Premier League streaming platform to cost less than half what UK fans pay
The Premier League has released pricing for its first ever streaming platform, which will show every single game next season when it launches in Singapore.
Premier League + will be available via a dedicated app, with access priced at S$16 (£9.31) for 24 hours, S$44 (£25.62) for a monthly rolling contract, and S$399 (£232.39) for 12 months.
The streaming service will show all 380 games in the English top flight, FA Cup matches and the Community Shield as well as shoulder content, live and on-demand.
It costs UK-based football fans £66 for month-by-month access to all the available live Premier League games – currently around 270 of the 380 – via Sky Sports and TNT Sports, although that price can be reduced on longer contracts and specific bundles.
Premier League + is the competition’s first direct-to-consumer broadcast offering and follows years of speculation that it might make the move.
It will only be available in Singapore initially but, if successful, could be rolled it out in more territories, although the technological and cost burden would make that a significant undertaking.
Will Premier League + be available in UK?
At the very least, Premier League + is useful leverage for negotiating better media rights deals in certain territories where there may be a lack of competition between broadcasters.
In the UK, the Premier League is not thought likely to switch from its reliance on Sky and TNT, who pay combined fees of around £1.7bn per season and invest heavily in production and marketing of their coverage, any time soon.
“This is the first time the Premier League has launched a direct-to-fans streaming service anywhere in the world, and we are excited to provide supporters in Singapore with additional choice and new ways to experience the best league in the world,” said chief media officer Paul Molnar.
“Premier League + will give fans more flexibility in how they watch, with enhanced features that br ing them closer to the action, while complementing the outstanding service already provided by our valued long-term partner StarHub.”
Announcing the move earlier this year, chief executive Richard Masters said: “For the first time, we’re going direct-to-consumer in Singapore. 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 + – rather than Premflix – finally, it’s going to happen.
“Its the first time the Premier League is going to have its own customers. It’s going to have to deal with promotion, pricing, churn, distribution, all of those things.
“We’re looking to build a business. We’re also looking to learn, to see how that might be replicable around the world.”