How to watch the Premier League live

As the most watched domestic league in the world, there are always plenty of eyes on the Premier League. That’s especially true right now, with an exciting title race and close battles for the top 4 and avoiding relegation.

Leaders Man City and 2020 champions Liverpool look set to go toe-to-toe until the end of the season, as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola battle it out once again. North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are the main candidates for that crucial fourth position, with Europa League football most likely for Man Utd and West Ham.

But there’s still plenty on the line at the bottom of the table, with Burnley seeking to avoid the drop after sacking manager Sean Dyche. Everton risk dropping into the second tier for the first time in over 70 years, but Leeds currently occupy that 18th position.

TV fixtures for the 2021-22 have returned to a pre-pandemic schedule, but all the big matches are still available to watch live. Here’s everything you need to know about watching the Premier League, including if you’re based outside the UK.

What Premier League games are on TV this weekend?

There are some great fixtures to look forward to in the Premier League. Here are all the games live on UK TV this week, alongside kick-off times and the relevant channel:

Sun 15 May

• Tottenham vs Burnley – KO 12pm – BT Sport 1/Ultimate
• West Ham vs Man City – KO 2pm- Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League/Ultra HD
• Everton vs Brentford – KO 4.30pm – Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League/Ultra HD

Mon 16 May

• Newcastle vs Arsenal – KO 8pm – Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League/Ultra HD

Tue 17 May

• Southampton vs Liverpool – KO 7.45pm – Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League/Ultra HD

How to watch the Premier League on Sky Sports

You probably already know, but Sky Sports is the main place to watch the Premier League in the UK. 

Sky has its own dedicated channel for the league and you’ll find some games on the likes of Main Event and Showcase, too. Throughout the season, the broadcaster is showing a total of 128 live games.

Packages start at £46 per month for 18 months, or from £25 extra per month if you already have a Sky TV subscription. This will also provide access while out and about via Sky Go.

However, if you sign up to Sky Q with a Sky Sports package, you can also watch in HDR quality. Learn more in our separate guide: How to get HDR on Sky Q

How to watch the Premier League on Now 

If you don’t want to commit to a Sky contract and satellite dish on your house, that’s not a problem. Sky has its Now streaming service as an alternative option.

Now is available on a wide range of devices including smartphones and games consoles and now offers HD quality if you buy the Now Boost option.

A Day Pass provides 24 hours of access and costs £11.98 – this is great for one-off occasions. However, it’s going to make much more sense to get the Month Pass if you plan to watch every weekend. It’s currently available at £20 per month for three months, before returning to the usual £33.99 per month thereafter.

This offer also includes a month of free Now Boost, which adds 1080p 50fps video, removes ads and lets you stream on three devices at the same time (instead of the usual). After that, it’ll cost you an extra £5 per month.

Click here to view Now’s Sky Sports Pass packages. 

How to watch the Premier League on BT Sport

Your secondary place for Premier League action after Sky is BT Sport. This season, there are a total of 52 live games available.

There are a few options when it comes to signing up to BT Sport, firstly by combining it with BT Broadband. Put your postcode into the website to see what deals are available.

On the TV side, prices start at £16 per month for the duration of a 24-month contract. In exchange, you’ll get all the BT Sport channels and BoxNation, alongside Freeview, AMC and a recordable TV box.

You can also just use the BT Sport app (£16pm) – it works on mobile, tablet, smart TV and console – or buy the Monthly Pass for £25pm. If your device supports it, you’ll still be able to watch in up to 4K HDR quality.Sky customers can get BT Sport added from £15pm (after a three-month £7.50pm promotion).

Sky customers can get BT Sport added for £21pm. BT also offers a combined package with Sky Sports via Now, which is £40pm for 24 months.

View all of the BT Sport packages here.

How to watch the Premier League on Amazon Prime Video

Over the last couple of years, Amazon has gradually increased the amount of sport shown on its Prime Video streaming service. While tennis remains the main sport, there are 20 Premier League games available this season.

When they are (check the schedule above) you can watch via a web browser or use the Prime Video app on a wide range of devices to tune in.

If you’re already an Amazon Prime member then you have access to Prime Video included in your subscription. Otherwise, it’s a choice between £7.99 a month or £79 per year – the latter works out a bit cheaper.

New customers can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, too. Sign up via the Amazon website, although you’ll need a VPN to access with an account based outside the UK.

Can I watch the Premier League for free?

Not live, provided you’re based in the UK. The BBC has had 4 and then 8 live games in the last two pandemic-affected seasons, but that’s no longer the case with fans back in stadia for 2021-22.

It means you’ll have to be content with highlights, but there are plenty of places to catch up on the games. The obvious one is Match of the Day, the BBC’s highlights programme. It’s usually broadcast on both Saturday and Sunday evenings, as well as mid-week when there’s a full round of fixtures. It’s available live on BBC One or via BBC iPlayer, although you’ll need a TV licence.

However, if you’d rather not tune in for punditry or manager interviews, Sky Sports uploads highlights of every match (including the ones they’re not showing) to its Football YouTube channel. 

Clips are also regularly posted on Twitter, especially to @btsportfootball and @SkySportsPL.

How to watch the Premier League outside the UK

Before trying to watch UK TV from abroad, it’s worth checking which broadcaster has the rights to the Premier League where you’re based. For example, it’s NBC in the US, Optus Sport in Australia and Canal+ in France.

However, if you’re just visiting another country, accessing your UK-based subscription makes sense.

Until the end of 2020, it was pretty easy for British viewers to watch TV while outside the UK when travelling to another EEA member state. The providers had to allow customers to view content by law but Brexit means that’s no longer the case.

Now you’ll need to use a VPN (virtual private network) to set your location to the UK to unlock the content. The same applies to US viewers wanting to watch the Premier League beyond what is shown on American networks.

Our pick is NordVPN, which also tops our overall best VPN round-up due to its ease-of-use, security features and excellent value for money.

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