Premier League (England) 2026/27

Twenty clubs, thirty-eight matches each, and a shareholding in a private company: the Premier League is run as a business in a way its immediate neighbour is not. The competition is owned by The Football Association Premier League Limited, a company limited by shares that the founding clubs created when they resigned from the Football League First Division in February 1992. The English Football League below it remains a not-for-profit association. That difference shapes the money: the Premier League sells its broadcasting rights globally as a single brand, and splits the proceeds 50% equally, 25% on merit and 25% on facility fees — appearances on television. The EFL shares more evenly across its three tiers to hold competitive balance.

At Level 1 of the English pyramid, the season runs from August to May as a double round-robin. Three points for a win, one for a draw; goal difference separates level teams, then goals scored.

The exits are steep. The bottom three go down to the EFL Championship, and only two Championship clubs come up automatically — the third place is settled by a play-off between the sides finishing third to sixth.

The league started with 22 clubs and cut to 20 for the 1995–96 season, a number unchanged since. In 2016 it dropped its title sponsor altogether, having previously carried the names of Barclays, Barclaycard and Carling.

Manchester United hold the record with 13 titles. Manchester City are the reigning champions, having won the 2023–24 season.