Premier League CEO breaks silence on playing games in USA after pre-season trial
Multiple top-flight teams took part in the Premier League Summer Series throughout July, staging friendly games in the United States at an array of locations - but CEO Richard Masters does not expect league games to make their way across the Atlantic.
The likes of Chelsea, Brighton, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham and Brentford all took part in the mini-tournament, the first time a Premier League event has been hosted in the United States. Premier League teams have played pre-season games in the United States for some time, but the demand for action has increased rapidly over the past few years leading to an official competition taking place.
As many as 10 Premier League teams are now either owned by an American or have a majority shareholder from the United States, and there's growing concern amongst fans that competitive games could one day be staged overseas. The Premier League also opened their first official office in the United States this summer, moving employees into a New York space.
But despite all of the Premier League growth in America and a "different" summer experience, CEO Richard Masters has dismissed reports that the United States could host games in the near future. "Akash Jain is our new managing director for the U.S. He’s employee number one," Masters said, via The Athletic.
"His job is to help continue to grow soccer, which is their fourth sport and to grow the Premier League and to help to get more fans. They’re watching on NBC who are doing a fantastic job as broadcasters in the U.S.
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"It was really reaffirming being in the U.S. this summer for the Premier League summer series, when we sold 270,000 tickets across the games and three of them were sold out. It felt really very different.
"The Premier League has come away from being a niche interest, like it was a decade ago. Now it feels mainstream and, and he’s there really to take advantage of those opportunities and push us forward. But I don’t think we’re really any nearer a game abroad. It’s not part of my current plans."
Masters was in the United States this summer to oversee the event (2023 Getty Images)There has also been concern about the type of owners coming into the Premier League, with the 'Big Six' looking to break away to a European Super League in the past for heavy financial gain, and the Saudi takeover of Newcastle has also been controversial. "Clearly we want to be as transparent as possible and ownership is published," Masters said.
"We want everyone to have faith in the Premier League regulatory regime. We have a track record of responding to regulatory challenges. We know that there will be more in the future because the Premier League is a global game and we have to be ready for those regulatory challenges when they arrive.
"It’s a responsibility of not only domestic competitions like ourselves but also the regional and global bodies to respond and give protection to the whole of football when regulatory challenges arrive."
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