The 2026/27 Premier League season is set to get underway on Friday 21st August, with reigning champions Arsenal hosting newly-promoted EFL Championship winners Coventry City, who return to English football's top flight for the first time in 25 years.
While many of the matches can be watched live on television, a large number of supporters rely on radio coverage to follow games involving the clubs they support and rival teams, including fixtures that are not televised on British TV that take place on Saturdays at 3pm.
But where can you tune into in order to hear these games? GOAL gives you a full breakdown of how you can find commentary services covering all 380 Premier League fixtures over the course of the new season.
Where can I listen to Premier League games on national radio?
The Premier League has two long-term national radio commentary partners, BBC Radio and talkSPORT. The BBC has aired live Premier League commentaries since the inception of the league in 1992/93, while talkSPORT first broadcast national radio commentaries from English football's top flight in 2007/08.
The BBC primarily broadcasts its national radio Premier League commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live, with additional games being made available through its BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra-branded stations. The public service broadcaster makes its commentaries available online in the United Kingdom through BBC Sounds, with selected weekend matches being broadcast internationally through the BBC World Service.
Commercial radio network talkSPORT airs the majority of its Premier League commentaries on its eponymous flagship station, although clashing commentaries will occasionally air on talkSPORT 2 and through the talkSPORT app. All of talkSPORT's Premier League commentaries are broadcast online through its app and website. The network also produces commentaries on all 380 of the league's games through its talkSPORT International radio service for listeners accessing its app and website in a variety of countries outside of the UK.
BBC Radio 5 Live is available on 909 and 693 MW, DAB and Freeview channel 705, while the primary BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra station is on DAB and Freeview channel 706. talkSPORT can be heard on 1089 and 1053 AM, DAB and Freeview channel 723, while talkSPORT 2 is available on DAB+. You need to go online to access each network's tertiary sports radio commentary platforms.
READ MORE: Watch Premier League football
Which national radio network has commentary rights to games at specific times during a typical weekend?
The BBC and talkSPORT are entering the second season of a four-year national radio commentary rights deal with the Premier League.
BBC Radio has commentary rights to approximately 209 Premier League games per season, while talkSPORT holds rights to approximately 111 fixtures from English football's top division.
UK national radio broadcasters hold rights to games played in specific timeslots, as opposed to matches that are primarily determined by the involvement of certain teams or through an order of picks.
The BBC holds rights to fixtures that kick off at 3pm on Saturday afternoons - but just two live commentaries in this window each matchround, which typically air on Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra. It also broadcasts games kicking off at 5.30pm on Saturday afternoons, 4.30pm on Sunday afternoons and all fixtures that get underway at 2pm on Sunday afternoons.
talkSPORT broadcasts live commentaries on matches that kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoons, after 7.30pm on Saturday nights, at 12noon or after 7pm on Sundays, as well as fixtures taking place on Friday and Monday nights, plus any "displaced fixtures" that are played in midweek.
This is how the Premier League breaks down the matches each broadcaster has, and which timeslot each has commentary rights to:
Audio package | Match slots | Audio broadcaster | Approximate number of live matches |
|---|---|---|---|
Package 1 | Saturday 15:00 | BBC | 65 |
Package 2 | Saturday 12:30 | talkSPORT | 43 |
Package 3 | Saturday 17:30 | BBC | 43 |
Package 4 | Sunday 14:00 | BBC | 66 |
Package 5 | Sunday 16:30 | BBC | 35 |
Package 6 | Friday/Monday 19:30-20:00 and any displaced fixtures played midweek | talkSPORT | 68 |
What about midweek matchrounds, games played on public holidays and the final day of the season?
The Premier League has five midweek matchrounds, which this season are scheduled to take place during the weeks of Tuesday 1st December, Tuesday 29th December, Tuesday 5th January, Tuesday 9th February and Tuesday 2nd March.
National radio commentary rights to these games are bundled into three of the existing packages listed above, and entitle the broadcaster holding the rights to each midweek matchround to air commentaries on all ten games from them - which usually requires the network in question to utilise its online streaming platforms for selected fixtures.
talkSPORT has rights to the first four midweek matchrounds, while BBC Radio holds rights to the fifth midweek round, which this term takes place in March.
talkSPORT has the ability to produce commentaries on most fixtures that were originally scheduled to take place at the weekend, but are duly rescheduled to take place in midweek due to external factors such as teams' involvement in the latter rounds of the FA Cup or the League Cup final.
There is one exception: the rescheduled fixtures involving the FA Cup finalists that were due to take place during FA Cup final weekend will be broadcast by BBC Radio 5 Live.
This year, Boxing Day takes place on a Saturday afternoon, so this matchround will be treated as a standard weekend round, while the first round of games in 2027 takes place on and around Saturday 2nd January. The regular division of commentaries will apply here too.
In recent seasons, the Premier League has rarely scheduled fixtures on Good Friday or Easter Monday, as the English Football League routinely does. Therefore the Easter weekend will likely be treated as a regular weekend matchround would be in terms of its national radio commentary rights.
