The Premier League has announced a new streaming platform that will broadcast all 380 matches exclusively in Singapore, sparking anger among football fans in the UK.
The Premier League+ service has been launched ahead of the new campaign, which begins next Friday when champions Arsenal host promoted side Coventry City.
The platform will be fully accessible only to fans in Singapore. It allows them to watch every Premier League match for roughly £25 per month.
Paul Molnar, the Premier League Chief Media Officer, described Singapore as the "perfect place to introduce this new experience".
UK broadcast costs
The announcement has angered football fans in the United Kingdom, who pay premium prices for subscription services to watch Premier League games.
British fans are forced to pay for Sky Sports and TNT Sports coverage. Packages can cost upwards of £100 per month, with full Sky access costing over £200 in some cases. The cheapest deal is a little over £50.
Fans in the UK are also unable to watch several games during the season due to the 3pm blackout rule, which some have said the Premier League should abolish.
Matches played at that time will be accessible on Premier League+ in Singapore.
Fans express outrage
Furious supporters have taken to social media to voice their outrage at the news.
One user on X wrote: "This is quite incredible. Premier League+ giving Singapore fans all 380 matches live for £25.50 a month. In England? You’re looking at over £100 a month for Sky + TNT… and you still miss over 100 games because of the 3pm blackout. Absolute joke."
Another football fan based in the UK called the situation criminal. They said: "It’s crazy that a country halfway around the world can watch every single Premier League game, but people in England can’t… Criminal!"
The Crystal Palace fan account @HLTCO, which has over 200,000 followers on X, also voiced disappointment.
The account said on social media: "The cheapest way of getting Sky Sports & TNT is £51 a month. I believe that gives you 267 of the 380 games across the Premier League season. There’s literally no legal way to watch the other 113 games. This is the full package for half of that. We get taken the p*** out of."
Additional UK fees
In addition to paying for subscription services, UK football fans need to pay a £180 TV licence fee to watch the BBC, which shows FA Cup matches.
For fans in Singapore with the telecommunications company StarHub, Premier League, FA Cup, and Community Shield coverage are available as part of one package.
