The Hong Kong Premier League (), officially known as the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League () for sponsorship reasons, is a professional football league in Hong Kong organised by the Football Association of Hong Kong. Its inaugural season began in September 2014, and it is the top division of the Hong Kong football league system.
History On 7 February 2013, the Hong Kong Football Association stated that the new Premier League would get under way in Autumn 2014, where it was suggested that the 2013–14 season would be a transition year. As a result, the 2013–14 Hong Kong First Division League was the last season of the First Division to be the top tier of football in the Hong Kong league system.
The clubs already in the top division initially reacted negatively to the perceived increased running costs of competing in a professional league, particularly one where some felt that there was little difference to the old First Division. Five clubs – Citizen, Southern, Sun Hei, Happy Valley and Tuen Mun all eventually decided against joining the new league, which led to fears that the HKFA's plan to start the league with a minimum of 8 teams would not be possible. In the end, however, through public funding and government support, two teams from the Hong Kong Second Division were able to meet the new league licence requirements and were promoted, making a total of 9 teams for the first season.
With the recent completion of 'Project Phoenix' which started in 2011, the league has seen some improvements with further amendments planned for the future. This includes a new five-year funding agreement, a new licensing scheme for league member clubs, prize money for all participating teams and new measures put in place against corruption and match-fixing.
Kitchee were crowned as champions of the inaugural season, after amassing a total of 36 points in the league with only 2 losses. Tai Po finished bottom of the league with only 7 points.
The following season, Eastern won the league with a game to spare, winning their first top flight championship in 20 years. They also created history, as they were the first team in the world to win a top flight men's title whilst being managed by a female coach. Wong Tai Sin were relegated after finishing last in the league.
In the 2016–17 season, Kitchee reclaimed the title on the final day of the season in a showdown with rivals Eastern, a game which they won 4–1. Eastern later won the End-of-Season playoffs and will therefore also compete along with Kitchee in the 2018 AFC Champions League. HKFC finished bottom of the table, and were thus automatically relegated to the First Division.
Kitchee successfully defended their title in the 2017–18 season, becoming the first club to repeat as champions the following year.
In the 2018–19 season, Tai Po won the league, becoming the first district team to win a top flight title since Yuen Long in 1962–63.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021–22 season was curtailed and ultimately cancelled, with the championship withheld: this was the first time a top flight league season had been cancelled since the Second World War.
Since 2022–23 season, the Premier League Committee was established. The committee focuses on promoting the Hong Kong Premier League in the market and seeking commercial sponsorships, and achieving box office revenue sharing.
In the 2023–24 season, the video assistant referee (VAR) review system was introduced. Lee Man won the league with a game to spare, winning their first ever top flight championship.
Format The first season kicked off in September 2014, with 9 teams competing for the championship. It was initially suggested that a relegation system would not apply for the first few seasons, and that teams would continue to be promoted to the top-tier league until there were 12 member clubs.改革港足長遠擬增博彩 鳳凰計劃拍板 in Chinese, from Apple Daily In the end, however, the HKFA decided that one club would be relegated and one club would be promoted from the 2014–15 Hong Kong First Division League.
By 2016–17, the league had expanded to 11 teams. The HKFA promoted Tai Po and HKFC who had finished at the top of the 2015–16 Hong Kong First Division into the league while adding expansion teams Hong Kong Sapling and R&F. Wong Tai Sin were relegated from the previous season and Metro Gallery chose to self relegate due to financial difficulties.
For the 2017–18 season, the league moved down to ten teams after Hong Kong's most successful and longest running top flight club South China chose to relegate themselves to the First Division in a shock move after the departure of their chairman, and them failing to find suitable financial means to keep the club in the Premier League. HKFC were also relegated after finishing bottom of the table.
The current champions of the league and the champions of the Hong Kong FA Cup qualify for the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two. Previously the FA Cup winners and the teams finishing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th competed in an end of season playoff for the final spot in the AFC Champions League, but this format was abolished after the 2016–17 season.
Reserve / U22 League From 2014 to 2023, each Hong Kong Premier League team form their own reserve team which competes in the Hong Kong Reserve League.
Starting from the 2024–25 season, each Hong Kong Premier League team form their own U22 team which competes in the Hong Kong U22 League.
Clubs As of the 2026–27 season, a total of 11 teams currently participate in the Hong Kong Premier League.
