THE BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE: 380 MATCHES,

1,052 GOALS SCORED, 14,000,000 MATCH

ATTENDERS, 227,000 HOURS OF TV COVERAGE A
YEAR TO 645,000,000 HOMES IN 212 BROADCAST
TERRITORIES, GENERATING AN AUDIENCE OF
4,200,000,000 VIEWERS. 930,000,000 FOLLOWERS
WORLDWIDE, 21,000,000 FACEBOOK LIKES

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOTBALL

2 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League premierleague.com In numbers 3
15,500,000 150 NEW
ARTIFICIAL
GRASS PITCHES
FUNDED OVER
THREE YEARS

IT’S ALL ABOUT 95.9%

THE FOOTBALL STADIUM OCCUPANCY
IN 2013/14

B
The Barclays Premier League is widely
regarded as the world’s most popular
and exciting football league, with matches

227,000 HOURS OF COVERAGE

PER YEAR TO 645 MILLION
HOMES IN 212 BROADCAST
TERRITORIES TO AN AUDIENCE
played out in front of packed stadiums
while millions more supporters catch the
action on TV and online. Drawing on 5,300,000

161
OF 4.2 BILLION VIEWERS independent research conducted for the MATCH-ATTENDING SUPPORTERS
IN BRITAIN
Premier League, Justyn Barnes from

48,825
KITS FOR
Sportcal Insight takes a look at the story.
The Premier League has become a truly global
phenomenon, inspiring passion and emotion from Los
BRITISH Angeles and Lagos to Guangzhou and Mumbai, while
SCHOOLS AND providing compelling content for broadcasters and huge
AMATEUR
CLUBS exposure for sponsors all year, every year.
The Premier League has not become the world’s league
by accident. Since its formation in 1992, the League’s
20,000 PUPILS
FROM 2,115 football first approach has underpinned its development.
SCHOOLS Everything starts and finishes with the football and
ENGAGED everything else – the fans, the sponsors, the broadcasters,
IN PREMIER and the community programmes – flow from that.
LEAGUE Last season, the title race was compelling to the last,
FOOTBALL with the lead at the top of the table changing 25 times. The
TOURNAMENTS
battle for Champions League places and to avoid relegation
was equally compelling and unpredictable. The Premier
FOOTBALL CLUBS (20 PREMIER
930 MILLION FOLLOWERS League’s equitable income distribution model rewards LEAGUE, 72 FOOTBALL LEAGUE
WORLDWIDE success, but offers all of its clubs significant sums to AND 69 FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
reinvest in top-class players, and helps fuel this drama. CLUBS) RECEIVING PREMIER
Further investment in lower leagues, competitive schools LEAGUE SUPPORT FOR
COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES

1,052
football and community programmes is designed to nurture
football’s future prosperity.
This special report crunches the numbers behind the
huge interest in the Barclays Premier League both locally
PREMIER LEAGUE FOLLOWERS and globally. We identify the key areas of support, the
IN BRITAIN
emerging markets and the new ways in which fans are
engaging with the League.

5 MILLION 21 MILLION
TWITTER FACEBOOK GOALS SCORED IN
FOLLOWERS ‘LIKES’ THE 2013/14 SEASON
ALL FIGURES IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE TAKEN FROM RESEARCH BY
POPULUS, REPUCOM AND THE PREMIER LEAGUE
4 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League premierleague.com Football nation 5

11%
Support a Premier
League club and
attend matches
5.3M Adults

23% M
atch-attending fans are the

FOOTBALL
Premier League’s key
audience, consuming and
Support a Premier engaging with the League the most
League club and across all available consumption
watch them live
on TV channels. Men account for three-

NATION
11.1M Adults quarters of Match Attenders and
under-35s are the age group most
likely to attend games.

