A round of games abroad will happen

To revisit the interview by Tottenham Hotspur Executive Director Donna-Maria Cullen with Sports Pro ahead of our visit to play the MLS All-Stars in Denver we'll take a look at Richard Scudamore's favourite subject, playing Premier League games abroad.
Sports Pro - The NFL deal is going to see new games coming to the new stadium from 2018. On the flip side of that do you think there is value in the possibility of competitive league games abroad? What is your opinion on the Premier League’s ‘39th game’ concept?
Donna-Maria Cullen - I think there would have to be a lot more agreement worked out on that and then it would have to have agreement from all the clubs so I’m not sure where that one will pan out. At the moment US fans of EPL certainly get to see the teams a lot because all of the top teams are looking to play in the US and we’ve now got the players moving between the two countries which is another angle. So I think we’ll get the dual interest and then hopefully the broadcast, and then it’s a case of fans travelling and enjoying the matches when they do come.
You mention NFL, which obviously has been greeted on both sides of the pond with great excitement, and I smile because we are starting to get NFL over this side and the Americans are starting to get the EPL over on their side. So it’s almost like we’re switching an interest in sport and being able to engage with both. So again that’s hugely exciting for the club and that’s received coverage across every US state given the spread of NFL teams across the country. So again that’s another aspect where I think we’re probably on the radar more than other clubs over there at the moment.

THBN - Playing a round of games abroad is a pet subject of Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore. It is a subject he revisits time and time again, eventually clubs will be worn down and it will happen, just as clubs selling live and or recorded games over the Internet will happen.

The Premier League is the biggest league in the world, it is the most watched and the one everyone wants to watch. The market determines, through viewing figures, what they want to watch and TV companies follow those figures to determine what to show, the Premier League continues to grow, the tripling of the TV deal in America shows there is growth in the market there and there is vast interest in Asia and China.

A round of games played abroad would bring the game closer to the fans and would be a marketing dream, because of that it will one day happen, but we are not there yet. What fans in this country want and what the relatively few who attend the stadiums want will not deter Scudamore from pursuing a bigger picture.

Most sides these days have foreign owners who would rise in the eyes of fans in their own countries if they brought their clubs to play a competitive game to them. With Financial Fair Play kicking in clubs need to increase their revenue, never ha it been so important. At Tottenham we are playing catch up, we have a stadium to build and have a business plan going forward that positions ourselves alongside America's biggest sport. The prospect for commercial deals when that kicks in is huge. Manchester United has a massive American shirt sponsorship deal with Chevrolet, in terms of commercial deals that is the tip of the iceberg.

If Scudamore were to get his way where would these games be played, would the clubs have a choice where they play? Would all games go to Asia one season and America the next, perhaps Australia a third year? Would the Chinese market be explored?

If you believe it is bound to happen in the future then a club must position itself now, it must be increasing it's fan base in areas the game is likely to travel to. Wherever games are played they will be sold out, that isn't an issue, but engaging with local fans and commercial partners is, to that end a club needs the largest reach possible as that generates larger commercial deals.

Larger commercial deals mean more money and more money means a better team. Whether fans over here like it or not money talks and the money it generates will make it happen, the money hungry clubs will make sure of it.