Lib Dems renew calls for a Premier League “free-to-air revolution” as new season kicks off

As the 2026/27 Premier League season gets underway, the Liberal Democrats have renewed their push for a "free-to-air revolution" in British sport, demanding that at least 10 matches a season be made accessible on free terrestrial television channels.

​While high-profile events like the FIFA World Cup enjoy legal protections guaranteeing free-to-air coverage, many major sports in the UK currently have no such statutory safeguards.

​Rising Subscription Costs for Football Fans

​Newly released research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, highlights the escalating financial burden on supporters. To watch every live televised Premier League match during the 2026/27 season, fans require a combination of contract-free streaming subscriptions:

​NOW Sports (providing access to Sky Sports): £34.99 a month

​TNT Sports (available via HBO Max): £30.99 a month

​To follow every live fixture, supporters must maintain both subscriptions simultaneously, costing £65.98 a month, or £659.80 across the standard August-to-May season. This represents a £60 annual increase compared to the same package of subscriptions just five seasons ago.

​Expanding "Crown Jewel" Protections and Public Funding

​Beyond club football, the party is pressing the government to expand the list of protected "crown jewel" sporting events. Under their proposals, fixtures such as the Six Nations, the Ryder Cup, and The Ashes would be guaranteed free-to-air broadcast coverage.

​Additionally, the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the Sporting Events Bill. This measure would stipulate that any sporting event receiving public funding must be broadcast free to air.

​"Profits Ahead of Fans"

​Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media, and Sport Anna Sabine MP criticised the current state of sports broadcasting:

​"Sport should unite the country, not be locked away behind an ever-growing wall of subscriptions. Fans are being asked to fork out hundreds of pounds a year just to watch the game they love, while more and more of our proudest sporting occasions disappear behind a paywall."

​Sabine added that successive administrations have allowed commercial interests to overshadow public access:

​"These national sporting experiences used to belong to everyone, but successive Governments have overseen the gradual enshittification of sports broadcasting, putting profits ahead of fans.

​"Liberal Democrats will put fans first, tear down the paywalls and make sure our biggest sporting moments are once again available to all."