Fans Demand Affordable Streaming for Premier League Matches

As of November 13th, 2025, the issue of illegal streaming in football has become an existential threat to traditional TV broadcasters. A new report reveals that 9% of the UK adult population, equivalent to 4.7 million people, consumed sport, predominantly football, via illegal streams in the past six months.

The Premier League is now exploring the possibility of launching its own direct-to-consumer streaming platform, dubbed "Premflix," to address the growing piracy problem. Fans outside the Emirates Stadium, home of Premier League leaders Arsenal, expressed a willingness to pay between £15 to £60 ($19 to $78) per month for such a service, which would include access to matches not shown in the UK due to the Saturday 3pm blackout.

However, the transition to a Premier League-owned streaming platform is not without its challenges. The league currently receives £1.6 billion per season from its broadcast deals with Sky and TNT Sports, and replacing this revenue solely through subscriber fees would require a significant number of users. Additionally, the Premier League would need to absorb the costs of building and maintaining a fully functional customer service arm, which could offset the potential benefits of going direct-to-consumer.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters acknowledges the league is "stepping towards that optionality," but is unsure whether a "switch-on, switch-off moment" is coming soon. The decision-making process is complex, and any significant changes are unlikely to occur until the next UK rights cycle starts in 2029.