The Premier League has launched an official channel on YouTube, having previously decided against setting up a collective presence on the Google-owned video sharing website, reports SportBusiness.

The YouTube.com/PremierLeague channel has gone live ahead of the start of the 2019-20 season this Friday.

However, the service will be focused on showcasing revamped archive videos, plus feature and community content from the league's 20 clubs, as opposed to match highlights.

In adding the channel, the Premier League has managed to carve out rights that will be deemed acceptable by stakeholders, protecting media rights-holders and the member clubs who have been able to monetise their digital audiences directly.

The Premier League said that the channel will "host a range of exclusive and unique videos reflecting the exciting and competitive nature of the competition," including archive footage presented in "new and compelling ways, providing thrilling highlights of the key players and matches in Premier League history."

YouTube, which has for some time talked publicly about its desire to bring an official Premier League channel onto its platform, was in the past regarded as a potential bidder for rights to the English top flight, albeit any interest never translated into a sizeable offer.

Despite the restrictions on match content available, the introduction of the YouTube channel will allow the Premier League to learn more about user data, its fanbase in different regions and how they interact with the content.

The channel has already attracted 104,000 subscribers in the 24 hours since its launch was announced.