TNT Sports has announced a significant shift in how it will present its Premier League coverage this season, confirming that the first half-hour of its broadcasts will be made available for free on YouTube. The change begins this weekend with Manchester United's away trip to Hull.
The broadcaster's pre-match programme, EKO (Early Kick Off), will be accessible without a subscription for the first time, airing simultaneously on YouTube, TNT Sports and the HBO Max streaming platform. The show is set to begin at 11am ahead of Saturday's early fixtures, giving fans free access to build-up content before the paywall kicks in for the match itself.
EKO will be hosted by either Liam MacDevitt or Olivia Buzaglo and will include confirmed team news, which is traditionally released 75 minutes before kick-off, along with analysis from TNT's roster of pundits, including former England internationals Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole. The Saturday lunchtime matches themselves will continue to kick off at 12.30pm exclusively on TNT and HBO Max once the free window ends.
Perhaps the more notable change is that EKO will no longer be limited to Saturday lunchtime fixtures alone. Previously confined to the early Saturday slot last season, the programme will now precede every one of TNT's live Premier League matches throughout the campaign. This means that for a Saturday evening 8pm kick-off, viewers can expect EKO coverage to start at 6.30pm, extending the broadcaster's pre-match presence across the weekend's full schedule.
The format itself is also evolving. Rather than focusing solely on the upcoming fixture, EKO will adopt a broader, magazine-style approach, touching on wider storylines from around the football world such as transfer news and the impact of new signings. The intention behind this shift is to draw in a wider audience beyond TNT's existing subscriber base.
Scott Young, an executive vice-president at parent company Warner Bros Discovery Europe, explained the thinking behind the move. "TNT's coverage is evolving and this will help us reach more football fans earlier in the day," Young said. He added that while the broadcaster continues to benefit from a strong subscriber base, extending its reach beyond paying customers remains a priority. "We have a large number of loyal subscribers, but it's also important to reach fans off-platform. I think everyone is really looking forward to the return of the Premier League, especially after the excitement generated by the World Cup."
The decision to open up part of its coverage for free comes amid growing competition among broadcasters to capture football audiences who may otherwise turn to highlights, social media clips or rival platforms for pre-match content. By offering a taste of its production values and pundit discussion without charge, TNT appears to be betting that increased visibility will help convert casual viewers into paying subscribers over time.
With the new season generating heightened anticipation following the recent World Cup, TNT's strategy reflects a broader industry trend of blending free and premium content to maximise engagement. Fans tuning in to Manchester United's visit to Hull this weekend will be among the first to experience the revamped format, as TNT looks to make its pre-match build-up a bigger part of the matchday experience for a wider audience than ever before.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.