Over A Quarter Of Premier League Fans In The UK Find It Extremely Difficult To Get Their Hands On Live Match Tickets This Season

• 53% prefer to watch their football team on TV rather than in the stadium as their TV set up provides a similar or better match day experience at home

• 79% agree that having more live women’s football matches shown on TV will be key in helping to inspire a new generation of football fans and footballers

• Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K and 4K TVs and Q Series soundbars offer a unique and unparalleled way for fans to enjoy the match day experience from home

LONDON, UK – 30 August 2022 – With the new Premier League season now in full swing, new research from Samsung Electronics UK has revealed the increasing difficulty that Premier League fans are facing when wanting to follow their team live in the stadium for this season, especially as teams raise the cost of tickets for their most loyal fans ^[1].

28% of fans currently find it extremely difficult to purchase live match tickets for their favourite team whilst 44% prefer to watch the team they support on TV as opposed to in the stadium as the cost of making the journey to and from the stadium is too high.

Although there is still appetite for fans to watch their teams live in the stadium, 53% prefer to watch the team they support on TV rather than live in person as their TV provides a similar or better ­­­match day experience at home.

Reasons include that it is more comfortable watching their team from home (43%), the stunning and sharp picture quality on the TV (28%) and that they feel closer to the action at home. 28% felt that watching their team in the stadium isn’t a viable option unless they are a season ticket holder or have been a club member for a long period of time, whilst 18% enjoy the extraordinary sound quality on their TV when watching a live football match.

Following on from the Lionesses stunning victory at Euro 2022 and a record television audience of 17.4 million tuning in, just under two thirds (63%) would like to see more live women’s football being aired on the TV as it offers the same excitement as their male counterparts. Over three quarters (79%) felt that having more live women’s matches on TV will be key in helping to inspire a new generation of female fans and footballers.

As anticipation builds up for the World Cup later this year, fans are looking to enhance their match viewing experience with over a third (36%) stating they plan to upgrade or buy a new TV, whilst 37% will upgrade/purchase a new soundbar. This comes as 60% of fans agree that having a good TV and TV/sound set up is crucial for them to enjoy watching the game.

Dan Hastings, VP, TV/AV, Samsung Electronics commented: “Although fans are finding it harder than usual to obtain match tickets for their beloved clubs, many feel that their TVs can still provide them with a fantastic match day experience at home. Our premium TV and soundbar ranges are packed with incredible tech such as Quantum Matrix Technology Pro and Q-Symphony that allow fans to get closer to the action and ensure they can still follow the highs and lows of their teams each matchday in stunning picture and sound quality.”

Fans can watch their team this season in incredible picture quality and sound on Samsung’s premium TV range, including Neo QLED 8K, 4Ks, and QD-OLED TVs. With Quantum Matrix Technology Pro and a Neural Quantum Processor 8K on the Neo QLED 8Ks, football lovers will still feel part of the action. Fans can also take their audiovisual experience to a whole new level of immersion with Samsung’s Q series soundbars and exclusive Q-Symphony^[2]feature – delivering amazing surround sound without a complicated set-up.

For more information on Samsung TV & AV range, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/tvs/

Research conducted on behalf of Samsung of 2,010 Premier League fans aged 18+ by Opinion matters between 8th– 15th August 2022.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-30/season-ticket-price-list-2022-23-most-premier-league-matches-cost-more-to-see

[2] Q-Symphony is available only with a compatible soundbar. Check for Q-Symphony compatibility on soundbar product specifications