The English Premier League is turning to big tech to reshape its global digital strategy. The EPL announced a five-year strategic partnership with Microsoft that will make the tech giant the official cloud and AI partner of the world’s most-watched football league. The move marks a seismic shift in how the Premier League will operate behind the scenes and engage with its audience of 1.8 billion fans across 189 countries.
At the core of the partnership is the launch of a new Premier League Companion — a personalized digital hub powered by Azure OpenAI. Available now via the League’s revamped mobile app and web platform, the tool taps into more than 30 seasons of data, 300,000 articles and 9,000 videos. Fans can instantly surface detailed information about their favorite clubs, players, and matchups.
“This partnership will help us engage with fans in new ways — from personalized content to real-time match insights,” said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. “We look forward to working together over the next five years to deliver more innovative experiences to supporters around the world.”
Beyond the consumer-facing enhancements, the collaboration will modernize the League’s internal and media infrastructure. Microsoft Azure will become the League’s backbone, powering everything from broadcast analytics and in-match data overlays to Fantasy Premier League features and operational workflow tools through Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.
“By leveraging our secure cloud and AI technologies — including Azure AI Foundry Services with Azure OpenAI, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Dynamics 365 — we will transform how football is experienced, delivered, and managed on and off the field,” Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said in a statement.
Fans can expect even more immersive content moving forward. Microsoft says its AI models will soon offer real-time audio and text translation, along with Fantasy Premier League insights tailored to individual users — essentially giving fans their own virtual assistant manager.
The partnership also underscores the League’s commitment to digital evolution, data security, and scalable innovation — all while redefining how live sports are delivered, analyzed and consumed.
Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s EVP and chief commercial officer, added, “We are proud to help transform how football is experienced, delivered and managed — both on and off the field.”
With this deal, the Premier League is setting a new global benchmark for tech-forward sports media partnerships.
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