32% The average season ticket holder

attends 10 home and five away
matches per season, while Casual
The success of the Premier Actively engaged Attenders average five matches in
with the Premier total (three at home, two away).
League is, of course, firmly League
15.5M Adults Last season, 13.94 million people
rooted in its enduring attended Barclays Premier League
popularity at home in matches, producing an average match

Britain. A 2013/14 Populus

survey of the ‘Football
42% attendance of 36,690. This equated to
a record stadium occupancy rate of
95.9%, highlighting how the Premier
Interested in League, formed back in 1992,
Nation’ shows that 42% of football continues to deliver a compelling
20.3M Adults
Britain’s adult population, spectacle across 10 months of the year.
SOURCE: POPULUS
2013/14 For the vast majority of fans, going
which amounts to 20.3 to a Barclays Premier League match is
million people, follow a social experience which they share
with friends (51% of Match Attenders),
football. A third of adults with their partner or spouse (20%)
(rising to half of adult or with their children (29%). Parents
who take their children to matches
males), follow the Barclays tend to travel to matches in their own
Premier League and almost car and spend more on food, drink
and merchandise at the ground than
a quarter (23%) support a the average Match Attender.
Premier League club.
BILLIONS REINVESTED
Billions of pounds generated by the
Premier League since its formation
in 1992 have been reinvested in
stadium facilities, which have
improved out of all recognition. This
has helped to make the stadia more
family-friendly.
The Premier League engenders
enormous appeal among the Black
and Minority Ethnic (BAME) population
of Britain. Thirty-seven per cent of
6 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League

ith
ily w

n
ng

io
m ce

is
di
fa en

v
un

le
d e ri
ay e
ed
pl t h

ll le

te
e ro
an p

ba ty

m ur
ll of

s ex

ns of
Top reasons

ge f
ra y o
ot s

ga s
ba y

fa n

fo lish
nd d
for watching

e a
ot lit

e io

ve lit
ie e

th ram
fr har

th ss
fo ua

co ua
of ng
Premier League

Pa
Q

Q
D
E
S
football

57% 40% 36% 28% 26% 24%

Match-
Attending
fans

61% 34% 19% 27% 25% 38%

Non-
Attending
fans

BAME adults are Premier League fans three-quarters of Match-Attenders

(compared to 32% for the general subscribe to a sports channel,
population) and the proportion of this compared to half of all football
group attending matches is growing followers.
season-on-season: 15% of the BAME The appetite for the Premier
population regularly attended matches League is strong among all types of
in the 2013/14 season, up from 11% supporter, with 68% watching
in 2009/10 and 13% in 2011/12. highlights on TV and 52% watching
Participation is a key driver of live matches at home on TV at least
engagement among BAME fans, with once a month.
nearly half of BAME Match-Attenders Increasingly, fans are going online
saying they play football regularly, and
two-thirds saying they played regularly
as children.
20% to keep up-to-date with the
competition. The official website is a
popular destination for fans with
of Premier League one-in-five Premier League Match-
BEYOND THE STADIUM Match-Attenders Attenders regularly visiting it, while its
regularly visit the
When they are not supporting their official Premier Twitter and Facebook accounts have
clubs at the match, fans devour the League website millions of followers and ‘Likes’.
latest Premier League news and share A quarter of fans use the internet
their views via a wide range of media. at least once a day for information
It is football that prompts millions of about the Barclays Premier League,
Britons to turn to the sports pages rising to half of Match-Attenders.
or newspapers, reach for the TV Almost one-in-three Match-Attenders
remote or interact with star players, also check their club’s website
pundits and fellow fans via Twitter every day.
and other social networks. They So Britons have a seemingly
further demonstrate their passion by insatiable appetite for football – and
buying merchandise, playing EA particularly Premier League football.
SPORTS FIFA game and collecting
Topps’ Premier League stickers or
trading cards.
The quality of football is cited by
match-attending fans (57%) and non-
attending fans (61%) as the top reason
for watching the Barclays Premier
League. The quality of TV coverage is
more important for non-attending fans
(38% compared to 24%), though, on
average, Match-Attenders watch more
live televised matches compared to
football followers in general. And
The action and
drama on the
pitch, the passion,
devotion and
traditions of the
fans who follow the
action in packed
stadiums, home-
grown talent and the
host of international
star players all
contribute to the
unique and growing
global appeal of
the Barclays Premier
League
premierleague.com World’s League 11

