The English Premier League (EPL) is set to establish its in-house broadcast production operation at studios in London's Olympia, according to league CEO Richard Masters. This move will see around 250 staff who currently service the IMG agreement transition over.
IMG will lose its long-standing and lucrative Premier League broadcast production business from the 2026-27 season. The decision for EPL to take direct control of operations was partly driven by significant cost savings.
Premier League CEO, Richard Masters, said:
“I think now’s the right time [for it to come in-house]. In some respects, it’s not a big change because the 250 people that work for us under a services contract with IMG are going to come and work with us in a different way – for us directly.
“What it gives us is creative control over the Premier League. In the future, if we want to differentiate the Premier League, localise it more or create content for different audiences, we’re able to make those creative decisions freely.”
The new facility, known as 'Premier League Studios', will be located within the £1.3bn regeneration of Olympia’s event and exhibition facilities, which is expected to complete later this year.
Staff transition and technology partnerships
While most employees working at PLP are expected to move over to Premier League Studios, discussions between IMG and the EPL regarding staff transfers are still ongoing. Details about technology companies that EPL will partner with for media content production and distribution have not been disclosed yet. However, it is understood that Germany-based Qvest's involvement was discussed prior to the decision being made three months ago.
This shift marks an end of over two decades partnership between IMG and the EPL on operating Premier League Productions (PLP). The existing PLP contract was due for expiry after the current 2024-25 season but has been extended for another season allowing adequate time for setting up a new venture.
Despite this change, Masters praised their relationship with IMG stating they were "part of the story" behind so many global fans of EPL.
Global streaming deal
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly suggested a global streaming deal could be a likely way forward during his speech at Financial Times Business of Football Summit. He emphasized how valuable their content is given its wide demand globally.
While the EPL has traditionally sold its exclusive rights to different pay-television broadcasters worldwide, Masters acknowledged that the balance is shifting. He hinted at potential experiments with their current licensing network and a possible move towards direct-to-consumer offerings in certain markets.
The EPL considered launching a direct-to-consumer (D2C) service in Singapore back in 2018 due to low offers from dominant telcos, Singtel and StarHub. Although they ended up renewing with Singtel, their recent six-year deal with StarHub allows for the launch of its own D2C service in parallel with StarHub’s coverage. This transition marks an exciting new chapter for the Premier League as it takes control of its broadcast production operations and explores new ways of content distribution.
