Premier League TV records could be smashed FOUR TIMES this weekend amid Man United’s return

Premier League television records could be beaten as many as four times this weekend as 16 sides return to action following the coronavirus pandemic.

After Sheffield United’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa and Manchester City‘s defeat of Arsenal on Wednesday night, the remaining teams will face their first games after a three-month hiatus, with all the games until the end of the season to be televised across four platforms. 

Manchester United’s trip to Tottenham on Friday night is set to challenge the record of four million viewers as two of the ‘big six’ sides clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

Premier League TV records could be smashed with Man United’s visit to Tottenham on Friday

Sunday’s Merseyside derby will also be shown free-to-air and could threaten the record

There is growing optimism that it could break the current record because Manchester United have featured in eight of the top 10 most-viewed live games on Sky Sports.

The game comes on the same evening as Norwich face Southampton, which is set to be free-to-air on Sky Sports and could also come close to the record. 

Crystal Palace’s visit to Bournemouth will also represent a watershed moment for television coverage of the English top flight, with the match set to become the first ever live Premier League game to be shown on BBC One in Saturday’s late kick-off. 

Sky Sports’ current most watched live game is the Manchester derby in the 2011/12 season

The game is therefore expected to draw huge numbers of viewers who have been deprived of Premier League action because of its affiliation with subscription broadcasters since its inception in 1992.

Sky Sports will then return on Sunday with two huge free-to-air clashes as Newcastle face Sheffield United before Liverpool take on Merseyside rivals Everton as Jurgen Klopp’s men close in on their first Premier League title in 30 years. 

All these fixtures could also draw enormous viewing figures given that Manchester City’s defeat of Arsenal – which means Liverpool will have to wait a further week at least to lift the title – on Wednesday night came 12th in the list of the all-time Premier League games attracting the highest viewership.

At the top of the aforementioned list is Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over rivals Manchester United in April 2012, as an average of 4.05m viewers saw Vincent Kompany’s header decide the match, while the game saw a peak of 4.30m people.

Liverpool’s drama-filled victory over Manchester United in January this year comes second in the list with 3.48m and a peak of 3.92 viewers, while Arsenal’s enthralling 2-2 draw with title rivals Manchester United in April 2003 drew the third highest viewership with an average of 3.43m viewers and a peak of a 3.80m.

Along with their victory at the beginning of 2020, two more of Liverpool’s top-flight fixtures from the current campaign feature in the list, with the 3-1 victory over Manchester City in November attracting 3.36m viewers on average and a peak of 3.66m, while the Reds’ draw at Old Trafford a month beforehand drew an average viewership of 3.28m and a peak of 3.63m.

Two other previous clashes between Arsenal and Manchester United – notably from the 2004/5 and 2011/12 seasons – also feature in the top 10, as do the Red Devils’ trips to Chelsea and Tottenham in February 2012 and January 2011 respectively.

Mo Salah scored in Liverpool’s victory over Man United in January which sits second in the list

Arsenal’s enthralling 2-2 draw with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 2003 is third

Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in February 2011 completes the list of the best viewed live Premier League games. 

Sky Sports records its viewing figures on whistle-to-whistle average, as opposed to the programme average which takes all pre-and post-match programming into account. 

While the top 10 list is exclusively games shown on Sky, it is believed that other games shown on rival broadcasters such as BT and Amazon have not attracted high enough fixtures to break into the top 10.

Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Manchester City in October 2019 also features high on the list

Sky Sports is showing 100 live games over six weeks in the Premier League and EFL.