The Premier League is set to shake up the football broadcasting landscape by launching its own direct streaming service in Asia, a move that could have far-reaching implications for the industry’s future.

Singapore will be the pioneering market to experience this new direct-to-consumer service, known as Premier League Plus, starting next season. This initiative will bypass traditional broadcasting partners, offering fans direct access to matches.

This development signals a significant shift in broadcasting strategy. Should a similar model be introduced in the UK, it could pose a substantial challenge to current rights holders like Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Fans are eagerly awaiting details on the service’s pricing, especially given the rising costs associated with subscribing to multiple sports networks.

As of 2027, UK football enthusiasts might find themselves spending around £1,350 annually to access all the Premier League and Champions League action across various broadcasters.

The Premier League is launching a direct-to-consumer streaming platform next season

Singapore will become the first country to experience the platform, skipping the need for traditional broadcasters

“For the first time, we’re going direct-to-consumer in Singapore,” announced Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, during the Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit held in London.

‘It’s a very long, considered process, carefully chosen. We have a six-year agreement with StarHub, one of the two providers out there.

‘So from next season onwards, Premier League Plus – rather than Premflix – finally, it’s going to happen.

‘It will be a new app that you can download on your smart TV or laptop. You’ll be able to watch 380 games a season, with lots of shoulder content and a 24/7 dedicated channel. 

‘Will it be replicable elsewhere? That’s what we’re going to find out.’

Masters first admitted in 2020 that the Premier League were working on a Netflix-style digital streaming channel dubbed ‘PremFlix’, selling live games direct to fans. 

The expectation is that a single streaming service would be more affordable for fans than the full gamut of broadcast subscriptions.

It feels inevitable that if the model is a success in Singapore, then the Premier League will look at rolling out Premier League Plus more widely; Masters admitted last year that the football broadcasting world must change.

But selling the rights market-by-market to different broadcasters around the world has been an incredibly gainful enterprise for the league. 

The domestic rights deal between 2025 and 2029 with Sky Sports and TNT Sports is valued at £6.7billion.

Keep in mind that Sky and TNT also take care of their own marketing, production costs, and dealing with customers, all factors which are expensive. 

Fans in the United Kingdom will be paying around £1,350 if they want access to every broadcaster from 2027

The Premier League’s chief executive Richard Masters hinted that if could be rolled out further if it proves a success in Singapore

The Premier League will have to take on those responsibilities in Singapore alongside StarHub, a telecommunications provider. 

Sky Sports and TNT Sports have also built up years of broadcasting expertise, rapport between talent, and an ability to effectively market their work, which has helped the Premier League boom in popularity. 

Running their own broadcasts in-house would be a major risk for the Premier League, and there are also questions about how they would achieve impartial, rigorous journalistic output.

For example, would the Premier League be willing to air a critical discussion about clubs’ owners in the way that a traditional broadcaster might? 

Most major leagues work with external broadcasters but in the summer, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 went onto a subscription channel after their overseeing body, the LFP, failed to secure a rights deal.

That came after several seasons of declining interest and collapsing income, ending with a five-year deal with DAZN being terminated after one campaign.

The instability has led to financial problems among many top-flight clubs, but the LFP’s Ligue 1+ service has seen initial success, gaining 1.1million subscribers. Eighty per cent of those have paying commitments. 

However, they are targeting an additional million subscribers by the end of the 2028-29 campaign to meet clubs’ financial needs.