How much do Arsenal fans pay to watch Premier League on TV around the world
A recent study outlines the shocking disparity in cost for gunners fans in different countries
It’s been a sensational first half of the season for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side mount an unexpected but increasingly credible challenge to win a first Premier League title since the historic Invincibles season of 2003/04.
Fans from around the world are more passionate about the team than they have been in years, with an already global fanbase growing every week, but how much are these supporters paying to follow their club on TV or via live streaming.
A recent study put out by Sporticos has shone considerable light on the true cost of being a global Arsenal fan in 2023. We dove head first into the data and here are some of the more interesting conclusions we found.
British fans paying through the nose
Understandably, one of the most expensive places in the world to watch the Premier League is its home market of the UK. Brits must pay upwards of £600 a year to follow every Premier League game available on TV, across three platforms – Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime Video. What’s more, they don’t even get to watch every match.
Because of the infamous 3pm blackout, which restricts the broadcast of football matches in the UK between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays, Premier League fans in the UK only get access to around half the fixtures that their foreign counterparts enjoy.
The Premier League Price Index shows that fans in Canada, for example, can spend around £120 a year to live streaming service Fubo TV, which makes every single match of the season available to choose from. It’s a similar story in Australia, where Arsenal fans can pay around £115 a year to Optus Sports.
The situation in most countries sees gunners fans subscribe to just one online platform or linear broadcaster and access every game, while in the UK supporters must buy memberships to three different providers and get half the matches.
With stadium tickets at the Emirates famously expensive, British fans are also paying through the nose to keep an eye on proceedings from their sofas.
However, the UK isn’t the most expensive place on the list. That distinction goes to Norway, where Arsenal fans need to pay £6 more than they do in Britain to Viaplay over 10 monthly subscriptions to enjoy the full Premier League season. The Nordic streaming service is also charging Danish fans £536 a year.
The other end of the spectrum
It’s not all doom and gloom for Arsenal fans around the world. Both India and Mexico, countries where the club enjoys huge social media followings, have very low cost offerings.
It is important to take into account differences in average salary, cost of living and overall quality of life when making such comparisons, but it is still staggering to see that fans in India can watch every single game of the Premier League season for under £10 a year, with Mexican fans paying £34.
Some of the other cheapest places to watch Arsenal on TV and via live stream are China, where fans can watch for £38 a year, and Turkey, where gunners can pay just £16 a year to follow on beIN Sports.
The world is watching
With audiences for the Premier League on the rise every year and the global fanbase never bigger, Arsenal are well and truly on the world stage. Fans from all around the globe are clamouring to get to TV screens to watch their beloved gunners every week as they push for what would be a monumental achievement in winning the title for the first time in almost 20 years.
Mikel Arteta’s team show no signs of slowing down, but there is still so much football left to be played. Anything could happen in the second half of the season but Arsenal fans around the world will rightly be optimistic about their chances.
Gunners Town is a premier Arsenal blogging platform for passionate and knowledgeable Gooners. Established in 2012, the site has garnered over 5 million views.
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