Premier League risks revolt if meaningful matches move to USA
NBC Sports is continuing to push for Premier League regular season matches to be played in the USA. The massive media company has had exclusive broadcasting rights to the English top flight in America since 2013. Their latest six-year deal with Premier League officials, which began back in 2022, is worth $2.7 billion.
American interest in the Premier League has exploded during the partnership with NBC. The network has undoubtedly done a fantastic job promoting and covering the division in recent years. This growth was on display during a recent matchup between Arsenal and Manchester City. The game, which eventually played out to a 0-0 draw, tallied a total of 2.6 million viewers across NBC’s platforms. It was a record for an English match broadcasted in the States.
NBC executive admits to positive talks with Premier League about USA games
Due to rising interest and their massive investment, NBC would love to capitalize financially by hosting Premier League games in America. Jon Miller, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and sponsorship, even claimed that his network has already held discussions with English officials regarding the move.
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“We’ve had conversations with the Premier League and they’ve been very open and receptive to listening to me,” Miller told The Athletic.
“At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games open the season here in big stadiums on our opening weekend. And I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular-season games. But in the meantime, we’ll continue to work with the Premier League to do everything we can to make the games available to as many people as possible.”
Fans generally do not support playing regular-season matches abroad
Potentially being able to attend a regular season Premier League game would make many American soccer fans happy. After all, making the trip across the pond is just too expensive for a lot of people. Nevertheless, English soccer executives should resist the money grab and keep Premier League matches in England.
Other soccer federations have come under fire in recent months for holding meaningful matches in other nations. Turkish clubs and fans blasted officials for holding their Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. Italian and Spanish executives also endured similar aggression for moving their cups to the Middle East. Both deals provided the leagues with massive monetary deals.
Players, the most important people involved in the sport, are also already complaining about being overworked. FIFA and other governing bodies have continued to expand schedules to various competitions throughout the year. As a result, burnout and even injuries are up significantly among European players. Adding more travel for these players would only exacerbate the ongoing issue.
American soccer fans may point to the fact that the NFL currently schedules multiple regular season games in Europe. Nevertheless, the move is generally unfavorable across the board. Players, coaches, and fans typically do not support playing games across the pond. The NFL, however, insists due to the financial aspects of the deal. This would be similar to the Premier League hosting matches here in the States.
While the Premier League may be listening to NBC’s pitch, English officials may not be too receptive to the idea. Richard Masters, the division’s chief executive, recently claimed that while the door is “ajar” to schedule matches overseas, the Premier League is not currently considering the move.
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