Chelsea FC Ready for Football Evolution

New EPL Owner making some noise

For Chelsea Football Club, the past several years have been interesting. Most notably, winning the Champions League and even new club ownership. With this ownership, there is another page in the story for Chelsea in the public media as their new owner, Todd Boehly, has shown his hand for what he plans to be the future of the English Premier League.

Boehly states “Ultimately I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports,”, adding, “Why don’t we do a tournament with the bottom four sports teams, why isn’t there an All-Star game? People are talking about more money for the pyramid, in the MLB All-Star game this year we made 200m dollars from a Monday and a Tuesday. So we’re thinking we could do a North versus South All-Star game for the Premier League.”

Now there is quite a lot of controversy about Boehly's suggestions. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, commented on his remarks, stating that American professionals get four month’s break in their sports whereas Premier League players don’t, Klopp was quick to joke about Boehly’s comments. Klopp even asked, “Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well?” However, Boehly states that everyone likes the idea of more revenue for the league [...] I think there’s a real cultural aspect, I think evolution will come.”

With the recent success of North American sports with the likes of the NHL, the NFL, and the NBA, is it time for the Premier League to re-evaluate how it operates? Or is this just a means to put more money in the pockets of the clubs? We can all agree on sports in the United States are extremely entertaining but is this a good decision for one of the oldest sports in the world?

I am a life-long football fan, as my entire has been for countless generations, and the Premier League thrives on its history and tradition. Tireless fights to make the top 4 or stay in the league each year. However, I do see Boehly’s point of view. Potentially it's time to create more partnerships for the Premier League and follow the steps of North American sports by expanding across the globe not just for preseason tours but for partnerships worldwide. It’s a situation that many fans are stuck between; should the league attempt to generate more profit for some of the teams in financial struggles?; should we stick to our traditions? (I mean it’s been working so far). It’s a tough call, but from partnerships to entertainment, to globalization, there are so many opportunities, that it’s just hard to say if it is the right move for the Premier League. Let us know what you think. Is this the right move? Or just a ploy to make more money rather than express love for the game?

September 16, 2022 - Issue 56 of The Sport Marketeer