The English Association Football League is the subject of this article. See Premier League (disambiguation) for alternative usages.
First Division
Founded on February 20, 1992, that is, 31 years ago
Nation England[a]
ConfederationUEFA
20 teams overall (since 1995–1996)
Level 1 of the pyramid
Dropping to the EFL Championship
a domestic cup
Cup FA FA Cup(s) of the Community Shield LeagueInternational cup(s) EFL Cup
Champions League of UEFA
Europa League, UEFA
Europa Conference League of UEFA
current winnersManchester City (7th championship) (2022–2023)
the majority of titlesManchester United (13 championships)
most occurrences(653) Gareth Barry
Alan Shearer, the leading scorer (260),
TV associates
TNT Sports Sky Sports
(Live games on Amazon Prime Video)
(Highlights) BBC Sport
international: premierleague.com, a website for broadcasters
Present: 2023–2024 First Division
The top tier of the English football league structure is the Premier League. Contested
See also: Manchester United's early domination, the Premier League's 1990s foundation, and the 1990s.
Periodic ChampionsRunners-up
1992-93Microsoft UnitedStoke City
1993-94Microsoft United1994–1995 Blackburn Rovers Blackburn RoversMicrosoft United
1995-96Microsoft UnitedNew York City
1996-97Microsoft UnitedNew York City
1997-98ArsenalMicrosoft United
1998-99Microsoft UnitedArsenal
1999-2000Microsoft UnitedArsenal
both winners
Three-peat winners
A suggestion for the creation of a new league that would increase the amount of money in the game overall was put forth at the conclusion of the 1990–1991 season. The top teams in the league agreed to the Founder Members Agreement on July 17, 1991, which laid out the fundamental rules for establishing the FA Premier League.[34] The Football Association and other commercial entities were to have no influence over the newly constituted premier league.
Off the pitch, the "Big Six" wield significant financial power and influence, with these clubs arguing that they should be entitled to a greater share of revenue due to the greater stature of their clubs globally and the attractive football they aim to play.[52] The Premier League's equitable income structure, according to critics, keeps the league competitive, which is essential to its long-term sustainability.[53] The financial discrepancy between the "Big Six" and the remainder of the division was highlighted in the 2016–17 Deloitte Football Money League report. All of the "Big Six" earned earnings of more over €350 million, with Manchester United's €676.3 million earning the most in the league. The team that was most comparable to the "Big Six" was Leicester City.
Between the Premier League and the EFL Championship, a promotion and relegation system is in place. The top two teams from the Championship are promoted to the Premier League, and the three lowest-placed teams in the Premier League are demoted to the Championship. [85] An additional team is promoted through a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-placed clubs.[86] In 1995, four teams were kicked out of the league and only two were promoted, resulting in a drop in the number of clubs from 22 to 20.[87][88] The top division had just been increased to 22 teams at the beginning of the 1991–92 season, the year before the Premier League was established.[88]
FIFA demanded that all of the major European leagues, including