SKY SPORTS IS reportedly planning a major shake-up as it attempts to battle declining viewership figures.

According to The Guardian, the Rupert Murdoch-owned subscription network will scrap Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and replace them with channels that cater for specific sports.

There will be two stations dedicated solely to football and one each for golf and cricket, which join the already existing Formula One channel. Sky Sports Arena will then show other sports such as rugby and tennis.

The revamp will also see a restructuring of their subscription packages and The Guardian are reporting that the cheapest deal for UK customers could be as low as £18 per month.

Irish viewers currently pay €40 per month but it’s unclear how prices will be affected on this side of the water.

While the cost of buying TV rights for the Premier League is at an all-time of £5.14 billion — split between Sky and BT Sports — the number of people watching matches has been in decline in recent years.

Many have been moving away from paying for sports channels in favour of illegal streams, while non-sports services such as Netflix and Amazon have also become extremely popular.

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