Big changes.
Sky Sports will make some massive changes for next season.
According to The Guardian, the broadcaster is dropping their numbered sports channels and replacing them with themed channels based on a specific sport. Like, for example, Sky Sports F1 – the broadcaster’s channel dedicated to Formula One.
So, rather than Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, it’ll be Sky Sports Football or Sky Sports Cricket or Sky Sports Golf. Sky Sports Arena will host other sports like rugby and tennis.
The report claims that Sky are overhauling their sports channels in an attempt to combat a decline in viewership. Sky’s production is excellent, and pundits such as Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher make Monday Night Football essential viewing, but the viewing figures for Premier League games dropped by a reported 14% last season.
However, it’s not just Sky whose viewership was down. Match of the Day is rarely among the BBC’s top 10 most watched shows of the week while, in the United States, the NFL’s viewership also dropped last season, as people use different platforms to consume content
Sky will also introduce a new package next season, which will enable viewers to subscribe for as little as £18 in the UK. Sky’s cheapest package previously cost £49.50.
The details of price changes in Ireland are yet to be confirmed.
