History of Premier League in Timeline
The Premier League is the top-tier professional football league in England, featuring 20 clubs competing in a promotion and relegation system with the English Football League. A season spans from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches against every other team, both at home and away. Games are primarily held on weekend afternoons, supplemented by occasional weekday evening matches. It is the highest level in the English football league system.
1948: Attendance Records in 1948-49 Season
The average attendance in the 1948-49 season, which held for over 70 years, was surpassed in the 2021-22 season.
1983: Liverpool European Cup Win
In the 1998-99 season, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup since Liverpool in the 1983–84 season.
1985: Heysel Stadium Disaster
In 1985, English clubs faced a 5-year ban from European competition following the events of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
1986: Increased Voting Power for Division One Clubs
In 1986, Division One clubs secured increased voting power and a 50% share of all television and sponsorship income.
1986: Alex Ferguson Joins Manchester United
In November 1986, Alex Ferguson became the manager of Manchester United, marking the beginning of his tenure that lasted through the last five years of the Football League First Division and the first 21 seasons of the Premier League.
1988: Negotiations for a Super League
In 1988, negotiations took place under the threat of ten clubs forming a "super league," leading to leading clubs securing the bulk of the deal.
1988: ITV Secures Football League Deal
In 1988, the Football League secured £44 million over four years with ITV for television rights, with top clubs taking 75% of the income.
April 1989: Hillsborough Disaster
On 15 April 1989, the Hillsborough disaster occurred at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, Yorkshire, resulting in a report on stadium safety standards.
1989: Hillsborough Disaster and Taylor Report
In 1989, the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor Report recommended the abolishment of standing terraces in football stadiums, leading to all-seater stadiums in the Premier League.
January 1990: Publication of the Taylor Report
In January 1990, the Taylor Report on stadium safety standards was published, proposing expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums following the Hillsborough disaster.
1990: Proposal for New League
At the close of the 1990–91 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall.
1990: Greg Dyke Meets with Big Five Clubs
In 1990, Greg Dyke of London Weekend Television (LWT) met with representatives of the "big five" football clubs in England to discuss a breakaway from the Football League.
June 1991: FA Releases Blueprint for the Future of Football
In June 1991, the FA released a report titled "Blueprint for the Future of Football," supporting the plan for the Premier League.
July 1991: Founder Members Agreement Signed
On 17 July 1991, the Founder Members Agreement was signed by the game's top-flight clubs, establishing the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League.
1991: Relegation of Luton Town, Notts County, and West Ham United
At the end of the 1991–92 season, Luton Town, Notts County, and West Ham United were the three teams relegated from the old First Division.
1991: Manchester United win Cup Winners' Cup
In 1991, UEFA lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions and Manchester United lifted the Cup Winners' Cup.
1991: Expansion of the top flight to 22 teams
In 1991, the top flight had only been expanded to 22 teams at the start of the 1991–92 season – the year prior to the formation of the Premier League.
February 1992: FA Premier League Founded
In February 1992, the FA Premier League was founded after clubs from the First Division decided to break away from the English Football League.
May 1992: Formation of the FA Premier League
On 27 May 1992, the 22 First Division clubs resigned en masse from the Football League, and the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company.
1992: Premier League Inception
In 1992, the Premier League was established with fifty-one clubs having competed since its inception.
1992: Inception of the Premier League
In 1992, the Premier League was founded and began its inaugural season.
1992: Broadcasting Rights Assigned to Sky
In 1992, the Premier League's decision to assign broadcasting rights to Sky was a radical move that has significantly contributed to the league's financial success.
1992: Foreign Players in the Premier League Inception
In the 1992–93 season, at the inception of the Premier League, only 11 players named in the starting line-ups for the first round of matches hailed from outside of the United Kingdom or Ireland.
1992: Premier League's First Season Attendances
In the 1992–93 season, the average attendance in the Premier League was 21,126. Stadium capacities were reduced as clubs replaced terraces with seats to meet the Taylor Report's 1994–95 deadline for all-seater stadiums.
1992: Inauguration of Premier League Golden Boot
Since the first Premier League season in 1992–93, the Premier League Golden Boot has been awarded each season to the top scorer in the division.
1993: Blackburn Rovers Challenge United
Between 1993 and 1997, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United came closest to challenging Manchester United’s early dominance.