2026–27 Club2025–26 PositionFoundedHome stadiumFirst seasonTotal seasonsFirst season of current spellNo. of season of current spellNo. of titles Most recent titles Eastern4th1932Mong Kok Stadium2014–15132014–151312015–16Eastern District8th2002Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground2025–2622025–2620–HKFC10th1886HKFC Stadium2016–1772021–2260 –KitcheeChampion1931Mong Kok StadiumTseung Kwan O Sports Ground2014–15132014–151372025–26Kowloon City6th2002Sham Shui Po Sports Ground2024–2532024–2530 –Lee Man3rd2017Mong Kok Stadium 2017–18102017–181012023–24North District5th2002North District Sports Ground2023–2442023–2440–Rangers9th1958Tsing Yi Sports Ground2014–15122019–2080–Southern7th2002Aberdeen Sports Ground2015–16122015–16120–Sha Tin9th in First Division1982Sha Tin Sports Ground2026–2712026–2710–Tai Po2nd2002Tai Po Sports Ground2014–15102022–23522024–25
Defunct / Relegated teamsTeamFoundedFirst seasonLast seasonTotal seasons2026–27 season statusWong Tai Sin19792014–152015–162First DivisionYFCMD / Dreams Metro Gallery20082014–152015–162First DivisionSouth China19102014–152016–173First DivisionBiu Chun Glory Sky / Dreams FC20112016–172018–193DefunctHoi King20152018–192018–191First DivisionR&F20162016–172019–204DefunctYuen Long19582014–152019–206First DivisionHappy Valley19502019–202020–212DefunctPegasus20082014–152020–217Third DivisionResources Capital19822020–212023–244First DivisionHK U2320212021–222023–243DefunctSham Shui Po20022022–232023–242First Division
Timeline
Stadia and locations
EasternLee ManEastern DistrictHKFCKitcheeKowloon CityNorth DistrictMong Kok StadiumSiu Sai Wan Sports GroundHKFC StadiumTseung Kwan O Sports GroundKai Tak Youth Sports GroundNorth District Sports GroundCapacity: 6,664Capacity: 11,981Capacity: 2,750Capacity: 3,500Capacity: 5,000Capacity: 2,500RangersSha TinSouthernTai PoTsing Yi Sports GroundSha Tin Sports GroundHammer Hill Road Sports GroundAberdeen Sports GroundTai Po Sports GroundCapacity: 1,500Capacity: 2,540Capacity: 2,200Capacity: 9,000Capacity: 3,200
Champions
No.SeasonChampionRunner-upsNo. of teamsNo. of rounds12014–15KitcheeEastern91822015–16EasternKitchee91832016–17KitcheeEastern112242017–18KitcheeTai Po101852018–19Tai PoR&F101862019–20KitcheeEastern101872020–21KitcheeEastern81782021–22Abandoned due toCOVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong81792022–23KitcheeLee Man1018102023–24Lee ManTai Po1122112024–25Tai PoLee Man927122025–26KitcheeTai Po1023122026–271122
Titles by clubs ClubWinsYearsKitchee72014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2025–26Tai Po22018–19, 2024–25Eastern12015–16Lee Man12023–24
Attendance record SeasonNo. of matchesTotal AverageHighestLowest2014–157275,4311,048Kitchee 2–2 South China3,523Rangers 2–0 Yuen Long2092015–167273,3341,019Eastern 3–1 South China4,130Rangers 5–0 Southern2712016–17110101,222920Eastern 1–4 Kitchee6,413R&F 5–3 Rangers1002017–189086,074956Eastern 1–8 Kitchee5,415Rangers 1–1 Dreams FC2332018–199084,265936Kitchee 1–1 Eastern3,489R&F 3–0 Hoi King992019–206034,903793Kitchee 5–0 Happy Valley2,772Rangers 1–7 R&F2402020–216872,5601,067Kitchee 2–0 Eastern7,802Southern 4–1 Resources Capital3082021–221513,498900Kitchee 1–0 Eastern3,163HK U23 2–2 HKFC2602022–239067,454749Kitchee 2–2 Lee Man6,489HK U23 1–1 HKFC1352023–2411063,490577Kitchee 2–3 Lee Man2,310HKFC 5–0 Sham Shui Po792024–2510874,011685Eastern 3–3 Tai Po2,455Rangers 3–1 North District1722025–2611081,774743Eastern 0–1 Kitchee2,706Rangers 5–2 HKFC178
Prize money
The money for the each placement of the table is as follows.
Final placing Prize money (HK$) Champions 720,000 Runners-up 325,000 Third 180,000 Fourth 125,000 Fifth 90,000 Sixth 60,000 Seventh 50,000 Eighth 40,000 Ninth 30,000 Tenth 20,000
Media coverage Live matches and highlights shows are provided through ontv and RTHK TV in Cantonese.
With regards to English coverage, the official HKFA website, and to a lesser extent the South China Morning Post, provide match reports, player interviews, club information and league data. The Hong Kong Football Podcast also covers the HKPL on a fortnightly basis.
Other tournaments Domestic tournaments FA Cup (1975–present) Senior Shield (1896–present) League Cup (2000–2009, 2010–2012, 2014–2016, 2025–present) U22 League (2024–present) Community Cup (2014–2018) Reserve League (1956–2023) Sapling Cup (2015–2025)
Continental tournaments AFC Champions League Two (2004–2016, 2019–2022, 2024–present) AFC Champions League Elite (2002–2003, 2014–2024)
References
External links
Hong Kong Premier League at Soccerway