Aston Villa are aiming to make themselves heard in the US at a time when the chance to ‘crack’ America is high on the agenda for both Premier League and European rivals
With Aston Villa having ambitions to break up the dominance of the Premier League’s so-called ‘big six’ on a regular basis, key to the growth required to help bridge the financial gap will be just how effectively the club can cut through in the United States.
Villa owners Wes Edens (through his part ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team) and Nassef Sawiris (through his shareholding in Madison Square Garden Sports, the parent company of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers) will be well versed on the direction of travel for sports fandom in North America.
With the addition of capital and expertise from Atairos, the club is positioning itself for a run at competitive success in the coming years, something that will, in turn, yield greater financial returns. For decades the main focus of artists from outside the US was to ‘crack America’. That hasn’t really gone away, for those who do manage to gain relevance, platform, and popularity in the land of the stars and stripes can be sure to be bestowed with plenty of riches.
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Football is now where music was, and America is a willing consumer of European ‘soccer’, and in a big way. While the domestic league of the MLS may still have some way to go, even if the Lionel Messi effect at Inter Miami has helped raise the profile to a level not seen since David Beckham joined LA Galaxy back in 2007, the Premier League is resonating with a US audience.
Broadcasters see this trend, and with the FIFA World Cup heading stateside in 2026 there is a unique opportunity for clubs to get a foothold in the American market and appeal to a mass, English-language audience with disposable income.
Like five of the ‘big six’, Villa will be heading out to the US this summer, taking in friendlies with Columbus Crew in Columbus, Ohio, before a game against Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in Harrisburg, New Jersey. It will be a chance for Villa to showcase their wares to a US audience at a crucial time, with the potential of a ‘39th game’ seeming closer than it has been for more than 15 years.
It is an idea that has been kicked around for many a year. At a shareholder meeting of 20 member Premier League clubs back in February 2008 the idea was proposed, and supported by a number of prominent club owners, that a 39th game would arrive on the calendar of English football’s top tier.
At a time when the Premier League and English Football Association chose to ignore the views of the wider football pyramid and do away with replays in the FA Cup from the first round proper onwards, with the stresses and strains of such a demanding schedule at the top one of the chief reasons for doing so, the idea of a 39th game now seems laughable. And while it might not be an additional game, the idea behind it is almost certain to manifest itself over the coming years
The idea of ‘Game 39’ was to play an extra round of Premier League matches outside of England in a bid to grow the brand of the world’s most popular domestic football league even further. Markets such as Asia and North America were the targets, both with huge demographics where football was seen to have enormous scope for growth.
Speaking to the Athletic earlier this week, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and partnerships, Jim Miller, addressed the potential for a Premier League game to be held in America. NBC Sports are currently in a six-year deal with the Premier League to broadcast games in the US.
Miller said: “We’ve had conversations with the Premier League and they’ve been very open and receptive to listening to me. We did the Premier League Summer Series (in pre-season) last year where we had six teams come over; Fulham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. We had nine games in seven days in five cities around America (and 265,000 fans were in attendance). It was great.”
Premier League CEO Richard Masters’ stance has been that it is not something that the league are actively pursuing, but it is something where the door remains ‘ajar’ for developments in the future. The idea was that the games would begin from the 2010/11 season, when a new television broadcast rights deal was to begin. But in the May of 2010, and with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter having expressed his opposition to the idea, it was announced that it was no longer an avenue that the Premier League was actively pursuing.
But just as will happen with the European Super League (ESL), whether it be in five, 10, 15, or 20 years’ time, as certain traditions become held in less high regard by new generations who consume the sport in different ways, there will be a moment in time where the idea is tweaked enough to pacify fans. When the opposition starts to soften, that’s when the moves will be made.
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