1993: Premier League sponsorship by Carling
From 1993, the Premier League was sponsored by Carling and was known as the FA Carling Premiership.
1994: Four Clubs Relegated
At the end of the 1994–95 season, four clubs, rather than three, were relegated from the Premier League.
1994: Topps produced Premier League collectables
From 1994, Topps, under its Merlin brand, held the licence to produce collectables for the Premier League including stickers and trading cards.
1994: Blackburn Rovers FA Premier League Win
In the 1994–95 season, Blackburn Rovers, led by Alan Shearer, won the FA Premier League.
1994: Chelsea and Liverpool Finish Outside Top Four
In the 2011–12 season, Chelsea and Liverpool finished outside the top four for the first time since 1994–95.
1994: Leicester City's League Win
In the 2015–16 season, Leicester City defied 5000/1 odds to win the league, becoming the first non-"Big Six" champion since Blackburn in 1994–95.
1994: Taylor Report Deadline
The Taylor Report's 1994-95 deadline for all-seater stadiums contributed to reduced capacities in the 1992-93 season as clubs replaced terraces with seats.
1995: Reduction in Premier League Size
In 1995, the Premier League reduced its size from 22 to 20 clubs for the start of the 1995–96 season.
1995: Reduction of clubs in the Premier League
In 1995, the number of clubs in the Premier League was reduced from 22 to 20, with four teams being relegated and only two promoted.
1995: Blackburn Rovers FA Premier League Win
In the 1994–95 season, Blackburn Rovers, led by Alan Shearer, won the FA Premier League.
1996: Arsène Wenger Joins Arsenal
In 1996, Arsène Wenger became the manager of Arsenal in the Premier League, beginning his long tenure with the club.
1996: Newcastle signs Alan Shearer
In the summer of 1996 Newcastle signed Alan Shearer for a then world-record fee of £15 million.
1997: Arsenal Emerge as Contenders
Between 1993 and 1997, Arsenal emerged as serious contenders, winning the League and FA Cup double in 1997–98.
1997: All three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end
In the 1997-98 season, all three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end.
1997: Increased Contract Value
Starting from the 1997-98 season, the Premier League's broadcasting contract rose to £670 million over four seasons, highlighting the increasing value of TV rights.
1998: Wimbledon relocation to Dublin blocked
In 1998, Wimbledon received Premier League approval to relocate to Dublin, Ireland, but the move was blocked by the Football Association of Ireland.
1998: Manchester United's Historic Treble
In the 1998–99 season, Manchester United began the journey to complete a historic treble by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
July 1999: Investigation by the UK Restrictive Practices Court
In July 1999, the UK Restrictive Practices Court investigated the Premier League's collective selling of broadcasting rights but concluded it was not against the public interest.
December 1999: Chelsea Fields All-Foreign Starting Line-Up
On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first Premier League side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up.
1999: Tightening of Work Permit Rules in 1999
In 1999, the Home Office tightened its rules for granting work permits to non-EU players due to concerns that clubs were increasingly passing over young English players. Players had to meet certain criteria related to international appearances and FIFA rankings.
1999: Start of Big Four Domination
In the 1999–2000 season, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United began to dominate the Premier League, forming the "Big Four".
2000: Arsenal UEFA Cup/Europa League final
Between 2000 and 2010, Arsenal lost in the final of the UEFA Cup/Europa League
2000: Increase in Foreign Players by 2000-01 Season
By the 2000–01 season, the number of foreign players participating in the Premier League was 36% of the total.
2000: Nike official ball supplier
In 2000, Nike became the official ball supplier for the Premier League, taking over from Mitre.
2000: Manchester United League Title
In the 1999–2000 season, Manchester United won one of their five league titles during the 2000s.
2000: Leeds United Champions League Semi-Finals
In the 2000–01 season, Leeds United reached the Champions League semi-finals.
2001: Premier League newcomer avoided relegation
During the 2001-02 season, for one of the few times in Premier League history, no promoted team was immediately relegated back to the Football League.
2001: Liverpool UEFA Cup/Europa League win
2001: Premier League sponsorship by Barclaycard
In 2001, a sponsorship deal with Barclaycard rebranded the league the FA Barclaycard Premiership.
2001: Arsenal League Title
In the 2001–02 season, Arsenal claimed one of their two league titles during the 2000s.
