Premier League on TV and Stream

Historical Background

The Premier League is a corporation in which the member clubs act as shareholders. The established season runs from August to May, with every registered team playing 38 games. Since its inception, 49 clubs have competed, featuring 47 English and two Welsh clubs, making it a cross-border league. This football association is by far the world's most-watched sporting league, with a profitable Premier League TV Rights deal. With combined club revenues that rocketed to the billions, owing to the increase in media revenue, there’s really nothing that compares to this footballing community.

The competition was designed as the FA Premier League back on 20th February 1992, after the clubs’ verdict in the Football League First Division to break away from the Football League which was founded in 1888. This was a strategic move which proved to be a pretty lucrative deal worth a whopping £1 billion per year domestically as of 2013–14. With Sky and BT Group locking the domestic Premier League TV rights to broadcast 116 and 38 games respectively.

Raking in €2.2 billion a year in domestic as well as international television rights, in between the year 2014 and 2015, the League’s teams were apportioned revenues of £1.6 billion, soaring to £2.4 billion in 2016–17. To date, the Premier League has 40 clubs on record all of which have competed at some stage. But without a doubt, the most well-known and recognized winners of the title are Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Leicester City – most of which having donned the title several times.

Notable Players

In the first place, to even be considered as a contender within any of the clubs' players of the Premier League, sportsmen must eat, sleep and breathe football. But that alone isn’t enough. Let’s take a quick look at players who are truly a cut above the rest and have well-deservedly earned such a status.

Gareth Barry - has made 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, the highest number of appearances in the Premier League.

Ryan Giggs – predominantly a left winger, Giggs made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent his next 23 years in the Manchester United first team. He also holds the club record for competitive appearances.

Frank Lampard – is the all-time leading goal scorer for Chelsea, where he played for 13 years, and is considered by journalists and football experts alike to be one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.

Alan Shearer – with a fantastic 283 league goals in his career (all in the first tier of English football), Shearer has a record 11 Premier League hat-tricks, and a total of 422 in all competitions.

Wayne Rooney – holds the record for goal scorer for the England national team and for Manchester United. Apart from the European Super Cup, he’s won every honour available in English, European and Continental football.

Cristiano Ronaldo – regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and he’s the first player to win four European Golden Shoes.

He’s won 27 trophies in his career, including five league titles, five UEFA Champions League titles and one UEFA European Championship. He’s scored over 690 senior career goals for club and country. Almost a decade ago, Ronaldo was the subject of the most expensive association football transfer when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth €94 million (£80 million).

Media Coverage

Undoubtedly, the Premier League is the most profitable football league around the world. Media coverage and stadium attendances are important sources of steady income for the clubs. Of course, one of the most defining roles in this association's popularity is Premier League TV. This money mine has facilitated the system’s operations which exhibit excellence, whether on or off the field.

With a multitude of successful seasons and games under its belt, complemented by a loyal and avid viewership worldwide, it’s really no wonder how and why the Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world.

Broadcast in 212 territories to some 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people – the numbers speak for the league’s success.

Collected funds obtained through media coverage within pre-set deals, create 'super leagues'. What’s more, with improved stadiums, match attendance and bigger revenues, the Premier League capitalizes on the money being invested in the sport itself. Once teams level up to the top division (UEFA Championship League), they enjoy the fruits of their labour with commercial independence, and the ability to negotiate sponsorship agreements.