The Premier League is set to launch its first-ever direct-to-consumer streaming service, Premier League Plus, scheduled to debut next season in Singapore.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters announced the streaming service on Thursday, February 26, at the Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit in London.

Masters described the move as a motive to fill the gap in direct viewing between fans and bring more of them closer to the league.

He announced that the new platform will be known as the ‘Premier League Plus+’, will broadcast all 380 matches, make its debut in Asia, and offer exclusive video content directly to fans without relying on a traditional partner.

Masters said, “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 streaming app will be accessible on smart TVs, laptops, and mobile devices, offering all 380 matches, along with a 24-hour content channel. The Premier League will exclusively manage the pricing, distribution, and subscriptions.

The project will open a new Premier League Studios production hub in Olympia, London.

The news comes after the Premier League was linked to its own long launch of ‘Premflix’, and it marks the first time in English football history that a top-flight competition will broadcast its own football content.

This development could be a concern for satellite broadcasters Sky Sports, Multichoice, NBC, and TNT Sports, who have acquired viewing rights. The move could also disrupt existing broadcast packages due to the high cumulative billing costs fans around the world face.  

According to the league’s executives, if the launch of the new platform is successful, it will expand globally, and they will join major sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball, which already broadcast their content directly to viewers.