Some 32 years since the old First Division in English football was scrapped, its replacement, the Premier League, goes from strength to strength.
The most remarkable aspect of its success is that it’s not just hugely popular in the UK, but all around the world. It’s estimated that while it runs from August to May the action is broadcast to 800 million homes in nearly 190 countries. It has also notched up an incredible 1 billion followers on social media, all eager for news of the 20 clubs that go to make up the top tier in English football.
There are a number of reasons why the League has achieved this level of popularity worldwide, arguably far greater than its main rivals like La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A. And they’re not all simply because England can claim to be the country that first invented the so-called “beautiful game”.
The Teams
It’s the 20 teams that are at the heart of the appeal of the Premier League. Their geographical spread means that wherever fans live in England and Wales they generally have a nearby team to support.
Of course, there are clusters around the major population centres. For example London boasts seven different teams and there are also a number in the north-west of the country.
One also only has to look at the iconic names of some of the teams like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea to see that many of them have a very special place in the history and the folklore of the game.
What’s more, their popularity goes right round the world, even to America where the five top teams are all from the Premier League.
This is something that has been actively fostered by teams like Manchester United whose pre-season tours even visit the Far East to establish fanbases there.
The Players
It’s hard to believe that in the inaugural season of the Premier League there were a mere 13 international players in the 20 teams. Today, around 66% of the players are from overseas. There have even been a number of matches when teams have fielded an eleven without a single English player in the lineup, a trend started by Chelsea in 1999.
The huge amounts of money injected into the game in the form of broadcasting rights have meant that many teams have had almost unlimited budgets to offer top salaries to the world’s best players. This has also served to attract world-class managers like Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. To give an idea of the figures involved, Sky TV are thought to have paid £6.7 billion to screen 215 matches between 2025 and 2029.
So, where the best players and managers are, the higher the level of skills you’ll see on the pitch.
The UK’s gambling culture
When it comes to gambling the UK is very much a country in its thrall. In the year ending March 2023 a total of £15.1 billion was spent across the whole activity.
Online betting leads the way with a particular emphasis on casino betting. Many of these casino operators are also now offering sportsbooks where players seeking safe payments often opt for ones that accept PayPal.
Within sports betting, soccer leads the way by a considerable margin, accounting for £1.1 billion a year in revenue. While some of this will be on teams in lower leagues as well as in foreign ones, it’s the Premier League that has taken the lion’s share.
This situation has also been encouraged by the sportsbooks themselves. Many have sponsorship deals with the leading clubs as well as having extensive advertising in and around the grounds themselves.
For many fans, being able to bet on their favourite Premier League teams and players enhances the enjoyment of watching – and, thus, the League’s overall popularity.
Upsets and surprises
One of the greatest betting coups ever in football came in the Premier League in the 2015/16 season.
Lowly Leicester City started off at odds of 5000/1 that they were going to win the League. But soccer is a game of surprises. So by dogged determination, and more than a little luck, they managed the remarkable feat of claiming the title.
While this does seem to have been a one-off with Manchester City now seemingly set to win year after year, every season does have its surprise results. Last year it was when Bournemouth, a small club from the south coast, beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford. Another big shock came when Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Manchester City 2-1 at home.
So it all adds up to a heady cocktail of soccer entertainment – as well as a League that looks like it’s going to be at the top of its game for many seasons to come.