On the final day of the Premier League season, audio commentaries are broadcast on all ten matches between the BBC and talkSPORT, with these being made available nationally online with selected games also available on the radio.
The BBC has the first pick of the games from this round, with the matches each network covers being determined after the last fixture before the final day has taken place. Last season, BBC Radio broadcast four final-day fixtures, with talkSPORT airing commentaries on the other six.
Are any Premier League matches not available as commentaries on national radio?
Numerous games that kick off at 3pm on Saturday afternoons are not broadcast live on UK TV or UK national radio. The BBC holds national radio commentary rights to two fixtures that take place in this window each Saturday matchday - typically, its primary pick will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, with its secondary pick airing on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
This is an anomaly of the Premier League's national radio rights, given that the BBC has the ability to broadcast every top-flight fixture that kicks off at 2pm on Sunday afternoons, including secondary or tertiary games moved from the Saturday 3pm window due to teams' involvement in European matches, while between them, talkSPORT and the BBC broadcast national radio commentaries on every weeknight game and all of those played on the last day of the season.
So, football fans wanting to listen to an audio commentary on a Saturday 3pm kick-off that has not been chosen by the BBC nationally will either have to tune into BBC Local Radio or the commentary service produced by one of the clubs involved in the match they want to listen to.
READ MORE: 3pm TV blackout explained
Which local radio stations cover Premier League clubs?
Twelve BBC Local Radio stations cover the 20 teams involved in the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
BBC Radio London covers six top-flight teams; Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur; while three other stations have a pair of Premier League rivals in their catchment areas. BBC Radio Manchester covers Manchester City and Manchester United; BBC Radio Merseyside covers Everton and Liverpool; while BBC Radio Newcastle covers Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Eight more BBC Local Radio stations cover the league's other clubs. BBC Radio WM covers Aston Villa, BBC Radio Solent has AFC Bournemouth rights, BBC Radio Sussex covers Brighton & Hove Albion, BBC CWR has Coventry City commentaries, BBC Radio Humberside covers Hull City, BBC Radio Suffolk majors on Ipswich Town, BBC Radio Leeds follows Leeds United and BBC Radio Nottingham covers Nottingham Forest.
Is every Premier League game available on local radio?
Not every BBC Local Radio station has full commentary rights to each team that it covers, and some stations may balance live coverage of Premier League clubs with commentaries on other teams, such as those from the English Football League (EFL), at times when multiple matches are taking place.
Notably, BBC Radio London rarely broadcast Premier League commentaries involving Arsenal and Chelsea, while BBC Radio Manchester hasn't held commentary rights to Manchester United's Premier League games for many years now.
Exceptions would occur when these clubs play teams that their local stations have commentary rights agreements with (so, for example, you'll hear commentaries on Manchester derbies on BBC Radio Manchester, and on North London and West London derbies on BBC Radio London).
In the case of most of the BBC Local Radio stations that cover Premier League clubs - 10 of them with the exception of BBC CWR and BBC Radio Suffolk, which cover Coventry City and Ipswich Town respectively - commentaries may sometimes only be available on certain frequencies or DAB platforms due to that station's commitments to covering local teams from the EFL and other sports.
This mostly occurs when multiple local fixtures kick off at 12.30pm or 3pm on Saturday afternoons, or on busy midweek matchnights.
It's worth checking in advance to find out whether the match you want to listen to is on a BBC Local Radio station you can receive, and if so, which platform the commentary will be airing on.
Here are the frequencies and Freeview channels the 12 BBC Local Radio stations that will carry Premier League commentaries this season can be heard on.
