Although 77.2% of Maltese adults follow international football, only 56.7% said they follow Maltese football. This emerged from a survey commissioned by the Malta Premier League and carried out by Sagalytics earlier this month.
Among those who support and follow local football, Valletta and Hamrun Spartans have the largest fan base with 19% each, followed by Floriana, Hibernians, Birkirkara, Sliema Wanderers and others.
As expected, TV is by far the most common way people follow the league well ahead of stadium attendance, social media, streaming or newspapers.
TV viewership of play-offs is significantly higher than stadium attendance, online streaming, newspapers and websites while a large share of the population in general do not follow the league at all.
There is a strong positive perception of brand improvement of the Malta Premier, especially among those who follow Maltese football. In fact, 57.0% believe the brand has improved while only 5.6% feel it has worsened.
With regards to the format, there are mixed feelings. For people who follow Maltese football, under 5% are very satisfied, over 30% are satisfied, over 35% are neutral, 25% are not satisfied and 10% are not satisfied at all.
Across all groups, the average rating 2.8/5 is near the neutral midpoint.
Satisfaction with the current format is therefore relatively balanced. Results sit close to the midpoint of the scale, with no strong lean toward either satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Uncertainty until the end and matches between similar-level teams are most valued. In fact, the features supporters like most:
• More matches between teams of a similar level (37–38%)
• The uncertainty until the end (37–38%)
• The play-offs (24–27%)
With regards to football in Malta, funding is the top concern. Other issues which were identified were:
• Funding – 43%
• Quality of Maltese players – 29%
• Quality of foreign players – 26%
• Low attendance – 14%
• Lack of suitable stadium – 14%
• League format – 11%
Meanwhile three clear priorities about the league emerged:
1. More local players and youth development
2. Stability and clarity in the league format
3. Better conditions for watching and playing