sport news American TV giant NBC wants two opening day Premier League games played in the ... trends now
The drive for Premier League games to be played in the USA continues to gather momentum, with American TV giants NBC
The concept of holding Premier League games across the Atlantic has re-emerged in recent weeks, with chief executive Richard Masters admitting that the 'door is ajar' for matches to be played abroad.
However he also noted that it was not currently a topic of discussion, which would appear to have thrown cold water over the notion.
It comes at a time when football is experiencing a huge growth spurt in the USA, with Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami noted as one of the contributing factors, but there is also a great interest in the English game.
A record 2.6million viewers tuned in to Manchester City's 0-0 draw with Arsenal, widely tipped as a game that would decide the league title, and NBC's president of acquisitions and partnerships has revealed that 'conversations' have taken place.
American broadcaster NBC wants to host two Premier League opening weekend games in the US
Jon Miller - NBC Sports' president of acquisitions and partnerships - claimed that 'conversations' have taken place with the Premier League
The Premier League has grown in popularity in America in recent years (Pictured - Premier League Fan Fest in Nashville in April)
'We've had conversations with the Premier League and they've been very open and receptive to listening to me,' Miller told The Athletic.
'We did the Premier League Summer Series (in pre-season) last year where we had six teams come over; Fulham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Brentford.
'We had nine games in seven days in five cities around America (and 265,000 fans were in attendance). It was great.'
'All the teams that came over did really well, had a great experience, and really were able to interact with the fan base. And the Premier League saw that it was very successful. At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games open the season here in big stadiums on our opening weekend.
'And I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular season games but in the meantime, we’ll continue to work with the Premier League to do everything we can to make the games available to as many people as possible.
It comes as Casey Wasserman - the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 chief and founder of sports and entertainment agency Wasserman Media Group - suggested that the move was likely to happen in the future.
Wasserman used the example of NFL games being played at Wembley as an example, which has been something of a success story with English fans flocking to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley with regularity.
LaLiga chief Javier Tebas has notably already given his support to Spanish league matches moving across the Atlantic, suggesting the 2025-26 season as a starting point.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters (pictured) has said the 'door looks ajar' for matches to be played abroad
LaLiga president Javier Tebas (pictured) has said he wants to stage a Spanish game in the USA
'Just as the NFL has done a really good job taking their games overseas I think you are going to see European professional [soccer] games being played in the United States,' claimed Wasserman.
'It is the biggest sport in the world and this is the biggest sports market in the world.'
'Look at what Messi playing for MLS is doing for MLS, its stunning. But if you had a Manchester United vs Chelsea match in New York or a Real Madrid and Barcelona in Miami, those levels of games in American cities — real games that count — could be massive. I would be shocked
