The Premier League opens the door to the 'Netflix of football' operation with an important broadcast change

The Premier League has announced that its partnership with IMG will end after 20 years for a new media operation.

IMG, a global sports media company based in New York, has worked in partnership with the top English category since 2004 to offer its international coverage.

The service has been operating as Premier League Productions (PLP) and broadcasts to over 180 countries.

However, the league has announced that a new “internal media operations business” will be established from the 2026/27 season.

This decision came after Friday's Premier League shareholders meeting.

“IMG has been a fantastic partner to the Premier League over the last 20 years,” saying Paul Molnar, Premier League media director.

“They have worked tirelessly on our behalf to provide world-class content and services to our international partners.

“During this time, our partnership has been at the forefront of broadcast innovation to deliver top-notch programming week after week throughout the season. All of this has come together to play a vital role in growing our audience and global popularity .

“As we move media production operations in-house, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing best-in-class content service to our partners and millions of passionate fans around the world.”

The Premier League says it will announce further details of its new internal media setup in due course.

While this change does not yet affect Premier League coverage in the UK, this news could pave the way for a new experience for fans of all 20 Premier League clubs to watch their teams.

talkSPORT's Simon Jordan previously proposed a 'Netflix of football' idea, in which the Premier League would take full ownership of games through a cheaper streaming service, eliminating the need for multiple TV subscriptions.

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Responding to the news on talkSPORT, chief football commentator Alex Crook said: “It seems like this is basically the first step towards what Simon Jordan has been advocating on this show for a long time – the Premier League really is creating your own in-house television channel.”

Former Watford captain Troy Deeney added: “I think for most fans, I get that, we just want a place where we can watch all the games in one thing.

“I have the NFL app, I have the NBA app, I like to watch the games on my own time. And I think that's probably what we want. We don't want to have to keep paying for different subscriptions.”

He added: “In my opinion, as long as the fan is given the opportunity to watch the match of his choice, also in a place where it is not too expensive, because being a football fan is becoming very expensive, and I think that You have to be careful not to exclude what football is about.

“It's for everyone, so let's not take it to a point where it's socially unacceptable to be able to afford it.”

While current TV deals in the UK are locked in until the 2028/29 season, former Chelsea defender Scott Minto said this could offer an indication of the Premier League's future intentions.

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He said: “When it comes to the end of the next tournament that they haven't agreed yet, the Premier League might turn around and say, you know what? I don't care if it's overseas or if it's UK rights.” . , we want it all in-house and we will take care of this.

“I respect what he says in terms of the amount of money they could make. I mean, they're already making billions. And yet they could probably double it.”

Additionally, the league has confirmed its dates for the 2025/26 season, which will begin on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The campaign will conclude on Sunday, May 24, 2026 and all games will be played at the same time as is tradition.

“The schedule continues to allow for more rest time for players during the festive round match period, with no two rounds taking place within 60 hours of each other,” a statement read.

“This is in line with commitments made to clubs to address the busy Christmas and New Year calendar.”

There will be a total of 33 weekends and five rounds of midweek action during the 2025/26 season.

Additionally, there will be 83 clear days between the end of the current campaign and the start of the next during the summer.

The season will end on May 24, 2026, before the call-up period for the FIFA Club World Cup, with the revamped competition launching in 2025.

Additionally, no match will be played on December 24, 2025 following the controversy over Wolves vs Chelsea which was played on Christmas Eve last season.