Premier League return draws big for Sky Sports
June 19, 2020
The return of the Premier League predictably drew a big TV audience for Sky Sports on June 17th, as top flight football returned following a 100 day hiatus enforced by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over Arsenal proved the most-watched Premier League match in more than three years with a peak audience of 3.4 million viewers. It also became the most-viewed ever match on Sky Sports not featuring Manchester United or Liverpool.
Aston Villa’s goalless draw with Sheffield United earlier the same evening pulled in 2.7 million viewers
The Manchester derby in April 2012 remains the most-watched Premier League game in history, with a peak audience of 4 million – but that record is expected to be crushed this weekend when Bournemouth play Crystal Palace live on BBC One. The fixture will be the first ever Premier League game on free-to-air TV in the league’s 30 year history.