Sky Sports sees ratings for live Premier League matches drop by 19 per cent for the 2016-17 season
Shock plummet coincides with first season of a new rights deal, with Sky and BT Sport paying over £5bn for three years
SKY SPORTS face a desperate bid to bring viewers back after it was revealed their viewing figures for live Premier League matches fell by 19 per cent compared to last season.
The dip has coincided with the first season of the three-year, £5billion deal shared between Sky and rivals BT Sport to broadcast top-flight matches.
The shock decline comes as something as a surprise as the Premier League hosts a range of exciting prospects this season, including the managerial battle between Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
On top of that, new big name players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are strutting their stuff on Sky's screens.
Sky also launched a brand new show, Friday Night Football, hosted by Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley - adding another arrow to their already strong quiver of Monday Night Football and Super Sunday to name just two.
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Yet the ratings dropped by nearly a fifth compared to this time in the 2015-16 season - where Leicester went on to shock the world by getting their hands on the Prem title.
Of course, Sky insist there are reasons for the decline, citing the effect of the hugely popular Olympic Games in Rio - and of course illegal, online streaming.
The broadcaster also insist the best of the season is yet to come.
A Sky spokesperson said: "It is a premature comparison when several high-profile matches such as Liverpool v Manchester United have yet to air on Sky Sports.
"We have shown the top ten most-viewed Premier League games so far this season."