2001: BSkyB Deal for Three Seasons
Starting in 2001, the Premier League secured a £1.024 billion deal with BSkyB for broadcasting rights over three seasons, continuing the growth in television revenue.
2002: Investigation by the Office of Fair Trading
In 2002, the Office of Fair Trading investigated BSkyB, finding them dominant in the pay TV sports market but without sufficient grounds to claim abuse of that position.
2002: Arsenal League Title
In the 2001–02 season, Arsenal claimed one of their two league titles during the 2000s.
2003: Manchester United League Title
In the 2002–03 season, Manchester United won one of their five league titles during the 2000s.
2004: Sale of International Rights
From 2004 to 2007, the Premier League brought in £320 million from the sale of its international broadcasting rights, sold on a territory-by-territory basis.
2004: FA Barclaycard Premiership changed to FA Barclays Premiership
In 2004, FA Barclaycard Premiership was changed to the FA Barclays Premiership in time for the 2004–05 season.
2004: Special Gold Trophy for Arsenal
In 2004, a special gold version of the Premier League trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title without a single defeat.
2004: Arsenal's Unbeaten Season
In the 2003–04 season, Arsenal earned the nickname "The Invincibles" for their unbeaten season.
2004: Chelsea's Record-Breaking Points Tally
In the 2004–05 season, Chelsea achieved a record-breaking 95-point haul.
2004: Foreign Player Participation in 2004-05 Season
In the 2004–05 season, the figure of foreign players participating in the Premier League had increased to 45% of the total.
February 2005: Arsenal Names All-Foreign Squad
On 14 February 2005, Arsenal became the first Premier League team to name a completely foreign 16-man squad for a match.
2005: Liverpool Champions League Win
In 2005, Liverpool won the Champions League.
2005: Chelsea League Title
In the 2004–05 season, Chelsea rose to prominence with one of their three league titles under José Mourinho during the 2000s.
2005: Thierry Henry wins his fourth Golden Boot
In the 2005-06 season, Thierry Henry won his fourth overall scoring title by scoring 27 goals.
June 2006: FIFA requests reduction to 18 teams
In June 2006, FIFA requested that all major European leagues, including the Premier League, be reduced to 18 teams by the start of the 2007-08 season.
August 2006: Sky's Monopoly Broken
In August 2006, Sky's monopoly on Premier League broadcasting rights was broken when Setanta Sports was awarded rights to show two packages of matches.
2006: Middlesbrough UEFA Cup/Europa League final
Between 2000 and 2010, Middlesbrough lost in the final of the UEFA Cup/Europa League
2006: Manchester United's Title Wins
From the 2006–07 season, Manchester United secured three consecutive title wins.
2006: Arsenal Champions League Runners-Up
In 2006, Arsenal finished as runners-up in the Champions League.
2007: League rebranded the Barclays Premier League
For the 2007–08 season, the league was rebranded the Barclays Premier League.
2007: Liverpool Champions League Runners-Up
In 2007, Liverpool finished as runners-up in the Champions League.
2007: New Television Rights Deals
In 2007, Sky and BT Group jointly paid £84.3 million for delayed television rights, overseas television rights fetched £625 million, totaling over £2.7 billion for Premier League clubs.
2007: Premier League resists FIFA's request
In 2007, the Premier League resisted FIFA's request to reduce the number of teams to 18, and the 2007-08 season kicked off with 20 teams.
2007: Manchester United League Title
In the 2007–08 season, Manchester United won one of their five league titles during the 2000s.
2007: Topps Match Attax launched
Launched in the 2007, Topps' Match Attax, the official Premier League trading card game, is the best selling boys collectable in the UK, and is also the biggest selling sports trading card game in the world.
2008: Manchester United Champions League Win
In 2008, Manchester United won the Champions League.
2008: Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City
In 2008, Sheikh Mansour's arrival at Manchester City began reshaping the league’s financial landscape.
June 2009: ESPN Awarded UK Rights
On 22 June 2009, ESPN was awarded two packages of UK rights for 46 matches in the 2009–10 season and 23 matches per season from 2010 to 2013, following Setanta Sports' financial difficulties.
2009: Decline of English Players by 2009
By 2009, under 40% of the players in the Premier League were English.
2009: Manchester United Champions League Runners-Up
In 2009, Manchester United finished as runners-up in the Champions League.
2009: Premier League revenue
In 2009, the Premier League had the highest revenue of any association football league in the world, with total club revenues of €2.48 billion in 2009–10.
