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[Editor’s note: This article comes from the 2025-26 Athlon Sports Premier League Preview magazine. , or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]
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Sidelined with a damaged arm, Tim Ream thought his time with Fulham in the course of the 2023 Premier League Summer time Soccer Collection can be uneventful.
Not fairly.
After taking part in a press convention in Philadelphia, the US Males’s Nationwide Staff middle again discovered about Individuals followers’ devotion to the Cottagers at a Fan Fest earlier than the collection opener at Lincoln Monetary Area. Ream signed autographs, handed out T-shirts, took photos with supporters in entrance of a duplicate Premier League trophy and a Craven Cottage picture, and selfies with followers on recreation day.
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“It was just a little bit loopy,” Ream stated. “I’ve by no means been on a musical tour, however it felt like being rock stars.”
And Fulham had completed tenth!
Ream’s expertise wasn’t the exception; it was the norm. American soccer followers love their English groups.
“The Premier League is one of the best home league in world soccer. I feel a part of why it’s caught on right here is the excessive degree of play,” stated Collin Whitehead, president of the 200-member-strong Northwest Arkansas Gooners, who observe Arsenal. “Story strains are so attention-grabbing—who’s gonna win the league, qualify for Europe, get relegated, which managers get the sack, big-six video games, late winners, miraculous objectives. With no playoffs on the finish, each recreation issues. I feel Individuals have discovered it straightforward to be immersed by the league. It’s grow to be appointment viewing throughout weekend mornings for many people.”
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Rebecca Lowe, host of NBC Sports activities’ Premier League Mornings, has witnessed the evolution.
“It has penetrated the mainstream tradition,” she stated. “Once I bought right here in 2013 it was nonetheless form of nuanced. It was like fashionable soccer folks. Now, if I am going right into a bar or a restaurant, they’ve bought TVs on. You’re going to nonetheless have your basketball and baseball, however you’re going to have soccer, too. That will by no means have occurred 15 years in the past. Individuals would have been shouting to show it off.”
Many younger Individuals who had been launched to the league enjoying the FIFA online game grew to become followers.
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“When you have a younger era who’ve entry to social media, who love superstars and soccer, as a result of the world loves soccer, that could be a bit like an ideal storm,” Lowe stated. “They’re those who’re 25-30-years outdated, women and men who’ve cash of their pocket, who’re pushing this sport much more.”
Former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has skilled it as a participant and NBC commentator. When he signed with Manchester United in 2003, protection was sparse.
“I am going disappear for 13 years, and I’m there. I come again,” he stated after enjoying 10 years with Everton. “I’m sitting on my sofa in Colorado on Saturday morning earlier than a recreation, and I’m watching NBC protection of the Premier League. What NBC has achieved for the Premier League and American followers can’t be overstated. It’s grow to be an establishment in so many individuals’s households.
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“The method has blended completely. We’ve bandwidth to assist different groups they don’t have within the UK. NBC has achieved a fantastic job by way of getting the viewership and curiosity from not solely soccer followers. We’ve seen the sport develop and the cash that’s been put into the sport from all sides, different pursuits that aren’t essentially soccer followers. They grow to be due to the storytelling and content material.”
Fulham FC followers have fun after after their crew defeated Brentford FC in a Premier League Summer time Collection match at Lincoln Monetary Area in Philadelphia on July 23, 2023.
Ream, who performs for Charlotte FC in Main League Soccer, famous that elevated competitors inside the league and the U.S. demographic make-up additionally had been big elements
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“The smaller mid-table groups have began to develop much more and to carry out even higher,” he stated. “It creates pleasure inside the league. You’re not tuning right into a recreation pondering, ‘Effectively, this recreation is a foregone conclusion.’ . . . It’s the Premier League. You’ve gotten these extremely gifted gamers on each crew. Usually, they can play for his or her nationwide crew. The U.S. is an enormous melting pot. There’s so many various cultures. They need to observe gamers who come from locations that they’re from.”
And we mustn’t overlook the nice U.S. affect inside the league. Of the 20 Premier League golf equipment, 12 had been absolutely or partially owned by Individuals in 2024–25. That quantity will keep the identical for the 2025–26 season as Leeds United—owned by 49ers Enterprises out of San Francisco—is promoted whereas American-owned Ipswich City is relegated to the Championship.
“With the variety of American homeowners which might be within the Premier League, they clearly see the US as an enormous market to promote in direction of and get extra followers on board with the completely different golf equipment,” stated Ream.
