The Premier League is once again considering the “Game 39” plan. The league’s chief executive Richard Scudamore is in favour of the money making regime instead of preserving the traditions of English football. And that is a good thing since the Premier League is a hungry beast that needs to adapt to maintain its status as the best league in the world.
For those of you who are not up to speed with the “Game 39” plan then here is a brief overview. In 2008, the Premier League proposed the controversial idea of hosting an extra game for each team in various global locations, hence a 39th round of games for the Premier League season. The idea was canned as stalwarts of the game didn’t really fancy an additional £80m of revenue each year.
However, the idea of a “Game 39” is back on the board, albeit with a slight change of plan. Instead of having a 39th fixture, clubs from the league are considering hosting one of their games 38 games overseas. Basically, the Premier League remains a 38-game league.
This will, of course, cause anger amongst many of the game’s English fans, knowing that at least once every two seasons, their club will play one of their home games, away from home. And on a purely footballing level, that could mean the difference between winning the league or second place.
Imagine if Manchester City were to play one of their home games in the 2011/12 season in the United States. They won 18 and drew once that season at home. Therefore the chances of maintaining that record was less likely if they played one of their home matches abroad. And in that scenario, their cross-city rivals Manchester United would have lifted the trophy that season and City would have had to wait another two seasons.
However, the idea of hosting ten games around the world each season would make good business sense. The Premier League is already one of the most dominant sports brands in the world and this would be the perfect opportunity to capitalise on the market they have created for themselves.
The Premier League generates around £5.5 billon in television revenue and every country in the world has some television deal in place apart from North Korea and Albania. Yes, even Tuvalu has Premier League rights.
The BBC’s Chief Business Correspondent Linda Yeuh explains why the world loves Premier League football. She states the obvious evolution of the game by citing the fact that are pre-season friendlies have become competitions and international tours. Just look at the success of the Barclays Premier League Asia Trophy in the “Tiger Economies.”
And there are bigger and simpler reasons why the Premier League is so popular. It’s in English. And the timezone is perfect for all international audiences. Linda Yeuh explains that it’s perfect for an American audience because a 3pm game kicks off at 10am in New York (Eastern Time). And over in the Far East it’s about 10 or 11pm making it perfect bedtime viewing.
She also explains that the Premier League is more diverse in how it hands out its wealth when it comes to TV rights. The top side claims a little over £100m whilst the bottom team claims around £60m. Compare that to other leagues and their television deals then it is no wonder the Premier League feels like an unpredictable battle royale. And with this sense of “sporting socialism,” one could argue that the Premier League is probably the most American non-American brand of sport in the world.
While the Premier League is not exactly the fairest system in the world and is not one that creates equality, it does a lot more for its sport than any other big European football league. And in that respect it echoes similarities with American sports brands such as the NFL, NBA and NHL, where the worst teams gets rewarded more (for instance, the worst team in the NFL gets to pick the best rookie in the following year’s draft) and creates a sense of equality—where any team can win. No wonder the Premier League is becoming more popular in North America.
You also have to look at the business success of the NFL’s International Series at Wembley. One NFL game can generate about £3million. The success of “America’s game” is so phenomenal in London that it now has three games at Wembley stadium each year with an average attendance of over 80,000. And there were reports yesterday that the England national side could make way and leave for a future NFL franchise in London.
On that basis it would be absolutely insane if the Premier League were not to follow in the NFL’s footsteps and potentially generate an extra £80m each year (that’s what a report in 2008 suggested how much the “Game 39” plan would make).
This summer saw Manchester United play Real Madrid in Michigan in front of 109,000 people. That’s a stupendous amount of people. Imagine the amount of revenue a real Premier League would draw, because the fans would actually be watching a real competition and they would be willing to pay inflated prices. Who knows, you might even start to get a proper international fanbase for clubs like Burnley.
And if there are fears of the Premier League becoming a franchise system mirroring what other American sports have then those fears should be dismissed. It will never happen due to the way the European game operates.
The bottom line is that the Premier League should really consider this opportunity. If people say money has ruined the game, then what is there to stop the game from evolving? Nothing. Just let it happen. The Premier League is a global market and it’s only fair that the international audience should get a thin slice of heaven. And, in turn, we could eventually see an even more unpredictable league with the new revenue coming in. Game 39 is definitely a good idea.
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