2009: Tottenham Hotspur Breaks into Top Four
In the 2009–10 season, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth, the first new club to do so since Everton five years earlier, starting the "Big Six".
2010: Fulham UEFA Cup/Europa League final
Between 2000 and 2010, Fulham lost in the final of the UEFA Cup/Europa League
2010: Media Income from League Games
From 2007 to 2010, Premier League clubs earned an average media income of around £40 million per year from league games, fueled by television deals.
2010: Premier League awarded Queen's Award
In 2010 the Premier League was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category for its outstanding contribution to international trade and the value it brings to English football and the United Kingdom's broadcasting industry.
2010: Introduction of 25-Man Squad Rule
In the 2010–11 season, the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21. The "home grown" rule was also enacted, requiring at least eight members of the named 25-man squad to be "home-grown players" from 2010.
2010: Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 were purchased for £1.782 billion
Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 were purchased for £1.782 billion.
August 2011: First Premier League match outside England
In August 2011, Swansea City's home match at Liberty Stadium against Wigan Athletic marked the first Premier League match to be played outside England.
2011: Premier League newcomer avoided relegation
During the 2011-12 season, for one of the few times in Premier League history, no promoted team was immediately relegated back to the Football League.
2011: Blackburn Rovers relegation
In 2011, Blackburn Rovers were relegated, marking only the second time a Premier League-winning club had been relegated.
2011: Manchester United Champions League Runners-Up
In 2011, Manchester United finished as runners-up in the Champions League.
2011: Manchester City Title Win
In the 2011–12 season, Manchester City's title win was the first by a club outside the "Big Four" since Blackburn Rovers in 1994–95.
2011: Competition Intensifies Among Big Six
In the five seasons after 2011–12, Manchester United and Liverpool missed the top four three times.
March 2012: UEFA Clarifies Welsh Clubs Participation
In March 2012, UEFA clarified the right of Welsh clubs to take up English places in European competitions, allowing them to participate.
June 2012: BT Awarded Broadcasting Rights
On 13 June 2012, the Premier League announced that BT had been awarded 38 games a season for the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year, marking a shift in broadcasting arrangements.
December 2012: Premier League Clubs Agree on New Cost Controls
In December 2012, Premier League clubs agreed in principle to implement radical new cost controls, including a break-even rule and a cap on wage bill increases, to manage revenue from upcoming television deals.
2012: Alex Ferguson Retirement
Alex Ferguson retired from Manchester United at the end of the 2012-13 season, after managing 810 matches with the club.
2012: Chelsea qualifies for Champions League at Tottenham's expense
In 2012, Chelsea qualified for the 2012–13 Champions League in place of Tottenham Hotspur, who went into the Europa League, after winning the Champions League that summer but finishing sixth in the league.
2012: Chelsea Champions League Win
In 2012, Chelsea won the Champions League.
2013: All 20 clubs in the top 40 globally
By the end of the 2013-14 season, all 20 Premier League clubs ranked within the top 40 globally in terms of revenue, primarily due to increased broadcasting revenue.
2013: Cardiff City gains promotion
In 2013, Cardiff City gained promotion, increasing the number of Welsh clubs in the Premier League to two for the 2013–14 season.
2013: NBC Sports Acquired the Rights to the Premier League
In 2013, NBC Sports acquired the rights to the Premier League in the United States, replacing Fox Soccer and ESPN, and has been widely praised for its coverage.
2013: Swansea takes English Europa League Place
In 2013, Swansea took one of England's three available places in the Europa League in 2013–14 by winning the League Cup in 2012–13.
2013: Premier League net profit
In 2013, due to improved television revenues and cost controls, the Premier League clubs collectively made a net profit in excess of £78 million, exceeding all other football leagues.
2013: BT Awarded 38 Games Per Season
In 2013-14 season, BT was awarded 38 Premier League games a season for the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year.
2013: Increased Parachute Payments for Relegated Clubs
Starting with the 2013-14 season, Premier League parachute payments to relegated clubs exceeded £60 million over four seasons, intended to ease the financial impact of television revenue loss.
2014: BT Awarded 38 Games Per Season
In 2013-14 season, BT was awarded 38 Premier League games a season for the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year.
June 2015: Barclays ends Premier League sponsorship
In June 2015, Barclays' deal with the Premier League expired at the end of the 2015–16 season, and the organisation announced it would not pursue further title sponsorship deals.
