AS THE English Premier League (“EPL”) heads towards an exciting finale with the city of Manchester taking center-stage and sides, the writing is on the wall- the ‘greatest show on earth’ as the EPL is popularly known, is now in place to become the ‘greatest league on the planet’. As the league floats the broadcasting rights tender for both the UK and soon across international territories, there is no reason to doubt the clout of the EPL. And, from a governance and accountability standpoint, the EPL has thus far managed to create a corporate structure which ensures fluidity, international investment after proper due diligence, and has self-guided measures and safeguards that will likely enable expansion and growth without compromising on its fiduciary responsibilities.
No other sport or professional sports league can compete with football or the EPL, respectively. Football is a global sport and the EPL is a global league. Barring any event of Force Majeure, the EPL will redefine what a global league ought to be over the next few years. And, the ‘center of the world’ theory will only strengthen its case for supremacy, with GMT timings for its matches making viewership convenient across the world, and global outreach and recognition of its teams and players.
And, the EPL can and will grow even further as it taps South Asia, Africa, and now, with increased U.S. ownership in EPL clubs and forward Clint Dempsey making waves for Fulham on the pitch, there’s even a chance that North Americans will embrace the EPL heading into Euro 2012 this June, and the FIFA World Cup in 2014 at Brazil.
In a year where the UEFA fair play regulations are set to be implemented, the irony is in the fact that the EPL has no possible competitor- not even La Liga, putting the latter in its place by effectively shutting it out of the Champions League finals ( with more than a little help from Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga). With Pep Guardiola resigning from Barcelona and apparently being actively pursued by EPL contenders, and Jose Mourinho extremely keen to return to the Premiership after a somewhat tepid stint at Real despite the league title this season, there could be a further boost to personnel in an already loaded league from a management perspective. The icing on the cake would be if teams with money to spend such as Man City manage to attract players like Cristiano Ronaldo and his La Liga colleagues to play in the EPL over the next few years. Time will tell.
But, for now, EPL has the perfect contender blend of upstart, elite, pedigreed and aristocratic. The ‘Big 4’ syndrome is effectively cauterized and one should now expect to see the sustainable success of clubs like Tottenham, Newcastle, Everton, and of course Manchester’s favorite tipple- Man City. What’s even more frightening for rival leagues in football and beyond is that the old brigade is as competitive as it has ever been. Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are still contenders at the Premiership, Champions League, or the FA Cup. So, the EPL’s only previous criticism- that of being top-heavy, is no longer valid.
For India, the EPL spells the future. Gradually increasing viewership over the years has exploded recently with significant gains in TRP’s, making it a clear number two after cricket, and now knocking on the latter’s door for the previously uncontested spot at the pinnacle of Indian fandom. Increased participation in football, a true synergizing of merchandise and licensed goods, and grass-roots tie ups with Premiership clubs makes the EPL the single most visible brand across sports apparel, equipment, and of course, hospitality establishments. For us Indians, it only gets better. Once the focus shifts to the Middle-East with the World Cup in Qatar, the initiatives in South Asia will increase megafold, given that EPL clubs including Man City and Arsenal have sponsorship or ownership ties to the Middle East.
The discrete bundling of broadcast rights in the UK tender initially will likely be emulated in the global tender as well. In all likelihood, this means that there could be more than two broadcasters for the EPL in Asia and specifically in India.
Keep an eye out for multiple broadcasters each initiating promotional activities and on-ground activations that generate further interest in the Premiership. And, while the Blackburn ownership has not yet managed to create ripples at the Premiership or domestic level, Venky’s is still in the drivers seat when it comes to initiating far-reaching grass-roots development or boosting domestic professional football due to the simple fact that it already owns a Premiership team. Not only that, the team has history and pedigree to compete with the best- the only team outside of the big 3 (Man U, Chelsea, and Arsenal) to actually have won the league title, in 1994-95.
European football is watched globally and the EPL is in pole position to assume the mantle of the most valuable professional sports league in the world. The recently contested Manchester Derby won by Man City was expected to be the most watched sports event in the history of sports, beating out world cups, world series, and super bowls along the way. With a live broadcast in over 200 countries, and rampant speculation regarding high profile player and coach transfers to elite EPL teams over the next few years, the EPL is the hottest property in sports. And, it has room to expand and grow both based on its internal structure as a corporation with equal shareholder rights for the 20 clubs, and also across the global map in the largest markets across the world. That’s the luxury that the premier league in the most popular sport across the world can enjoy. Fortunately for the EPL, it isn’t becoming complacent and seems to have the vision that is helping it achieve its unique positioning in the most constructive manner with a well-structured growth plan. The Golden Boot goes to the Champion League.
