The Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), the organisation responsible for steering the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL), is relishing its momentum. Now in its second year under the title partnership of Wray & Nephew, the league has taken meaningful steps forward in competitiveness, player development, and fan engagement.
The 14-team league was contested across three rounds in the recently concluded season—a bold shift from the traditional two—to give players a lot more playing time and offered fans more action-packed days. Cavalier FC successfully retained their title with victory over Mount Pleasant FA in the final.
According to PFJL CEO Owen Hill, a former JPL player himself, this move was not about quantity, but quality.
"The impact of the third round of the season was two-fold. One, it allowed for the teams to play for more minutes, and what that does is enhance the objective of development—we want them to have that stronger developmental pathway,” said Hill.
Hill further explained that the opportunities were purposeful.
“It gave coaches, teams, and clubs greater flexibility to rotate squads to showcase talent across the board. More rounds meant more games. More games meant the ability for more players to be exposed and for wider exposure. With increased digital exposure and more matches, we’re not only growing the game locally but also marketing our players globally. That visibility directly supports our goal of player sales and the broader commercialisation of the league,” Hill reasoned.
That exposure is already paying dividends. Several local-based JPL players participated in the recent Unity Cup in England, where Jamaica finished as runners-up. Most of those athletes featured in the JPL’s final four, a testament to the league’s rising standard.
Although the crowd numbers dipped slightly for this year’s final, which coincided with Labour Day, Hill believes the product on the field more than made up for it.
"We had some constraints, but the atmosphere was impressive. While we saw a solid number, last year we saw a greater number coming through the turnstile. Fans got a real show, especially the drama of the penalty shootout at the end,” he said.
As the commercial value of the league continues to increase, Hill believes that the vision of the PFJL and Wray & Nephew is slowly being realised.
"This has been year two of an overall vision and strategy, so we are grateful for the support so far, and we hope to take it further. The commercial value has tremendously increased. Wray & Nephew have amplified the mission and the strategy.
"Their support, along with our league partners and centre-chest partners, is attracting more and more people and driving revenue. We continue our efforts to build out the commercial value of the product, and we understand that having a Super Final helps to do that. So yes, we are happy, not necessarily comfortable, but happy with the progress,” he said.
Finally, Hill also reiterated the value that television coverage has proven to be a game-changer.
“More people are supporting their local clubs by wearing team jerseys, and that’s another commercial variable that we are very big on. Television exposure gives players a platform to shine, and that aligns with our player strategy, so we hope we continue to gain more earned media coverage. We are very grateful for Wray & Nephew as the title partners and the others who have stepped up massively,” he concluded.