2015: Europa League Champions qualify for Champions League
From 2015, the Europa League champions qualify for the Champions League, increasing the maximum number of participants per country to five.
2015: NBC Sports Reached a Six-Year Extension
In 2015, NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League to broadcast the league until the end of the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million).
2015: Sky and BT Renew Contracts
In 2015, Sky and BT paid £5.136 billion to renew their contracts with the Premier League for another three years up to the 2018–19 season, increasing the value of the licensing deal by 70.2%.
2015: Leicester City's League Win
In the 2015–16 season, Leicester City defied 5000/1 odds to win the league.
2015: Chelsea Finish 10th
In the five seasons after 2011–12, Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season.
August 2016: BBC Creating New Magazine-Style Show
In August 2016, the BBC announced the creation of a new magazine-style show for the Premier League, titled "The Premier League Show."
2016: Top Clubs' Revenue from TV Broadcast Deals
During the 2016-17 season, TV broadcast deals accounted for a large portion of club revenues, with the top clubs earning between £150 million and nearly £200 million.
2016: England implements Europa League Champion qualification
In 2016, the Europa League Champions qualification took effect in England.
2016: Arsenal's Top-Four Streak Ends
In the 2016–17 season, Arsenal’s fifth-place finish ended their 20-year top-four streak.
2016: Central Payments for the 2016–17 Season
In the 2016–17 season, central payments to the 20 Premier League clubs totaled £2,398,515,773, comprising participation fees, TV broadcast revenue, commercial rights, and a merit-based component.
2016: The BBC's highlights package ran until 2016
The BBC's highlights package on Saturday and Sunday nights, as well as other evenings when fixtures justify, ran until 2016.
May 2017: Burnley finished 16th
In May 2017, Burnley finished 16th in the Premier League, resulting in a merit payment of £9,708,045 based on their league position.
2017: Arsène Wenger Departure
Arsène Wenger departed from Arsenal at the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, ending his tenure as the longest-serving manager in the Premier League.
2017: Premier League newcomer avoided relegation
During the 2017-18 season, for one of the few times in Premier League history, no promoted team was immediately relegated back to the Football League.
2017: Milestone Awards Introduced in 2017-18 Season
From the 2017–18 season, players receive a milestone award for 100 appearances and every century there after and also players who score 50 goals and multiples thereof. Each player to reach these milestones is to receive a presentation box from the Premier League containing a special medallion and a plaque commemorating their achievement.
2017: Cardiff promoted again
In 2017, Cardiff were promoted again to the premier league.
2017: Manchester United qualifies for Champions League
In 2017, Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League and won the Europa League, giving England five Champions League entrants for 2017–18.
2017: Cadbury official snack partner
Since 2017, Cadbury has been the official snack partner of the Premier League, and sponsored the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Playmaker of the Season awards.
February 2018: BT and Sky Awarded Fixture Packages
In February 2018, BT was awarded the package of 32 lunchtime fixtures on Saturdays, while Sky was awarded four of the seven packages, covering the majority of weekend fixtures.
June 2018: Amazon Prime Video Acquires Rights
In June 2018, Amazon Prime Video acquired rights to 20 Premier League matches per-season, covering a mid-week round in December and all Boxing Day fixtures.
October 2018: Panini awarded Premier League collectables licence
In October 2018, Panini were awarded the licence to produce collectables from the 2019–20 season.
2018: Sky and BT Renew Contracts
In 2015, Sky and BT paid £5.136 billion to renew their contracts with the Premier League for another three years up to the 2018–19 season, increasing the value of the licensing deal by 70.2%.
2018: Swansea relegated and Cardiff promoted
In 2018, Swansea City had been relegated from the Premier League while Cardiff City gained promotion, so the number of Welsh clubs remained the same for the 2018–19 Premier League season.
2018: Average Player Wage in 2018-19 Season
In the 2018–19 season the average annual salary stood at £2.99 million.
2018: Total Salary Bill for Premier League Clubs in 2018-19 Season
In the 2018–19 season the total salary bill for the 20 Premier League clubs was £1.62 billion. The club with the highest average wage is Manchester United at £6.5 million.
December 2019: Richard Masters appointed chief executive
In December 2019, Richard Masters was appointed as the chief executive of the Premier League.
