The latest Premier League transfer fee … HK$398

There will be a mixture of pleasure and pain for soccer fans as the broadcasting rights for the Barclays Premier League switches from Cable TV to Now TV next season - there will be new features but a bigger bill.

New subscribers will have to pay HK$398 a month and sign a two-year contract, Now TV announced yesterday after it signed an exclusive agreement with the English Premier League to broadcast the games for three seasons from 2013/14.

But those who subscribe before the end of this month will enjoy six months free - lengthening the total subscription period to 30 months and reducing the monthly fee to HK$206.

But the "discount" will not make much difference to die-hard soccer fans, who do not necessarily need the station until August when the new season kicks off.

In comparison, Hong Kong's largest pay-television operator Cable TV, which broadcasts the current Premier League season, charges about HK$300 a month for a package that includes football channels.

The higher price tag charged by Now TV will however be accompanied by new features.

One of them is a feature dubbed "time shift" - viewers who have missed the beginning of a match may choose to catch up on any match on a delayed-live basis.