BBC Local Radio station | Club(s) covered | Analogue radio frequency / frequencies | Freeview channel number | What happens when there is more than one commentary? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BBC CWR | Coventry City | 94.8, 103.7 & 104 FM | 711 | |
BBC Radio Humberside | Hull City | 95.6 FM | 713 | If Hull City play at the same time as one or more of Humberside's EFL or rugby league clubs, the station will split its platforms. City's games tend to air 95.6 FM in these circumstances. |
BBC Radio Leeds | Leeds United | 92.4, 95.3, 102.7 & 103.9 FM | 711 | If Leeds United play at the same time as one or more of West Yorkshire's EFL or rugby league clubs, the station will split its platforms. United's games tend to air on FM and Freeview in these circumstances. |
BBC Radio London | Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur | 94.9 FM | 713 | Live football coverage is usually only available on DAB and Freeview. |
BBC Radio Manchester | Manchester City and Manchester United | 95.1 & 104.6 FM | 711 | The station sometimes splits its platforms to air multiple commentaries, although Manchester City games are usually prioritised on FM, DAB and Freeview. |
BBC Radio Merseyside | Everton and Liverpool | 95.8 FM | 714 | If Everton and Liverpool play at the same time, commentary on the club that is playing at home is typically on DAB and Freeview, while commentary on the team that is away from home is usually on 95.8 FM. |
BBC Radio Newcastle | Newcastle United and Sunderland | 95.4, 96, 103.7 & 104.4 FM | 711 | If Newcastle United and Sunderland play at the same time, the Newcastle United commentary is typically on FM, while the Sunderland commentary is usually on DAB and Freeview. |
BBC Radio Nottingham | Nottingham Forest | 95.1, 95.5 & 103.8 FM | 712 | If Nottingham Forest play at the same time as one or both of Nottinghamshire's EFL clubs, the station will split its platforms. Forest's games tend to air DAB and Freeview in these circumstances. |
BBC Radio Solent | AFC Bournemouth | 96.1 & 103.8 FM | 714 (Hampshire) & 715 (Dorset) | If AFC Bournemouth play at the same time as one or both of Hampshire's EFL clubs, the station will split its platforms. Bournemouth's games tend to air on 103.8 FM, DAB in Dorset and Freeview channel 715 in these circumstances. |
BBC Radio Suffolk | Ipswich Town | 95.5, 95.9, 103.9 & 104.6 FM | 720 | |
BBC Radio Sussex | Brighton & Hove Albion | 95, 95.1, 95.3, 104.5 & 104.8 FM | 712 | If Brighton & Hove Albion play at the same time as EFL League Two club Crawley Town, the station will split its platforms. Albion's games tend to air on most of the station's FM frequencies, DAB and Freeview in these circumstances. |
BBC Radio WM | Aston Villa | 95.6 FM | 714 | If Aston Villa play at the same time as one or more of the West Midlands' EFL clubs, the station will split its platforms. In these circumstances, Villa's games are often on DAB in Birmingham and Freeview if they are at home, and are usually on 95.6 FM if they are away from home. |
Can I listen to BBC Local Radio's Premier League commentaries online?
It's important to note that rights restrictions mean that BBC Local Radio stations usually cannot stream their Premier League commentaries online, with the live coverage being replaced by a looped message informing listeners of this through each station's BBC Sounds feed from kick-off to the final whistle.
However, if BBC Radio holds national radio commentary rights to the game in question, some BBC Local Radio stations may be able to make their commentary on that match available online through BBC Sounds.
This is not always the case. For instance, BBC Radio WM never broadcasts its commentaries on Aston Villa's Premier League games even when BBC Radio 5 Live holds national radio commentary rights to a top-flight match involving the club.
Does my club produce a free online audio commentary service?
Each Premier League club streams audio commentaries on all 38 of its Premier League fixtures each season, plus the FA Cup and League Cup ties it is involved in, any European matches it plays and some friendlies too.
Many of these audio commentary services are freely available through the club's website and app, although some require supporters to register for a free account first in order to listen.
For those club streaming services that require a paid subscription, all offer subscribers additional benefits on top of the audio commentaries, such as being able to watch extended highlights of the club's games, full match replays and other club video content.
Here is a breakdown of the audio commentary services each of the 20 Premier League teams provide:
Club | Name of the service | Is it free? | Anything else? |
|---|---|---|---|
Arsenal | Arsenal Player | Yes | |
Aston Villa | VillaTV | Yes | Requires a registered account (called an Essential Membership) |
AFC Bournemouth | AFCBTV | Yes | Commentary from BBC Radio Solent |
Brentford | BeePlay | Yes | |
Brighton & Hove Albion | MyAlbion Play | Yes | Commentary from BBC Radio Sussex |
Chelsea | CFC+ | Yes | |
Coventry City | Sky Blues Player | No (£45 a year or £4.50 a month) | Commentary from BBC CWR |
Crystal Palace | Palace TV+ | No (£37.99 a year) | Palace TV+ is included in the club's Gold, Junior Gold, International Membership and Season Ticket+ packages |
Everton | evertontv+ | No (£34.99 a year or £3.49 a month) | Everton season ticket holders and Forever Blue+ members receive automatic access |
Fulham | FFCtv | No (£45 a year or £5 a month) | |
Hull City | Tigers Plus | No (£64.99 a year or £5.99 a month) | |
Ipswich Town | TownTV | No (£5.99 a month) | |
Leeds United | LUTV | No (£41.99 a year or £3.49 a month) | |
Liverpool | ALL RED Video | Yes | Requires a registered account (called an Essential Membership) |
Manchester City | CITY+ | No (£39.99 a year or £9.99 a month) | |
Manchester United | MUTV / Manchester United App | No (£29.99 a year) | |
Newcastle United | Newcastle United App (and website) | Yes | Requires a registered account (called an NUFC account), commentary from BBC Radio Newcastle |
Nottingham Forest | Forest TV+ | No (£44.99 a year or £5.99 a month) | Commentary from BBC Radio Nottingham |
Sunderland | SAFC Live | Yes | |
Tottenham Hotspur | Official Spurs App (and website) | Yes |
Useful links
Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton and Hove Albion | Chelsea | Coventry City | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Hull City | Ipswich Town | Leeds United | Liverpool | Manchester City | Manchester United | Newcastle United | Nottingham Forest | Sunderland | Tottenham Hotspur