American TV giant NBC wants Premier League games to be played in the United States on the opening weekend of the season amid a renewed bid to take top-flight matches outdoors of England.
NBC is the Premier League’s American broadcast associate and its newest TV take care of the English top-flight, value £2bn throughout six seasons, is the most important outdoors of the UK.
The Premier League’s chief government Richard Masters mentioned final week that the “door looks ajar” to fixtures being played in America, though there aren’t any plans to take action presently.
That was after Fifa dropped authorized motion towards LaLiga, following the Spanish top-flight’s bid to stage a sport between Barcelona and Girona in Miami again in 2018.
The Premier League beforehand tried to take fixtures aboard in 2008 – in the so-called ‘39th game’ – however plans have been shelved following a backlash from followers and opposition from Fifa.
But the opposition from soccer’s governing physique seems to be softening and now a senior government at NBC Sports, which first acquired Premier League broadcasting rights in 2013, has mentioned that there shall be a renewed “push” to stage fixtures in the US.
“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,” Jon Miller, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and partnerships, informedThe Athletic.
“And I do know that’s one thing that we’ll proceed to push for as a result of I feel that there’s an American viewers right here that want to see common season games.
“But in the meantime, we’ll proceed to work with the Premier League to do every little thing we are able to to make the games accessible to as many individuals as doable.”
The Football Supporters Association reacted strongly to the feedback, and posted a press release on Twitter/X: “We defeated Game 39 in 2008 and we’d attack any attempted revival with a full blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle.”
The president of Spain’s LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has mentioned the Spanish top-fight might play aggressive games in the United States as quickly because the 2025-26 season.