By David Skilling
Whereas the NFL and NBA push to develop abroad and develop their worldwide fanbases, the Premier League finds itself in a really completely different place, one the place abroad growth merely isn’t a necessity.
The thought of taking part in league matches overseas has been mentioned for years, usually linked to its increasing world viewers and the rising affect of business companions searching for new income streams. NBC, the U.S. broadcaster presently paying the Premier League $2.7 billion for its six-year deal till 2028, has been vocal in its curiosity in bringing aggressive fixtures to North America.
Jon Miller, NBC Sports activities’ president of acquisitions and partnerships, has pushed for video games in the US, stating, “In some unspecified time in the future sooner or later, I might like to see a few Premier League video games”, “I do know that’s one thing that we’ll proceed to push for as a result of I believe that there’s an American viewers right here that want to see common season video games.”.
With so many US-based homeowners of Premier League golf equipment right now, it’s no shock there’s some help for abroad video games, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has urged internet hosting matches in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Riyadh as a part of a long-term imaginative and prescient to develop the membership’s world attain.
Nevertheless, whereas some stakeholders see abroad fixtures as a technique to strengthen the league’s business standing in the US, Premier League executives stay hesitant, little doubt partly as a result of response on the final try. When the idea of ‘Recreation 39’, an additional Premier League match performed abroad was first proposed in 2008, it was met with rapid backlash from English soccer followers and the Soccer Supporters’ Affiliation (FSA).
Not like the NBA and NFL, which depend on abroad video games to construct worldwide curiosity, the Premier League already enjoys immense world recognition. With a possible TV viewers of over 4.7 billion individuals throughout 212 territories (in line with Wikipedia), the league doesn’t have as a lot of a have to push itself into newer markets, particularly one the place it already has sturdy traction. In March 2024, the Manchester Metropolis v Arsenal match grew to become the most-watched Premier League match in United States historical past, with 2.12m viewers throughout NBC’s platforms.
Tony Scholes reaffirmed this place, stating:
“During the last couple of years, we have now performed various pre-season video games within the US. We now have a superb broadcast companion within the US and viewing figures are sturdy there. So I might personally say I don’t see a necessity to try this. And I might completely say there’s no conversations going down to do it.”
Time zones play an enormous function within the want for worldwide video games.
For U.S. followers, Premier League matches conveniently match into morning routines, in Los Angeles, followers can watch with breakfast; in New York, with their brunch. This pure scheduling benefit provides the league sturdy publicity with out forcing change. For European followers of the NFL or NBA, the expertise is way tougher. To observe American sports activities, followers have to remain up late into the evening, usually on Sundays when NFL video games are performed. It is a main inconvenience for these with work the following day.
As a substitute of introducing regular-season video games overseas, the Premier League’s focus stays on sustaining and enhancing its dominance by means of:
● Pre-season excursions – Golf equipment already journey to the U.S., Asia, and Australia through the summer season, permitting worldwide followers to expertise stay video games with out disrupting the home season.
● Broadcast partnerships – The NBC deal ensures sturdy visibility within the U.S., reinforcing the league’s presence with out requiring in-person fixtures.
● Strategic collaborations – Golf equipment have interaction worldwide audiences by means of model partnerships, social media initiatives, and digital content material methods.
● Localised fan engagement – Some golf equipment have opened worldwide workplaces and developed region-specific content material to strengthen connections with abroad supporters—with out taking video games away from English stadiums.
Whereas the NBA and NFL are actively working to develop by internet hosting regular-season video games overseas, the Premier League has far much less urgency to do the identical. It in the end comes right down to threat vs. reward, and for the Premier League, the reward doesn’t appear to outweigh the chance. The Premier League is already the most-followed soccer league globally. It’s increasing within the U.S. by means of media offers, with out disrupting its construction or alienating residence followers, proving that development doesn’t all the time require radical change.
The Membership World Cup this summer season and the 2026 World Cup within the U.S. will additional enhance consideration for soccer, and the Premier League is positioned to profit massively from that publicity without having to export aggressive fixtures.
That’s to not say the dialogue is over. As American possession within the Premier League turns into extra dominant, so will the strain to discover abroad fixtures. However for now, the league is staying the course, prioritising its core fanbase whereas leveraging present world attraction by means of much less disruptive means.
For English soccer followers, that’s seemingly the precise choice.
(Photographs from IMAGO)
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