EXCLUSIVE: Premier League pay-per-view viewing figures are revealed with an average of 39,000 fans paying up for each of the £14.95 games – but three matches had less than 10,000 watching as clubs consider a U-turn
- The pay-per-view model of the Premier League is shown to have struggled
- Sportsmail can reveal the idea averaged fewer than 40,000 viewers per match
- None of the first nine matches attracted paying audience of more than 100,000
- Three matches had less than 10,000 as a U-turn is now being considered
The Premier League’s pay-per-view experiment averaged fewer than 40,000 viewers per match over the first two rounds of matches, Sportsmail can reveal.
Figures given to the clubs at today’s shareholders meeting for the first nine pay-per-view games – not including Brighton’s 1-1 draw with West Brom on Sunday – show the average number of purchases was 39,000, fractionally ahead of the Premier League’s target.
As Sportsmail revealed last Saturday the Premier League’s initial aim was the number of pay-per-view sales to match stadium attendances.
The Premier League’s pay-per-view plan averaged fewer than 40,000 viewers per match
The average Premier League attendance for the last Covid-19 free season in 2018/19 was 38,168 so they are just about hitting the target, although the average is likely to be reduced when the viewing figures for the Brighton game are including.
None of the first nine matches attracted a paying audience of more than 100,000, with two games gaining between 70,000 and 90,000 viewers.
Both BT Sport and Sky Sports have seen dwindling figures arriving to purchase the matches
In contrast three of the matches got fewer than 10,000 viewers, a low figure which critics are likely to use to question the long-term viability of the scheme.
The Premier League will continue to charge fans £14.95 to watch each match for the next two rounds of games, but will discuss altering the price after next month’s international break at their next shareholders’ meeting on 5 November.