The final list of Live TV appearances by all Premier League clubs makes interesting reading.
As always, the nationwide neutral voyeurs found the latest circus at St James Park essential viewing for much of the season.
In total, Newcastle featured in 16 Premier League matches on live TV.
This puts them eighth on the list behind many of the usual suspects, though remarkably Newcastle were on live TV more times than champions Leicester City!
United’s total would undoubtedly have been higher if Sky and BT hadn’t written off Newcastle as no-hopers ahead of the last couple of months of fixtures.
Relegation seemed nailed on and even Rafa Benitez looked powerless to stop it in his first four matches, before then belatedly putting together a five match unbeaten run which offered belated hope of survival but this was after the late season TV fixtures had been announced.
Newcastle had 15 live TV games out of their first 30 matches, every other one screened live, whereas in the final eight games only the rearranged midweek home game against Manchester City made it onto the live TV screens.
No doubt next season Newcastle United will be very ‘popular’ when it comes to live TV appearances but for those who have become used to seeing every game on foreign channel streams in pubs/clubs or via the internet at home, they may find it difficult picking up games against Rotherham, Burton and the rest unless Sky select them.
There are also highlights shown on Channel 5 until 2018, whilst Sky have the rights to show 50 Championship matches live per season.
Premier League matches shown on live TV 2015-16 season:
27 Arsenal
26 Man Utd
25 Man City
23 Liverpool
22 Chelsea
21 Spurs
18 Everton
16 Newcastle
15 Leicester
15 West Ham
13 Sunderland
12 Southampton
11 Aston Villa
10 Swansea
10 West Brom
10 Crystal Palace
9 Stoke
9 Norwich
8 Watford
8 Bournemouth
