Sky Sports Ends Live Coverage of Baller League
Sky Sports has pulled the plug on its live coverage of next season’s Baller League, stepping away from the high-profile six-a-side project backed by KSI, Idris Elba and a cast of former stars including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer.
KSI’s Prime FC lifted last season’s title in front of a sold-out O2 Arena, a made-for-social-media spectacle that went out live on Sky. The numbers were strong, the online chatter relentless. Yet the broadcaster has decided not to renew its deal, with sources describing the decision as a “natural end” to the partnership rather than a reaction to performance.
Born in Germany in 2024 with the heavyweight support of World Cup winners Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski, Baller League has grown fast. What started as an experimental, influencer-driven twist on small-sided football has already morphed into a multi-territory product.
The UK edition arrived in 2025 and wasted no time borrowing credibility from the traditional game. Jens Lehmann, Micah Richards and England Lioness Chloe Kelly all took on management roles across the 12-team competition, lending the project a blend of nostalgia, personality and modern swagger. This year, the concept crossed the Atlantic, with a US tournament staged for the first time.
Baller League sits firmly inside the booming world of short-form, star-powered football. That space was cracked open in 2022 by former Spain defender Gerard Piqué, whose seven-a-side Kings League has since spread to eight countries and secured a broadcast agreement with Dazn. The model is clear: tight formats, big personalities, constant clips.
Losing Sky is a setback in the UK market, but not a blackout. The competition is already looking for a new broadcast partner after the split, and games will still be shown on YouTube regardless. The cameras will keep rolling.
The question now is who wants in on football’s fastest-growing side hustle – and how far this new breed of celebrity leagues can push into territory once owned almost entirely by the traditional game.
