The Premier League have provided some key updates ahead of the 2025-26 season for Newcastle United and co.
Maintaining affordable away ticket pricing will be welcomed by the Toon Army. Sunderland supporters preparing for their first Premier League tour in almost a decade will also be boosted by the away ticket price cap, given there was no price cap in the Championship and away tickets sometimes exceeded the £30 mark.
Next season, Newcastle and Sunderland will play each other in a top flight match for the first time since 2016. The sides met in the FA Cup third round in 2024 at the Stadium of Light with Newcastle claiming a 3-0 win in front of 6,000 travelling supporters.
Premier League statement confirms ticket decision
On Tuesday, Premier League clubs voted to extend the £30 price cap for away tickets. There is currently no price cap for home tickets.
A statement read: “Premier League clubs today unanimously agreed to extend the current £30 cap on away ticket prices.
“This will be the 10th season the £30 cap has been in place. Since its introduction in 2016, attendance at away games has increased from 82 per cent to 91 per cent.
“The Premier League and clubs recognise the additional costs associated with fans following their team during the season, and the incredible atmospheres they create at matches.
“A Fan Engagement Standard was launched in 2023 to reinforce Premier League clubs' commitment to ensuring long-term meaningful engagement with supporters.
“The cumulative away attendance for the 380 matches during the 2024-25 Premier League season was 953,420.”
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Premier League to introduce new ball for the 2025-26 season
One small but significant change coming to the Premier League next season will see the introduction of a new match ball. For the first time, PUMA have partnered with the Premier League to produce the match ball, ending a 25-year partnership with Nike.
A Premier League statement read: “The PUMA Orbita Ultimate PL, the official match ball of the 2025-26 Premier League season, is here.
“The new ball will make its first official appearance this July in the Premier League Summer Series in the USA, offering a global audience a first look at the ball that will be used in the world’s most-watched league next season, which kicks off on the weekend of 16 August.”
Puma also make the match balls for the Carabao Cup, the same ball that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta complained about following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium back in January.
Arteta claimed the ball is ‘different’ with players finding it harder to control shots compared to Nike’s Premier League ball.
“We kicked a lot of the balls over the bar and it's tricky that this ball flies a lot,” Arteta said after the match. “We discussed that as well, so there are details that we can do better."
"It's just different, it's just very different to the Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies different. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that.”
But that didn’t seem to do Newcastle much harm as they went on to win the Carabao Cup, scoring 13 goals and ending a 70-year domestic trophy drought in the process.
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