Which teams' image rights work in the Premier League?

By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 5 min read

The easy answer is not a list of clubs. It is all 20 clubs in the division. Asked which teams' image rights work in the Premier League, the short answer is every side that holds a place in the 38-match calendar.

The mechanism

A Premier League season is a closed, balanced calendar. There are 20 clubs, each plays 38 matches, and the season produces 380 matches in total. Each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away. That gives every club 19 home games and 19 away games, which matters for anyone buying broadcast or image rights. A rights holder knows exactly how many slots the club can fill in the calendar, and no club can claim it was shortchanged on match count.

The scoring system is equally direct. Three points go to a win and one to a draw. Those points decide the order of finish, and the order of finish decides which clubs stay in the Premier League and which ones leave. The bottom three are relegated to the Championship. Three clubs come up, two automatic places and one via the play-offs. So the identities of the 20 clubs change, but the size of the rights pool does not.

Tiebreakers make the mechanism precise. The order is points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. If two clubs are still level and the position decides the title, relegation, or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used. This is not a formality. In a rights context, a promoted club gains access to the Premier League's broadcast structure, and a relegated club loses it. The play-off is the last door between those two outcomes.

History/evolution

The Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992 as the FA Premier League. The first season, 1992/93, had 22 clubs. That was reduced to 20 in 1995/96 and has stayed at 20 since. The breakaway happened because the First Division clubs wanted to negotiate their own broadcast deals. That makes this a rights story as much as a sporting one.

The reduction from 22 to 20 is not a footnote. A smaller division means fewer matches in the rights package. From 1995/96 onwards, the broadcast and image product was built on a 20-club model. The structure has not changed since, even though the clubs in it have changed through promotion and relegation. That stability is what lets rights buyers plan ahead.

Edge cases: which teams' image rights work

The clearest edge case is European qualification. The top four go to the Champions League league phase. Fifth place and the FA Cup winner go to the Europa League. The League Cup winner goes to the Conference League play-off. If the FA Cup winner has already qualified through league position, the place passes down. Additional Champions League places can be earned via UEFA coefficient performance. These rules decide which clubs carry their image beyond the 38-match domestic season.

There is also the squad limit. The 25-player squad list is for players over 21, and at least 8 of those 25 must be homegrown, meaning trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25. That limits who can appear in the matchday product. A club still has to choose a 25-man list, and that list is part of the team image being sold.

Substitutions are a smaller edge case. Teams make five substitutions per match, in a maximum of three windows plus half-time. This does not decide which teams' image rights work, but it does shape the on-field product in those broadcast slots.

The fantasy side of the Premier League uses the same 20-team base. In FPL, every manager builds a 15-player squad and starts 11, with a £100.0m budget and a maximum of 3 players per club. The scoring rules are precise: goals are worth 6 for a goalkeeper or defender, 5 for a midfielder, and 4 for a forward. Assists are worth 3. Clean sheets are worth 4 for a goalkeeper or defender and 1 for a midfielder. Appearance points are 1 for fewer than 60 minutes and 2 for 60 or more. Bonus points go 3/2/1 to the top three BPS scorers in each match. Yellow cards cost minus 1, red cards minus 3, own goals minus 2, and penalty misses minus 2. Goalkeepers earn an extra 1 for every 3 saves and 5 for a penalty save. Every two goals conceded costs a goalkeeper or defender minus 1. The captain scores double. A transfer beyond the free allowance costs minus 4.

So the structural answer remains: which teams' image rights work in the Premier League? The 20 clubs that hold a Premier League place. The scoring system, the European places, the squad limits, and the play-offs all hang off that single rule.

Key takeaways

All 20 Premier League clubs operate under the same structure, with 38 matches each and 380 matches per season.
The current 20-club format has existed since 1995/96; the first season, 1992/93, had 22 clubs.
The bottom three are relegated to the Championship, and three clubs come up: two automatic and one via the play-offs.
If points, goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head cannot split a team, a play-off at a neutral venue can decide the title, relegation, or European qualification.
In FPL, the maximum is 3 players from any one club, and a squad is 15 players with 11 starters.

FAQ

Which teams' image rights work in the Premier League?

All 20 clubs. The Premier League is a 20-team competition where each club plays 38 matches, and the breakaway that created it was about broadcast rights. A club's place in the division is what makes its image rights usable.

How many teams are in the Premier League?

There are 20 clubs. Each club plays 38 matches, home and away, for 380 matches in a season.

What happens to the bottom three teams?

They are relegated to the Championship. Three clubs come up from the Championship in their place: two automatic places and one via the play-offs.

Why was the Premier League created?

It was founded on 20 February 1992 when First Division clubs broke away to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The first season had 22 clubs before the league settled on 20 in 1995/96. For which teams' image rights work, the creation date matters because the breakaway was about rights, not just fixtures.