2019: Big Six Clubs Ranked Among World's Richest
By 2019, all "Big Six" clubs ranked in the world’s top ten richest.
2019: Rights Remained as they were since the 2019–20 season
Due to compelling and exceptional circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rights for the cycle between 2022-23 and 2024-25 season remained as they were since the 2019–20 season.
2019: Broadcast of Remaining Matches Due to COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the Premier League announced that all remaining matches in the 2019–20 season would be broadcast on British television, split across Sky, BT, and Amazon, with some matches on free-to-air channels.
2019: Introduction of VAR and Liverpool's Title Win
From the 2019–20 season, video assistant referees (VAR) were introduced in the league and Liverpool claimed their first Premier League title.
2019: Topps licence to produce collectables ended
In 2019, Topps licence to produce collectables for the Premier League ended
2019: Introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
In 2019, Video assistant referee (VAR) was introduced to the Premier League at the beginning of the 2019–20 season to assist the referee in making decisions on the pitch.
2019: Increased broadcasting revenue
In 2019, the Premier League generated approximately £3.1 billion annually from domestic and international television rights, highlighting the league's financial strength.
2019: New Rights Cycle Begins
In the 2019-20 season, a new rights cycle began with the domestic package increasing to 200 matches overall and changes in the distribution of fixtures among broadcasters.
2019: Introduction of Young Player of the Season Award
Starting from the 2019–20 season, the Young Player of the Season award is given to the most outstanding U-23 player.
February 2020: Nationalities in Premier League by February 2020
By February 2020, 117 different nationalities had played in the Premier League, and 101 nationalities had scored in the competition.
October 2020: Project Big Picture proposal
In October 2020, Manchester United and Liverpool announced the 'Project Big Picture' proposal, which aimed to create a closer alignment between top Premier League clubs and the English Football League. However, the proposal faced criticism from the Premier League leadership and the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
2020: Coca-Cola sponsors awards
During the 2020, The Coca-Cola Company (under its Coca-Cola Zero Sugar product line) sponsored the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Playmaker of the Season awards.
2020: Continuation of Broadcast Arrangements and Introduction of Pay-Per-View
In 2020, with matches continuing without spectators, the Premier League initially continued broadcasting all matches and later introduced a controversial pay-per-view scheme via BT Sport Box Office and Sky Box Office.
January 2021: Implementation of Brexit and New Regulations
Following the implementation of Brexit in January 2021, new regulations were introduced which require all foreign players to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) in order to play football in the United Kingdom, regardless of EU status.
April 2021: Halting game for Ramadan fast
On April 2021, during a Leicester City v Crystal Palace match, play was paused to allow Muslim players Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyaté to break their Ramadan fast. It was believed to be the first time a Premier League game was halted for this reason.
May 2021: Richard Masters speaks against independent regulator
In May 2021, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters spoke out against the implementation of an independent regulator, defending the Premier League's role as regulator of its clubs.
July 2021: Tracey Crouch announces Premier League lost trust
On 22 July 2021, Tracey Crouch MP announced in the review's interim findings that the Premier League had "lost the trust and confidence" of fans.
July 2021: Amanda Staveley denounces Premier League
On 6 July 2021, Amanda Staveley of PCP Capital Partners criticized the Premier League for its lack of transparency and accountability in blocking the attempted takeover of Newcastle United by a PIF-backed consortium.
November 2021: NBC Reached Another Six-Year Extension
In November 2021, NBC reached another six-year extension through 2028 in a deal valued at $2.76 billion (£2 billion).
2021: Castrol sponsors awards
As of the 2021, Castrol is the current sponsor of the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Playmaker of the Season awards.
2021: Broadcast Rights Awarded in China
In China, the Premier League broadcast rights were awarded to iQiyi, Migu and CCTV that began in the 2021–22 season.
2021: Attendance Records Broken in 2021-22 Season
In the 2021-22 season, the average attendance reached record levels, surpassing the previous record set in the 1948-49 season.
2021: Introduction of New Awards for the 2021-22 Season
Starting with the 2021–22 season, four new awards are given: Save of the Season, Game Changer of the Season, Most Powerful Goal, and Most Improbable Comeback award.
2022: FuboTV Owns Media Rights to the Premier League
As of the 2022–23 season, Canadian media rights to the Premier League are owned by FuboTV, after having been jointly owned by Sportsnet and TSN, and most recently DAZN.
