Over eight million tuned into five live games

Liverpool FC Anfield Premier League football Champions League Extreme Networks

Sky Sports drew a record eight million plus to the opening Premier League weekend, the most it ever has.

Audiences were up 40% on last season, with Sky Sports airing Manchester City’s win at Burnley on Friday evening, followed Newcastle United’s victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, Brentford and Tottenham’s as well as Chelsea and Liverpool’s draws on Sunday, and finally Manchester United’s win over Wolves on Monday night.

Last year’s opening weekend saw Sky Sports only air four games - Crystal Palace v Arsenal, Everton v Chelsea, Manchester United v Brighton, and West Ham United v Manchester City, and there was no Monday Night Football.

Monday night also saw the debut of the new studio for Sky Sports’ flagship Monday Night Football programme, which you can read more about here.

Of the over eight million viewers on TVs in private households, 2.5 million were under 35-years-old and 2.9 million were women - an increase of 50% on last year.

Away from live content, Sky Sports also launched Scenes this week, a social-first docuseries going behind-the-scenes at Premier League matchdays with creators and guest stars from sport, music, and film.