Will Premier League host games abroad like rivals?
US ownership influence may reach 'tipping point'
There are 11 US-owned clubs in the top flight, closer than ever to the two-thirds majority of 14 that is needed to impose changes to the Premier League's rules.A third of EFL clubs are also partially or majority US-owned, and a number of English clubs are for sale or seeking fresh investment, so it may not be long until that tipping point is reached.With Serie A and La Liga announcing their intention to take matches to Australia and the USA, respectively, and with major US sports leagues regularly playing regular-season games overseas, it would be no surprise if American owners of Premier League clubs pushed to do the same, especially given some of them also own US franchises in the NFL, NBA and MLB.Last year Liverpool chairman Tom Werner told the Financial Times that he hoped to see Premier League games played in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Riyadh and Rio de Janeiro, raising fears among some fans of an attempted resurrection of the '39th game' concept that was considered and then abandoned by the Premier League in 2008 after a fan backlash.Niall Couper, chief executive of football campaign group Fair Game, told BBC Sport that "the recent revival of ideas like a 39th game played abroad is a stark warning sign".
Couper added: "It shows a willingness to prioritise global markets over local fans and to turn our national game into a global entertainment brand rather than a sacred institution."Last year, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told BBC Sport there were no plans to reintroduce such an idea, and Bournemouth's American owner Bill Foley has said he does not support staging league matches abroad.Earlier this year, Tom Wagner - the US owner of Birmingham City - told me the idea of playing some domestic cup matches overseas should be 'seriously considered', but distanced himself from the idea of staging regular season matches overseas. The UK government was reportedly considering tabling an amendment to the Football Governance Bill in order to prevent any possibility of staging league matches overseas, but chose not to do so.
'La Liga needs to compete with Premier League'
In 2018, Barcelona abandoned plans to play a league fixture against Girona in Miami because of a "lack of consensus", despite having support from La Liga. The RFEF and players' union (AFE) were vocal in objecting to the move, but the former has changed its position."Spanish football is determined to establish a strong presence in football's two biggest growth markets: the Middle East and the United States," said Spanish football expert Andy West."The former is already served by the Super Cup, a four-team mid-season event which has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020."West added: "Of course, La Liga is aware of the need to compete financially with the Premier League, and exploiting the pulling power of Barcelona and Real Madrid is its strongest suit."And, considering its Spanish-speaking heritage, the local team's links with Barcelona (Messi, Suarez et al), and its emerging status as a power base for the global game – with Fifa moving more and more of its operations to South Florida – Miami is an obvious location."
'Premier League edge may start to erode'
For some Premier League club owners, the financial appeal of hosting matches abroad is hard to ignore. With median matchday revenues below £1m, the contrast with markets like the U.S. is striking. American fans routinely pay premium prices for elite sport and NFL tickets average $132 (£105). In a 60,000-seat stadium, similar to Tottenham's NFL setup, that equates to £6.3m per match, excluding merchandise and hospitality.Top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs, already earning £5m+ per home game, could command even higher prices overseas, backed by global fanbases likely to fill foreign stadiums. But for smaller clubs like Bournemouth or Burnley, hosting a home game abroad risks losing the advantage of having the majority of fans giving vocal support, especially against globally popular opponents.
With each Premier League place worth £3.5m in prize money, the competitive cost of diminished fan support could outweigh commercial gains. According to the Deloitte Money League, 14 Premier League clubs ranked in the global top 30. Yet if La Liga or Serie A begin staging overseas fixtures, the Premier League's edge may start to erode.
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