2022: Rights Remained as they were since the 2019–20 season
Due to compelling and exceptional circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rights for the cycle between 2022-23 and 2024-25 season remained as they were since the 2019–20 season.
2022: Premier League newcomer avoided relegation
During the 2022-23 season, for one of the few times in Premier League history, no promoted team was immediately relegated back to the Football League.
2022: Record Attendances in the 2022-23 Season
For the 2022–23 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 40,235 for Premier League matches with an aggregate attendance of 15,289,340. This also set a competition record for total attendance with more than 15 million spectators.
2022: 2022-23 season paused for World Cup and players taking the knee
In 2022, the 2022–23 season paused for six weeks between November and December to accommodate the first winter World Cup, and players chose to take the knee at select "significant moments" to reaffirm their commitment to ending racial prejudice.
2022: Record International Rights Earnings
In the 2022-2025 cycle, the Premier League earned a record £5.6 billion from international rights.
May 2023: Erling Haaland sets goal record in May 2023
As of May 15, 2023, Erling Haaland holds the record for most goals in a Premier League season (38 matches) with 36 goals.
2023: Central Payments to Premier League Clubs
As of the 2023-24 season, Premier League clubs received central payments totaling £2.8 billion, with additional solidarity payments made to relegated EFL clubs.
2023: Premier League representatives in UEFA's European Club Association
For the 2023–24 season, the Premier League has 13 representatives in UEFA's European Club Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
2023: Manchester City wins Premier League title
In 2023, Manchester City won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years, becoming the first top-flight side in English football history to win four consecutive league titles.
2023: Stadium Capacities in the 2023-24 Season
In 2023, the Premier League stadiums showed a large disparity in capacity, with Old Trafford having a capacity of 74,031 and Dean Court having a capacity of 11,307. The combined total capacity of the Premier League in the 2023–24 season is 787,002 with an average capacity of 39,350.
2023: Alison Brittain takes over as chair
In early 2023, Alison Brittain took over the role of chair of the Premier League.
2023: All three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end
In the 2023-2024 season, all three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end.
October 2024: Government Planning to Regulate Stadium Sales
In October 2024, it was reported that the government is planning to grant the independent regulator authority to stop Premier League clubs from selling their stadiums to affiliated or third-party companies.
November 2024: Premier League to Take Premier League Productions In-House
On 22 November 2024, the Premier League announced plans to end its agreement with IMG and take Premier League Productions in-house beginning in 2026–27.
2024: Highest Average Match Attendance
As of 2024/25, the Premier League has the highest average match attendance of any association football league in the world, at 40,430 per game.
2024: Rights Remained as they were since the 2019–20 season
Due to compelling and exceptional circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rights for the cycle between 2022-23 and 2024-25 season remained as they were since the 2019–20 season.
2024: Liverpool secured Premier League title
In 2024, Liverpool secured their second Premier League title, ending Manchester City's run. The same season saw a record six English clubs qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
2024: Teams competing in the Premier League
In 2024, twenty clubs are competing in the 2024–25 season – top seventeen from the previous season and three promoted from the Championship.
2024: All three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end
In the 2024-2025 season, all three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end.
May 2025: European League Coefficients
As of 8 May 2025, the coefficients for are as follows (only top five European leagues are shown).
2025: Broadcasters to Continental Europe
Broadcasters to continental Europe until 2025 include Canal+ for France, Sky Sport Germany for Germany and Austria, Match TV for Russia, Sky Sport Italy for Italy, Eleven Sports for Portugal, DAZN for Spain, beIN Sports Turkey to Turkey, Digi Sport for Romania, and NENT to Nordic countries.
2025: Increased Television Rights Deal
From 2025 to 2029, the Premier League's domestic television rights deal is set to increase to £6.7 billion, up from the current £5 billion.
2025: Premier League milestone
Up to and including the 2025–26 season, fifty-one clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992.
2026: Premier League Productions to Take Production In-House
Beginning in 2026–27, the Premier League will take Premier League Productions in-house, ending its agreement with IMG.
2028: NBC Reached Another Six-Year Extension
In November 2021, NBC reached another six-year extension through 2028 in a deal valued at $2.76 billion (£2 billion).
2029: End of Television Rights Deal
In 2029 the Premier League's domestic television rights deal ends, after rising to £6.7 billion from 2025.
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