M Plus, Macau’s sole online sports streaming platform, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights for the English Premier League (EPL) in the region from 2025 to 2028 — a move analysts believe could trigger a new wave of sports betting activity in the city.
Tighter Links with Local TV
M Plus also unveiled a new partnership with Macau Cable TV. Its sports programming will run around the clock on Channels 34 to 37, offering live events with commentary in either English or Cantonese.
Founded in 2017, M Plus operates on a subscription model, streaming major global competitions including Europe’s top five football leagues, Japan’s J-League, the NBA, Korean basketball, and Australia’s NBL. The platform has maintained a long-standing collaboration with Macau SLOT, the city’s only licensed sports betting and lottery operator.
Betting Activity Expected to Climb
Industry watchers expect this media rights deal to boost both the platform’s popularity and Macau’s sports betting revenues. Around 90% of M Plus users already engage in betting, according to the company.
Alan Yung, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at M Plus Sports Media, noted that for many fans, watching and wagering go hand in hand — and without betting, some may lose interest in following the matches altogether.
Official figures from Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau show that football accounted for 66% of the legal sports betting market in 2024, followed by basketball at 33%. Combined, sports betting and lottery generated MOP 57.66 billion (around €6.7 billion) in revenue. With such numbers, experts believe M Plus’ EPL rights could further fuel market growth.
Exclusive Content at a Strategic Price
The EPL, widely regarded as the most commercially valuable football league in the world, attracts hundreds of millions of viewers each season. M Plus charges MOP 15 (about €1.75) per match, or an annual fee of MOP 2,980 (about €347.50). Analysts say the pricing, paired with exclusivity, will draw in fans unable to watch through other channels — translating into more engagement and potentially higher betting volumes.
Football and basketball remain the mainstay of Macau’s regulated sports betting sector. With horse racing — once a popular betting option — officially discontinued in April 2024, the value of M Plus’ EPL rights to Macau’s betting ecosystem is seen as even greater.