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The Premier League’s USA rise started when NBC Sports activities acquired the rights for the 2013-14 season. Previous to that, matches had been televised on ESPN and FOX.
“Whereas they did job, it was by no means an necessary property to both, nor had it been marketed or promoted the best way we had been ready to do it,” stated Jon Miller, President of Acquisitions & Partnerships, NBC Sports activities, the architect of its Premier League agreements.
NBC Sports activities gave the league the next profile on a number of platforms. Video games might be seen on NBC, USA Community, Universo, and streamed on Peacock.
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“What actually drove the outstanding surge was that the Premier League is one of the best soccer on this planet, and I don’t suppose anyone will argue with that,” Miller stated. “Our place to them is that we’re going to showcase, market, promote and produce the Premier League the identical approach we’d do with any main American sport.”
Wrapped round matches are exhibits that preview and analyze outcomes, together with persona options, on Premier League Reside, Premier League Mornings, Aim Zone, and Males in Blazers.
“When NBC picked up the rights and invested in it, it actually introduced it intelligently in an emotionally accessible approach,” stated Roger Bennett, CEO and founding father of the Males in Blazers Media Community. “Streaming has made it accessible. I couldn’t watch any of it once I moved right here in 1995 when Everton had been within the FA Cup semifinal. It wasn’t broadcast. I needed to name my dad. He held the radio to the opposite finish of the telephone.”
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It has helped that the weekend time slots (7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 12:30, all ET), don’t have a lot competitors from different sports activities.
“Prime-time American sports activities is brutal for [soccer],” Bennett stated. “You’re continuously going up in opposition to the NFL, the NBA, Main League Baseball, and the NHL.”
NBC’s Rebecca Lowe broadcasts in entrance of a crowd on the Premier League Mornings Reside Fan Fest in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 6, 2024.
NBC Sports activities is in the course of a second six-year deal, for a reported $2.7 billion, by means of the 2027–28 season. For 2024–25, NBC Sports activities averaged 510,000 viewers per TV match. Championship Sunday in Could drew 2.0 million viewers.
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“America is one of the best place to look at soccer on this planet,” Bennett stated. “There’s extra world soccer broadcast reside. I can watch extra Premier League soccer from New York Metropolis than I can from Liverpool.”
With their overwhelming ardour, supporters’ golf equipment have been a thriving and driving power.
When Liverpool captured the league title over Tottenham Hotspur, 5-1, on April 27, its San Francisco Supporters Membership celebrated at Kezar Pub.
“Hysteria,” membership chair Lingerr Senghor stated. “I cried once we first sang YNWA [You’ll Never Walk Alone]. I linked again so strongly to profitable it throughout COVID and being totally alone. To be in with followers at Kezar was fabulous. In case you go to Kezar Pub at present, you’ll nonetheless see dry champagne on the ceiling,” Senghor stated.
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West Coast followers is perhaps the heartiest of souls due to the eight-hour time distinction. Early video games kick off at hour of 4:30 a.m. PT, properly earlier than dawn.
“We’ve had 15 members at 4:30 video games, highlighting that we’re all lunatics,” Senghor stated. “So lots of our regulars have been there for the numerous highs, but in addition the cruel lows, and the [boring] attracts at 6 a.m. after a protracted work week.
“Everybody is de facto hyped. There’s additionally a very sturdy camaraderie. We get new of us each week who’re all the time just a little awed once they see our depth.”
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“It all the time impresses me how educated followers at watch events are,” the Gooners’ Whitehead stated. “We’ve a Messenger group chat the place we discuss day by day about happenings across the membership.”
Whitehead grew to become a fan whereas watching the 2014 World Cup after which enjoying the FIFA online game. When he determined to decide on a membership, Arsenal was alphabetically on the prime of the checklist. Its title appeared like Arkansas, Whitehead stated, including that the Arkansas Razorbacks “share a red-and-white coloration scheme.”
“What I like in regards to the membership . . . is the way it unites the complete fanbase internationally.”
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In New York Metropolis, Legends on the Soccer Manufacturing unit in midtown Manhattan is dwelling to a number of teams, together with Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Crystal Palace. Some golf equipment host watch events elsewhere. Manchester Metropolis’s New York Sky Blues view matches at Amity Corridor Downtown within the West Village. Barely south, a crimson Brentford flag welcomes supporters to The Crimson Lion. The Bees are one of many smaller teams, however their ardour is intense.
