Most Bet-On Premier League Teams: What Drives Betting Demand?
Most Bet-On Premier League Teams: What Drives Betting Demand?
The Premier League gives sportsbooks access to a massive global football audience, numbering in the billions. However, betting interest is not distributed evenly across clubs. Some teams and fixtures generate far more wagering activity than others. This article explores the research and data behind what fuels betting demand in the Premier League, focusing on fanbase size, recent success, television exposure, and marquee matches.
Key Findings
No public dataset ranks betting volume across all Premier League clubs, so operator-supplied market share is the closest available proxy. A bet365 snapshot from 19 August 2026 placed Manchester United at the top of UK title singles with 17.01%, followed closely by Chelsea at 16.65%. Fanbase size sustains demand independently of results: Manchester United attracted 14.9% of Betfair’s 2025/26 title bets despite finishing 15th the previous season. Recent success still shifts market share, with Arsenal reaching 34.4% of bet365’s 2026/27 title bets after winning the 2025/26 season. Fixture importance and TV exposure drive turnover more reliably than club popularity alone, with title clashes outperforming relegation matches.
Which Premier League Teams Attract the Most Betting Interest?
There is no single authoritative ranking of the most bet-on Premier League teams, because no public dataset compares betting across all clubs consistently. One useful snapshot comes from bet365’s data on 19 August 2026, showing the share of UK single bets on the 2026/27 Premier League winner market:
| Team | Share of UK Title Singles |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | 17.01% |
| Chelsea | 16.65% |
| Tottenham | 11.98% |
| Arsenal | 10.34% |
| Liverpool | 7.88% |
| Coventry City | 6.37% |
In this ranking, Manchester United accounted for 17.0% of bets, followed by Chelsea (16.7%), and then Tottenham (12%) at a clearer distance.
Why the Biggest Premier League Clubs Drive Betting Demand
Fanbase Size Drives Consistent Interest
A large fanbase gives sportsbooks a bigger pool of potential customers. More supporters mean more people following results and watching matches, creating more opportunities for betting interest. YouGov data shows the scale of support for the most popular Premier League clubs. Surveying British adults who described themselves as at least somewhat interested in the Premier League (allowing multiple selections), the best-supported teams were:
- Manchester United: 19%
- Liverpool: 17%
- Arsenal: 10%
- Chelsea and Tottenham: 8% each
These figures reflect the potential audience size, not actual betting volumes. However, Betfair data offers a clear example of how fan support carries over into betting demand. Manchester United finished 15th in 2024/25 without winning a trophy, yet still attracted 14.9% of bets to win the 2025/26 Premier League. Only Liverpool and Arsenal received a larger share.
Steve Freeth, football trading expert at bet365, confirmed that this interest in major clubs extends to individual matches. He told European Gaming that the traditional ‘Big 6’ remain popular with bet365 customers regardless of league position: “Manchester United, for instance, featured in six of our top 20 most popular Premier League matches last season. We have also seen a noticeable upturn in Arsenal’s popularity, with the Gunners appearing nine times in our top 20 highest-turnover games.”
Does Winning Increase Betting Interest?
The evidence above shows that major clubs can sustain betting interest even when their league position is weak. But recent success can still significantly shift demand. Arsenal is a prime example. After winning the 2025/26 Premier League, they attracted 34.4% of bet365 bets on the 2026/27 title by 27 July 2026. Manchester City followed with 23.4%, and Manchester United had 13.8%.
Liverpool offers another case. After winning the 2024/25 Premier League, they led Betfair’s early 2025/26 market with 20.2% of bets, just ahead of Arsenal at 20.1%. Together, these examples suggest that recent success amplifies betting interest, but exposure also plays a critical role.
How TV Audiences Influence Premier League Betting
Television gives sportsbooks access to a vast audience during live matches. In 2024/25, 1.45 billion people worldwide watched live Premier League football. In the UK alone, 33.9 million people watched live matches or the BBC’s Match of the Day highlights, equivalent to 55% of the total UK TV audience for that season.
For sportsbooks, the value lies in reaching bettors while they are already watching football. Research suggests that gambling advertising around live coverage can affect betting behavior. However, these headline figures need careful interpretation, since only part of any audience sits in a sportsbook’s licensed markets — the same challenge operators face when measuring sponsorship value.
A 2026 study followed 365 male football bettors in England during the 2022 World Cup. It found that betting was more common during matches shown on ITV (which carried gambling advertising) than during matches on the BBC (which did not). Betting frequency was 16%–24% higher during matches with gambling advertising, and participants were 22%–33% more likely to place a bet during those matches. This indicates that live TV, combined with advertising, can boost betting activity.
What Makes Some EPL Fixtures Attract More Betting Interest?
Betting interest around EPL fixtures varies depending on match context. Research using Betfair data on Premier League betting from 2009/10 to 2015/16 identified several factors linked to higher betting activity:
- Stronger teams: More money was wagered when both clubs were higher in the league table and had higher market values.
- Stage of the season: Betting increased toward the end of the season, when matches could affect the title race, European qualification, or relegation.
- Uncertainty of result: Bettors placed more bets and money on matches where one team had a stronger chance of winning.
- Number of competing matches: Betting tended to be higher when fewer major fixtures were competing for attention.
More recent bet365 data supports these findings. Freeth told European Gaming: “High-profile title clashes remain king, with the two fixtures between Arsenal and Manchester City last season serving as the prime example. Conversely, relegation battles between less fashionable sides typically generate significantly lower turnover.”
What Premier League Team Popularity Means for Sportsbooks
Differences in team popularity affect how sportsbooks plan and promote their betting products. Club and fixture popularity can influence several operational areas:
- Customer acquisition: Popular teams and high-interest matches provide more opportunities to attract new customers, especially at the start of the season or during major football events.
- Betting turnover: Greater interest leads to higher overall wagering activity.
- Market depth: Sportsbooks may offer more betting options for matches expected to attract significant attention.
- Player props and bet builders: Interest in individual players increases demand for markets tied to goals or other events, while bet builders allow customers to combine multiple selections in one bet.
- In-play betting: Matches with strong interest create more opportunities for live betting during the game.
- Promotions and campaigns: Operators can target promotions toward teams, players, or fixtures likely to generate higher engagement.
The Premier League’s international reach also gives sportsbooks access to fans across many markets. While club preferences might vary by country, bet365’s experience suggests the most popular teams attract similar levels of interest globally. Freeth told European Gaming: “There are no significant differences [between the Premier League teams favoured by bet365 customers in different countries]. The appeal of the Premier League ensures that the most popular teams remain consistent across our global brand.”
The Bottom Line
Premier League betting demand cannot be judged by league position alone. Fan interest and visibility create a large potential audience, and that audience remains robust even when a club underperforms. Recent performance can shift where interest concentrates, but fixture importance and television exposure are also powerful drivers. Operators must therefore analyze real customer behavior rather than relying solely on club popularity to guide their strategies.
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