English Premier League to debut streaming service in Singapore

The world’s most popular club football competition, the English Premier League, is set to launch its own direct-to-consumer streaming service in Singapore this year, with plans for potential expansion to other countries, the Financial Times reported on Thursday (Feb 26).

Speaking at the FT Business of Football Summit in London, Premier League CEO Richard Masters said the new service, called Premier League Plus, would be available for the 2026-27 season, according to the report.

The service has been developed in partnership with StarHub, the league's broadcast partner in Singapore, FT said.

While English Premier League matches are currently available on various streaming platforms through broadcast partners, this could be the first time the league offers its own direct-to-consumer service.

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In response to queries from CNA, StarHub said that Premier League Plus will add to its current coverage of the league.

"The introduction of Premier League Plus complements our existing coverage and enhances the overall experience available to fans on StarHub's platforms," a spokesperson for the company said.

"StarHub remains the Premier League's long-term partner under our six-year agreement, and fans will continue to enjoy live Premier League matches on StarHub as they do today."

The spokesperson said that StarHub is "working closely with the Premier League on this collaborative trial" of the service, which is expected to be launched in August this year ahead of the league's next season.

The spokesperson added: "As discussions are ongoing and it is still early days, we are unable to share details on pricing or timelines at this stage."

Masters said traditional deals with broadcasters such as Sky Sports in the UK would remain "the bedrock" of the league's media business, but noted that owning and controlling its own platform provided future "optionality" in certain markets, according to FT.

"For 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," the report quoted Masters as saying.

"We're looking to learn how that might be replicated around the world."

The Singapore project will coincide with the opening of a new Premier League Studios production hub in Olympia in London.

In response to Reuters' queries, the league said it would not be adding anything to Masters' comments and that more information on Premier League Plus would be communicated closer to its launch.

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