Membership co-founder Charlie Corr “found” Brentford on trip along with his spouse in 2015. He liked the environment at Griffin Park in London, then the lone crew with a pub on every nook of its stadium (Brentford Neighborhood Stadium changed Griffin in 2020). Corr was hooked.
“We stated, ‘That is quaint. This checks the field for a footballing expertise.’ I had a lot enjoyable,” he recalled. “It was simply such a festive factor. Brentford grew to become my decrease division crew that I attempted to observe as a lot as attainable.”
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Corr was over the moon when Brentford secured promotion in 2021 and took part within the 2023 Summer time Soccer Collection.
“In the event that they’re not the bottom price range crew, they’re in all probability backside two or three within the league,” he stated. “It’s the underdog factor, enjoying above our weight and discovering distinctive methods to have some semblance of success.”
In NYC’s northern suburbs, the Newburgh Brewing Firm is dwelling to the AFC Bournemouth Supporters Membership. Midfielder Tyler Adams, the USMNT captain on the 2022 World Cup, hails from close by Wappinger Falls.
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Former Newcastle gamers Shola Ameobi, Shay Given and Steve Harper pose with followers in the course of the Newcastle United Followers Q&A at Peter Dillon’s Pub in New York on July 28, 2023.
“It was loopy round right here, World Cup time. It’s been fairly cool,” stated Adams’ stepfather Darryl Sullivan.
Followers put on Bournemouth jerseys with Adams’ title and quantity. “Typically you don’t notice the influence he’s had till [you] see the folks in his jersey,” Sullivan stated. “Youngsters take a look at him as a task mannequin. It’s form of surreal.”
Bournemouth proprietor Invoice Foley, a graduate of West Level,14 miles down the highway, has visited. When fan membership founder Dave Mires contacted Bournemouth about creating a gaggle, the crew despatched a banner. After buying a licensing settlement, its brewery has produced three beers, named after the followers’ well-known chant—”Up the Cherries” beer is available in Milk Stout, Pub Ale, and Brown Ale.
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“It actually has been such a cool journey,” Mires stated. “The lifetime of this beer and fan base has actually bloomed the final couple years.”
In the meantime, England has influenced American soccer tradition for years. An authentic MLS crew, D.C. United, based mostly its title on Manchester United and Newcastle United. Since then, newer MLS groups in Atlanta and Minnesota have grow to be “United,” too.
And in a surprising reveal in February, the United Soccer League introduced that it’ll create a primary division with promotion and relegation. This was thought-about revolutionary as a result of no US sports activities league has such a system, together with MLS. The brand new league is predicted to begin in 2027.
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“We relate so much to how issues are achieved in the remainder of the world,” USL President and Chief Soccer Officer Paul McDonough stated. “We take a look at profitable leagues like England, and Germany and the way they’ve grown over time. . . . They’ve achieved very well.”
On a regular basis vogue additionally is a continuing reminder of the EPL’s affect.
“Once I’m in Occasions Sq., you used to see folks in with Yankees, Rangers, Giants jerseys, and so on.,” Miller stated. “Now you see simply as many Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Man United jerseys as you do every other sport. That tells me it’s damaged by means of to the American tradition.”
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A lot that American followers need to see regular-season Premier League matches performed within the States, a controversial subject in England.
Lowe, a long-time Crystal Palace supporter, realized how upsetting it could be if groups gave up video games.
“If there was a weekend the place I couldn’t get to see my crew, I may perceive why folks wouldn’t be completely satisfied,” she stated. “I additionally perceive why folks in America would need that, as a result of they’re obsessive about it and there’s a marketplace for it. I’m unsure it’s anytime quickly, however I wouldn’t be shocked in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.”
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Regardless, the Premier League within the USA is primed for one more enhance after the US co-hosts subsequent yr’s World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
“The expansion of soccer on this nation typically booms when there’s a main occasion,” Howard stated. “As soon as that comes and goes, there’s starvation for the sport. They need to attempt to discover that some other place and most of them discover that within the Premier League.”
English soccer . . . from sea to shining sea.
Veteran soccer author Michael Lewis has lined Main League Soccer since its starting, in addition to 13 World Cups and 7 Olympics. He has written seven books on soccer, too.
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This story was initially reported by on Aug 4, 2025, the place it first appeared.