Premier League's 'Netflix of Football' has taken first step to becoming a reality

Plans for the Premier League's own streaming platform, referred to as the 'Netflix of Football' or 'Premflix', which could increase club revenues and reduce costs for fans, has taken a significant step forward. While many may have thought that the most important decision from last Friday's Premier League shareholders meeting was the vote on changes to rules regarding associated party transactions - the latest skirmish in an ongoing regulatory war with Manchester City - another less publicised issue could prove far more impactful in the long run.

This could be a game-changing moment that revolutionises how the world's most-watched league is viewed globally.

The vote centred on ending a two-decade partnership with IMG, through which 6,000 hours of content per season, including live coverage of all 380 matches and magazine shows, are produced for 55 international broadcast partners across 189 markets outside the UK.

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Instead, Premier League clubs opted to bring all production and distribution of media content for international markets in-house from 2026. Unlike the APT vote, which divided clubs into allies and opponents of Manchester City, this decision received unanimous support.

This move is noteworthy because taking control of production could pave the way for the Premier League to launch its own direct-to-consumer streaming platform, an idea previously dubbed a "Netflix of Football" or "Premflix".

The NFL and NBA have already paved the way with their own streaming services, NFL Game Pass and NBA League Pass, setting a precedent that European sports are likely to emulate.

"In the first instance it feels like taking back ownership and control under one umbrella. This then in turn opens up new opportunities of distributing that content in different ways to existing and new viewers around the world," Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight commented on the trend.

"The direction of travel is clear as the adoption of connected devices continues to grow; we are all now streaming some form of television at any time and anywhere thanks to the internet via fibre or mobile networks."

While 'Premflix' is seen as a promising tool, it's not considered a TV substitute just yet.

The potential benefits for the Premier League of launching a direct-to-consumer platform are significant. Not only could it expand its audience reach to anyone with an internet-connected device, but it also stands to gather valuable customer data and potentially multiply its revenue.

A 2020 academic study suggested that if the estimated 200 million people who currently subscribe to pay TV channels for Premier League action paid £10 a month for a dedicated streaming service, the annual media rights income could skyrocket from £3.5 billion to £24 billion.

Although this scenario might seem overly optimistic not accounting for content creation, platform development, and marketing costs it underscores the substantial financial gains that could be achieved with the right product.

Enders Analysis expert Francois Godard suggests that taking over international media rights sales could be astute for the Premier League, now that they exceed domestic rights in value. However, he stresses the continued importance of broadcasters: "I don't see D2C [direct to consumer] as the future of football. Maybe it's an option you can use in certain markets," to push for higher bids from media companies.

Additionally, he points out a trend in US sports, noting the benefits of long-term league-broadcaster partnerships and stating: "I don't believe the NFL and NBA D2C platforms are a substitute for sales to broadcasters. They are a nice tool and a way to reach core fans."