THE WORLD’S
LEAGUE
2.3BN

football fans
globally

1.2BN
layers were selected from 18 of the 20 Premier
P League teams to represent their countries at the
2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil. Indeed, 29 of Premier League
fans globally
the 32 participating nations included one or more players
drawn from English club football.
Players from 75 countries are registered with Premier
League clubs, bringing a cosmopolitan flavour to the action
each week. Many of the world’s finest talents, Sergio Agüero,
Mesut Özil, Yaya Touré and Robin van Persie, continue to be
attracted to compete alongside home-grown stars such as
Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge. As the competition is
infused with such international quality, it is little wonder that
it is by far the most popular league in the world, attracting a
staggering number of followers across the globe.
At the last global count, of 2.3 billion ‘football fans’ (i.e.
people with an interest in football), 1.2 billion were Premier 75
League fans. Of these Premier League fans, 930 million
were classified as ‘followers’ who follow the League in some
form of media each month, and 780 million confirmed as countries
with players
supporters of individual clubs. represented
Closer analysis of the fanbase in some of the key and in the Premier
emerging markets underlines the breadth and depth of League
passion that exists and the potential for even more growth
– as we show on the following pages.
12 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League premierleague.com World’s League 13

76,000,000
Number of football fans in
Nigeria, 54.5m of whom
follow the Premier League

Nigeria Qatar Indonesia USA Brazil

It seems strange to say it of an African Qatar has an obsession Indonesia is another firmly USA has its own distinct roster of major league sports, Football is a way of life for the 93.6
country, but Nigeria can reasonably be with football and 60% established market for the including American football, basketball, baseball and ice million fans in Brazil, among whom
described as the heartland of the of Qatari adults follow Premier League. Indonesians hockey, which have traditionally dominated the sporting the Brazilian Serie A league and the
Premier League. Nigerians are the game (the second love their sport, and football landscape. However, the relatively new-to-America sport pan-regional club competition, the
absolutely fanatical about football. ranked sport, is the number one passion of ‘soccer’ has established a significant niche, and recent Copa Libertadores, have the biggest
Eighty-three per cent are interested in swimming, attracts with interest from 78% of signs are that this emerging market is finally set for following. However, the Premier
football – more than double the 33% interest). an adult population of 156 exponential growth. League has a strong fanbase of
number attracted by the next most As with most million people. Traditionally, young American children play soccer at 17.1 million fans.
popular sport, athletics (36%). emerging football This enthusiasm sustains school before the boys switch to core domestic sports in Since the 2003/04 season when
In total, there are 76 million football markets in the early despite the national football their teens, and, consequently, the women’s game has there were just eight Brazilian
fans in the country, a staggering 54.5 stages of development, team’s conspicuous lack of been stronger than the men’s. However, David Beckham’s players, as many as 18 players
spell playing for LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer
million of whom follow the Barclays fans tend to follow success – they have qualified (2008/09 season) have played in the
attracted new fans. Add to that the huge increases in
Premier League and 62.3 million who individual superstar just once for the FIFA World League in any one season. With the
Premier League viewing figures on NBC and the inspiring
follow the fortunes of a particular club. players, such as Lionel Cup finals, way back in 1938 – performance of the USA national team at the 2014 FIFA likes of Oscar and Willian at Chelsea,
A shared language with Britain and a Messi and Cristiano and their domestic Super World Cup could prove to be a tipping point. Paulinho and Sandro at Tottenham
string of Nigerian players such as Ronaldo. It is therefore League attracts average At the last count, there were 59.9 million soccer fans Hotspur, and Philippe Coutinho and
Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha, John unsurprising that the attendances of 10,000 people. in the USA, with 22.6 million Premier League followers Lucas at Liverpool among 13
Obi-Mikel and Shola Ameobi World Cup, when it The FIFA World Cup (59%), and 10.1 million club supporters. American people like to Brazilians featured in the Barclays
performing well have strengthened this comes round every four Indonesian Super League watch the best, and the Barclays Premier League is widely Premier League during the 2013/14
long-distance love affair. years, is the Qataris’ (57%) and the Premier League held to be the best league. The feedback from Populus season, interest in the league and its
Nigerians view the Barclays Premier favourite competition of (57%) are the football ‘events’ focus groups is that it is perceived to supply entertaining clubs is growing.
League as fast, competitive and all (67% interest). that garner most interest, but football, with unpredictable outcomes and intense Brazil’s Premier League fans are
glamorous. Unlike many countries However, the Premier the significant popularity of rivalries, all played out in front of packed stadiums of predominantly male (79%) and with
where the FIFA World Cup dominates League attracts a La Liga (44%), Serie A (41%) passionate fans. The presence of USA international stars 49% enjoying high household
the popularity stakes, the Premier passionate legion of and the UEFA Champions like Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore in the league stokes up incomes and 37% aged 16-29, it’s a
League tops the charts with 65% fans numbering League (34%) shows the additional interest. Premier League clubs are also doing young and affluent fanbase.
interest compared to 63% for the 800,000 (45% of Qatari Indonesians’ fanaticism for their bit by regularly playing pre-season friendlies in the
World Cup. Premier League fans in adults), more than any football in general. USA – ahead of the 2014/15 season, nine clubs – Arsenal, “It’s the world’s football elite. The
Nigeria are predominantly male (64%). other league. Eighty- Interest in the Barclays Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, best players are there.”
Thirty-five per cent of the fanbase are two percent are male Premier League cannot be Manchester United, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League football fan,
aged 16-29, with 43% in the 30-49 (compared to 60% of overstated with 96.2 million West Bromwich Albion – will all cross the pond to play in Rio De Janeiro
front of their American fans.
age bracket. the adult population) adults classified as Premier
with 35% aged 16-29 League fans, and a massive 75.4
“Most people follow [the Premier and 53% aged 30-49. million supporting specific “It’s seen as the pinnacle of the sport. It’s like the same
League] because they find more clubs. With 45% of those fans way we watch the NBA or NFL – we have a habit of
African players are playing there, aged 16-29, and just 4% falling watching the best league of whatever sport.”
they play more and the football
is skillful.”
Premier League football fan, Lagos
into a low household income
bracket.
Premier League football fan, New York
22,600,000
Number of people in
the USA who follow the
Premier League
“It’s amazing to watch the fans
in the stadium, atmosphere
and the rest.”
Sports fan, Lagos
75,400,000
Number of people in Indonesia who
support a Premier League club
14 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League

