The Premier League is hoping to expand its reach to the rest of the world, with the idea of playing competitive matches around the globe on the table.
According to the Athletic, the long term project for the English league is to play games on foreign soil, as discussed in their AGM this June. The aim is to expand the reach of their product to the likes of India, China, USA and Indonesia.
In 2008, there was the idea of the clubs in the Premier League playing a 39th game, one more than the usual 38, on foreign soil. The extra game would see the Premier League clubs earn £5 million more than they did throughout the season. This fixture would take place abroad, in a stadium away from England and would hence result in a big payday.
However, the plan was scrapped after a lot of negative reinforcement by governing bodies such as the English FA, UEFA, FIFA and supporter’s groups of clubs.
But while the plan to hold the extra game has been discarded, the plot to drive the location of the matches away from England is still on the table. It will be a few years before such a system can be realised, and if it goes through, will result in a massive surge of revenue for the English league. The extra broadcast and ticket sales revenue would further strengthen the Premier League as the biggest football league in the world.
