| Direction of travel is clear 18:34 - Aug 11 with 853 views | bluelagos |
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/11/barcelona-villarreal-la-liga-mi
20 years ago - if you'd described the influence of TV and of overseas markets on kick off times etc you'd have been laughed at. FA Cup final being moved, more games kicking off outside of 3pm on a Saturday than at 3pm on a Saturday...
Well now the plans to play a La Liga game in the US are within touching distance. We don't know exactly how this plays out, but my money is on the Prem following this at some point.
And once we establish the playing of games in 3rd countries, who knows how many the likes of Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea would like to have each year... |  |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 18:51 - Aug 11 with 705 views | surreyblue |
20 years ago probably isn't as far back - the 39th game debacle was already 17 years ago. If anything I'm amazed it has taken this long for it to happen, particularly given the success of the overseas NFL games. I would have thought that the community shield would be the first to go overseas.
Not that I support it in any way |  | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 18:52 - Aug 11 with 701 views | Stenvict |
The influence America is having on football is bad for the game, but unfortunately money talks.
The more American owners there are in the PL and EFL, the more likely league games will be played over there. | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 18:58 - Aug 11 with 643 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
That would be terrible but you are correct about the rapid developments. How long ago was it that there was rarely a match televised at all?
However, it would also be quite amusing if Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle all had their matches against each other in the US/China/etc, at 1 am on a Thursday and still had to play their normal Premier League fixture in England against the likes of Town at 3 pm on the Saturday. |  |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:03 - Aug 11 with 610 views | EastTownBlue |
Apparently 11 of the 20 PL clubs have US ownership,14 clubs are required to rewrite the PL rules. The old 39th game will soon be back on the agenda. | | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:04 - Aug 11 with 593 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:03 - Aug 11 by EastTownBlue |
Apparently 11 of the 20 PL clubs have US ownership,14 clubs are required to rewrite the PL rules. The old 39th game will soon be back on the agenda. |
39th game? How would that work? | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:10 - Aug 11 with 531 views | Illinoisblue |
| Direction of travel is clear on 18:52 - Aug 11 by Stenvict |
The influence America is having on football is bad for the game, but unfortunately money talks.
The more American owners there are in the PL and EFL, the more likely league games will be played over there. |
Counterpoint; American ownership has been very very good for us. |  |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:13 - Aug 11 with 503 views | bsw72 |
I would suggest that these conversations started 33 years ago when the Premier League was formed on the back of TV money, and was always going to be the direction of travel.
Sooner or later domestic TV market becomes less of a cash cow, this started to happen after about 5 or 6 years, that was when international TV rights to started to grow, and the international consumption of English top flight domestic football grew.
Finally in the last 15+ years we have started to see a lot more pre-season"tournaments" held overseas, initially in the APAC markets but more recently in the US market. The friendly match overseas expansion is now the seed to understand the appetite to actually host competitive games.
We are just following along with MLB (since 1996), NFL (since 2007) and now NBA as of the next couple of years. |  | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:13 - Aug 11 with 503 views | Stenvict |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:10 - Aug 11 by Illinoisblue |
Counterpoint; American ownership has been very very good for us. |
I'm not denying that. I remember when the Super League was being discussed and our owners came out and said they oppose it. That was easy for them to say at the time as we were in L1, but if we were in the PL, financially for them it would be beneficial. | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:17 - Aug 11 with 477 views | jontysnut |
I can't really see the point now. They might fill a ground somewhere but the income would surely be negligible given TV money during the regular season. MLS seems to be doing ok so unlike rugby or cricket, they're not doing missionary work to spread the game. |  | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:40 - Aug 11 with 370 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Why does everyone care so much if there is one league game which (would probably also be one of the big 4 clubs) played in the US? We've literally had a Winter World Cup.
The International series of the NFL has been great. [Post edited 11 Aug 19:41]
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:44 - Aug 11 with 326 views | bluefunk |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:40 - Aug 11 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Why does everyone care so much if there is one league game which (would probably also be one of the big 4 clubs) played in the US? We've literally had a Winter World Cup.
