Sky Sports

It is perhaps most famous for ushering in the Premier League era in 1992, but while still showing a huge number of Premier League games each season, it is also the home of several other high-profile football competitions.

Which football competitions does Sky Sports show?

The jewel in the crown of Sky Sports is of course the English Premier League. It has the rights to broadcast live EPL matches every weekend and this alone is a big reason why millions of British consumers sign up for Sky Sports.

Alongside the Premier League, Sky Sports has also signed a groundbreaking new deal with the English Football League (EFL) which will allow it to air a minimum of 20 matches from all 92 clubs throughout the three tiers. This covers the Championship, League One and League Two. On top of those regular matches, it also broadcasts all 15 play-off semi-finals and finals from the three tiers of the Football League each season.

Sky Sports’ cooperation with the EFL extends beyond its domestic leagues and into its domestic cups. Sky shows live matches from the EFL Cup (known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons), including the semi-finals and final. It also brings the semi-finals and final of the EFL Trophy, the secondary EFL domestic cup, to its viewers.

Sky Sports customers in the UK can also watch Scottish Premiership matches on the service, as well as fixtures from the German Bundesliga.

The best TV packages to get Sky Sports

There are many different subscription packages for Sky Sports, with monthly prices varying depending on the quality of the package. 

NOW’s Sports Membership is currently the cheapest way to access all Sky Sports channels and in turn, all the football they offer. The no-contract, cancel-anytime deal costs £34.99 a month, meaning you don’t need a Sky internet or TV subscription to enjoy the action. 

Of course, you can pick up one of the many Sky Sports subscriptions on offer. However, traditional Sky subscriptions require you to sign up for an extended period, leaving you tied down to a contract, and often involve you bundling your sports channels with other channels you might not want and/or broadband.

Therefore, the absolute cheapest and best package available for watching Sky Sports in the UK is a subscription to the live-streaming platform NOW.

Best Sky Sports Live Streaming Options in the UK 

In addition to watching football on Sky Sports on linear TV, fans in the UK can enjoy football live streams on their favourite mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. 

Sky Sports customers can use the Sky Go app, or those accessing the network through NOW can enjoy all the action on the NOW app or website.

Can You Watch Sky Sports Using a VPN?

Fans from around the world who are not able to subscribe to Sky Sports, simply because they do not reside in the UK, could consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access Sky Sports live streams, which may be a cheaper option than the ones they have at home.

Assuming you have checked the rules and regulations regarding VPNs where you are, and done your due diligence regarding the best VPN to go with, there’s little stopping you from accessing Sky Sports live streams.

Of course, you would need to subscribe to Sky Sports and purchase a VPN, but that combined cost could work out better than what you pay for your football TV options where you are.

Best Sky Sports Pundits and Commentators

Sky Sports is lucky to have a lot of talented football broadcasters among its ranks, including some of the most sought-after presenters and hosts in the game, but it’s in the area of commentators and pundits where it really excels.

Veteran lead commentator Peter Drury and a host of other elite football broadcasters cover the Premier League, EFL Cup and England national league games for the giant, to the joy of millions of football fans tuning in.

Alongside them is usually one of Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher, two of the most high-profile and loved football pundits/co-commentators in the country.

Nev and Carra are also regularly found in the studio offering pre and post-match analysis as pundits, where they often interact with the likes of Roy Keane, Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp, who are also among the most well-known and much-loved pundits around.

Among the other excellent voices in the booth, Alan Smith stands out in particular. Having spent decades working for Sky Sports on their football coverage, and serving for years as one of the voices of the FIFA videogame franchise, Smith is another household name on the staff.

Pros and Cons of Sky Sports

Sky Sports has long been an icon in the football broadcasting arena and continues to be a fan-favourite among consumers. This is for several reasons.

It covers more Premier League games than anyone else - that’s crucial. On top of that, it has its own dedicated 24-hour sports news channel, Sky Sports News, which still remains hugely popular and a unique selling point for the brand. It can boast some of the biggest names in the world of football commentary and pundits.

The only real downside for Sky Sports these days is that it is rather left out in the cold when it comes to UEFA competitions. With arch-rival TNT Sports being the exclusive home of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, those big European nights under the lights are lacking in Sky’s football offering.

FAQ: How to watch Sky Sports

Q. How can I watch Sky Sports on my TV?
A. You can watch Sky Sports on your TV in several ways. You can purchase a Sky Sports subscription, enabling you to watch its network of linear TV channels or, if you have a smart TV, you can use the Sky Go app to live stream those channels on your TV, or do the same thing via NOW. Alternatively, you can purchase Sky Glass to watch Sky Sports live streams on your TV.

Q. What is the cheapest way to get Sky Sports?
A. NOW’s £34.99 a month, cancel-anytime subscription is the cheapest way to access every Sky Sports channel. However, if you are an existing broadband customer of Sky or Virgin Media, you might find better deals with them by bundling sports in with your existing subscription.

Q. Can you get Sky Sports on Amazon?
A. No. Sky Sports is not available on Amazon Prime Video. They do have deals with other broadcasters, like TNT Sports and Premier Sports, but they have no such agreement with Sky.

Q. How can I get Sky Sports without having Sky?
A. One thing which often puts fans off of getting Sky Sports is the fear that they will need to tie themselves into a long, bloated contract full of content and services they don’t want, from Sky, BT, Virgin or other giant media companies. However, this is not necessary. Football fans can get all the Sky Sports they want without joining Sky itself by purchasing a monthly subscription to the live streaming service NOW.

Q. How to watch Sky Sports Premier League?
A. The Sky Sports Premier League channel can be accessed on channel 402 on Sky TV or via live streaming on the Sky Sports Mobile app, Sky Go or alternatively on streaming platform Now.

Q. Is there a free app for Sky Sports?
A. Yes, but it doesn’t have any of the Sky Sports channels on it. The Sky Sports app is more of a general resource for looking at results, and tables and reading news. In terms of a free app offering live streaming of Sky Sports channels, this in itself doesn’t exist.