the issue, though the proposal is unlikely to pass without government support.

The Football Governance Bill will establish an independent regulator to oversee the top five English divisions of the men's game. However, the Lib Dems' amendment, if passed, would also see Premier League football added to the list of protected sporting events shown on free-to-air television, such as the World Cup, Euros and FA Cup final.

Max Wilkinson MP, Lib Dem spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport said: "For too long, the jewel in the crown of British football has been locked behind an expensive barrier. It keeps fans out while lining the pockets of broadcasters.

"Fans are being rinsed of every last penny to watch the beautiful game. The next generation of [Jude] Bellinghams and [Lucy] 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."

The Lib Dems' proposal includes making 10 Premier League games, the League Cup final and the three play-off finals within the English Football League available to watch without a TV subscription. A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told BBC Sport: "The government has no plans to review the listed events regime."

Research from the Lib Dems shows that fans will currently have to pay around £660 a year if they wish to watch the maximum number of available games. The amendment would see English football adopt a similar model to Spain, where one La Liga match is made free-to-air per week after a rule change in 2022.

Sky Sports reportedly saw a 10 per cent decrease in Premier League viewing figures last season, while TNT Sports' figures dropped by 17 per cent.

However, as part of a new Premier League broadcast deal, the number of matches set to be shown next season has increased from 200 to 270 until the 2028/29 campaign. Sky and TNT would argue that this demonstrates better value for money in the coming seasons.

When a similar free-to-air proposal was made last month, Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock responded: "The listed events regime have protected key moments such as the FA Cup Final while ensuring that the Premier League, EFL & FA are able to raise billions of pounds annually, which is invested back into the pyramid.

"We all want to see more matches being televised free-to-air, but that must be balanced against that investment and not risk it... It would not be appropriate for the regulator to intervene in commercial decisions between the relevant broadcasters and rights holders."