The International series of the NFL has been great. [Post edited 11 Aug 19:41]
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I think the reason is the movement away from the football club as a community asset, inevitable I guess but at PL level, as we saw last year, it no longer resembles that, and this represents another, even greater move in that direction. |  | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:52 - Aug 11 with 278 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:44 - Aug 11 by bluefunk |
I think the reason is the movement away from the football club as a community asset, inevitable I guess but at PL level, as we saw last year, it no longer resembles that, and this represents another, even greater move in that direction. |
I think everyone is following the wrong sport then!
I remember the Marcus Evans interview about there is no investor driving up the A12 when our ground was in a crappy state and club was stale and stuck in the mud.
PL is the biggest league in the world globally and it will explore revenue opportunities.
Can't have it each and every way to be honest! There is so many league games not sure why everyone is so panicked by this, it was very obviously going to happen. | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:55 - Aug 11 with 254 views | bluelagos |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:40 - Aug 11 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Why does everyone care so much if there is one league game which (would probably also be one of the big 4 clubs) played in the US? We've literally had a Winter World Cup.
The International series of the NFL has been great. [Post edited 11 Aug 19:41]
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If I thought it would stop at one game, I wouldn't be overly worried.
But those who wish to make as much money as possible from football, will want their clubs to play far more than 1 game a season overseas.
We have seen the game change immensely in the past 30 years - and we will see much change in the next 30 years. I just don't see the money men not wanting multiple games in multiple locations if they could get away with it.
Foreign ownership of clubs is primarily driven by owners wanting to maximise their profits - turnover - resale values. They care not a jot for the traditions of the game, why would they. Which is why I can't see them stopping at one game a season if they can make more money from multiple overseas matches in multiple locations... | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:56 - Aug 11 with 216 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:17 - Aug 11 by jontysnut |
I can't really see the point now. They might fill a ground somewhere but the income would surely be negligible given TV money during the regular season. MLS seems to be doing ok so unlike rugby or cricket, they're not doing missionary work to spread the game. |
Might fill a ground somewhere? Not sure you realize how big the PL is in the US market. They just had 60k in Chicago for pointless friendlies and NBC regular have fan festival type watch events attending by tens of thousands over the weekend.
A league game would drive huge revenue in any major city with tickets costing more than most fans season tickets in England. Sports pricing is very high over here. | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 19:58 - Aug 11 with 198 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:55 - Aug 11 by bluelagos |
If I thought it would stop at one game, I wouldn't be overly worried.
But those who wish to make as much money as possible from football, will want their clubs to play far more than 1 game a season overseas.
We have seen the game change immensely in the past 30 years - and we will see much change in the next 30 years. I just don't see the money men not wanting multiple games in multiple locations if they could get away with it.
Foreign ownership of clubs is primarily driven by owners wanting to maximise their profits - turnover - resale values. They care not a jot for the traditions of the game, why would they. Which is why I can't see them stopping at one game a season if they can make more money from multiple overseas matches in multiple locations... |
Traditions have long gone I am afraid, I think ITFC fans are the last club that showing be complaining about foreign investment. | |
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| Direction of travel is clear on 20:06 - Aug 11 with 125 views | BornDeleuze |
One day the Premier League will be like F1, travelling the world like a crazy carnival. |  | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 20:11 - Aug 11 with 67 views | bluefunk |
| Direction of travel is clear on 19:52 - Aug 11 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I think everyone is following the wrong sport then!
I remember the Marcus Evans interview about there is no investor driving up the A12 when our ground was in a crappy state and club was stale and stuck in the mud.
PL is the biggest league in the world globally and it will explore revenue opportunities.
Can't have it each and every way to be honest! There is so many league games not sure why everyone is so panicked by this, it was very obviously going to happen. |
Oh I realise the irony of Ipswich fans complaining about this, and you’re right we can’t have it both ways. Maybe it would have been best if the European Super League had happened, with no promotions or relegations, and left the rest of football to get on with their local leagues. Maybe it will in the future, as I can see the business appeal of no relegation. | | | |
| Direction of travel is clear on 20:13 - Aug 11 with 25 views | Illinoisblue |
| Direction of travel is clear on 20:11 - Aug 11 by bluefunk |
Oh I realise the irony of Ipswich fans complaining about this, and you’re right we can’t have it both ways. Maybe it would have been best if the European Super League had happened, with no promotions or relegations, and left the rest of football to get on with their local leagues. Maybe it will in the future, as I can see the business appeal of no relegation. |
Then you’ll end up with a league as irrelevant as MLS. | |
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