The Premier League/The NFL

I have noticed in recent years that NFL seems to be getting bigger and bigger over here in The UK....more people seem to be into it, it is getting more broadcast time on TV here and more general media coverage.

I know people who 'support' NFL teams.

I'll be honest I am old fashioned and stuck in my ways and just don't get it (Erm yeah an tha we know I hear you say!) I am very much Football is 'our game' (Soccer as you Americans call it) and American Football is 'your game'.....Globalisation is of course increasing and it got me thinking is a similar thing happening over in America with The Premier League?....

I think it's going both ways.  The popularity of FIFA video got me tuned in about 10 years ago.

I casually like Man City.

I'm a lifelong New York Giants fan.  A classy organization dating to 1925. 


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Soccer is relatively popular in my town.  We have an MLS team - which is the highest league in the US.

Sporting Kansas City.

Also we have a soccer specific stadium which is nice.

I have noticed in recent years that NFL seems to be getting bigger and bigger over here in The UK....more people seem to be into it, it is getting more broadcast time on TV here and more general media coverage.

I know people who 'support' NFL teams.

I'll be honest I am old fashioned and stuck in my ways and just don't get it (Erm yeah an tha we know I hear you say!) I am very much Football is 'our game' (Soccer as you Americans call it) and American Football is 'your game'.....Globalisation is of course increasing and it got me thinking is a similar thing happening over in America with The Premier League?....

No question; I came to USA on vacation in 1990 and couldn’t find the World Cup final on TV - not a bad thing as it turned out - dreadful match - now I live in Florida and it’s impoasible for me to make it home to see a recorded game without hearing someone at work blab about the result! 

Soccer (football) has become a lot more popular in America, I think. I don't follow it, but I know the games seem to be pretty well attended and I know of quite a few fans. I don't think it'll ever be as popular as American football, but it will certainly be an enjoyed alternative to other sports here.

Soccer (football) has become a lot more popular in America, I think. I don't follow it, but I know the games seem to be pretty well attended and I know of quite a few fans. I don't think it'll ever be as popular as American football, but it will certainly be an enjoyed alternative to other sports here.

I think it will - maybe 50 years from now...but eventually.  And the reason is because I do think that NFL popularity will eventually decline.  Boxing and horse racing were the most popular sports in the US at one time...now they are an afterthought.  Point is, everything has its time...I seriously think the concussion problem is not going away for the NFL and you are going to see fewer young people start playing the sport because of CTE concerns.


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Soccer (football) has become a lot more popular in America, I think. I don't follow it, but I know the games seem to be pretty well attended and I know of quite a few fans. I don't think it'll ever be as popular as American football, but it will certainly be an enjoyed alternative to other sports here.

Well MLS, the US domestic soccer league, has average attendance of 21,000 per game compared to 38,000 in the premier league and 21,000 in the UKs second tier. So decent attendance .... viewership on tv is mostly EPL and champions league and most games are on a basic cable channel

Quote from: ShadowMac on October 18, 2017, 06:38:22 PM

Soccer (football) has become a lot more popular in America, I think. I don't follow it, but I know the games seem to be pretty well attended and I know of quite a few fans. I don't think it'll ever be as popular as American football, but it will certainly be an enjoyed alternative to other sports here.

I think it will - maybe 50 years from now...but eventually.  And the reason is because I do think that NFL popularity will eventually decline.  Boxing and horse racing were the most popular sports in the US at one time...now they are an afterthought.  Point is, everything has its time...I seriously think the concussion problem is not going away for the NFL and you are going to see fewer young people start playing the sport because of CTE concerns.


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Good point, but something I wonder about re: CTE is how prevalent it is in soccer. Surely bouncing a ball repeatedly off one's head would cause concussions? Stuff like this: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-high-school-soccer-concussions-on-the-rise/ is very concerning. Also stuff like this: http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/16/news/companies/vicis-nfl-helmet-concussions-safety/index.html means maybe football can have less incidences of CTE with the use of safer helmets and better technique? I do think soccer will continue to grow more popular here, though.

Quote from: ShadowMac on October 18, 2017, 06:38:22 PM

Soccer (football) has become a lot more popular in America, I think. I don't follow it, but I know the games seem to be pretty well attended and I know of quite a few fans. I don't think it'll ever be as popular as American football, but it will certainly be an enjoyed alternative to other sports here.

Well MLS, the US domestic soccer league, has average attendance of 21,000 per game compared to 38,000 in the premier league and 21,000 in the UKs second tier. So decent attendance .... viewership on tv is mostly EPL and champions league and most games are on a basic cable channel

Definitely true, and I know from my boyfriend (UK native) that footy is life over there...lots of passionate fans. Then again, there's lots of passionate American football fans here, so maybe we'll see just as many passionate American soccer fans in time.