89,300,000
Number of adults in India who follow
the Premier League campaign

China India DEFINITIONS:

‘‘Football Fans’
(Football
Football is ranked fifth in the list of Football has a similar challenge in Interested)
Chinese people’s sporting interests India to the one it faces in the USA, All respondents
(30% of the adult population), but where it competes for attention with a ‘top 2 box
such is the country’s size that it against long-established sports. In interest in football
represents by far the biggest Premier India, however, it is just one sport (very interested or
League audience in the world. – cricket – that dominates. An interested).
Football may be a less-established eye-popping 79% of Indian adults are
sport, but it is taking off in a big way. devoted followers, but football (31%) ‘Premier League
A third of adults equates to 307 is lodged firmly in second place well Fans’ (Premier
million people, including 174 million ahead of the next most popular League Interested)
Premier League fans (84% male) and sport on 16%. With over 89.3 All those aware of
57.1 million fans of a specific club. million adults following the ups and the Premier League
The domestic Chinese Super downs of a Barclays Premier League with a top 2 box
League is perceived to have a long season, it is a hugely valuable interest in the
way to go to match the quality of emerging market. Premier League
European football leagues, among The relatively recent upsurge in (very interested or
which the Premier League (18% of interest in the sport means club interested).
adults) arouses most interest. allegiances have not been passed
The age and income profile of down from previous generations. ‘Premier League
China’s Premier League fans is very Premier League fans there are Followers’
similar to that of the country as a predominantly male (84%), aged All those with a top
whole; with 30% of fans aged 16-29 16-29 (62%) and in the medium/high 2 box interest in
and 38% and 47% respectively household income groups the Premier League
enjoying medium or high incomes. (69%/13%). Young, affluent males (very interested or
keen to stand out from the crowd see interested) who
“The Premier League is very football as an aspirational sport, and follow the Premier
exciting because they’re very fast. 48.1 million Premier League club fans League at least
You don’t want to keep watching are eager to show their support. once a month in
people who defend all the time.” Eleven percent of the adult the media.
Premier League football fan, Beijing population claim an interest in
the Barclays Premier League, with ‘Premier League
only the FIFA World Cup (25%) Club Supporters’
grabbing more attention. All those aware of
the Premier League
“Until the end, you don’t know who named a
who is going to win or lose.” Premier League
Premier League football fan, Mumbai club as their
favourite football

30%
Percentage of
club from abroad
(in UK: favourite
domestic
Premier League football club).
fans in China aged
between 16-29 who
enjoy medium to
high incomes
premierleague.com Global media 15

GLOBAL MEDIA 212

COVERAGE broadcast
territories

4.2BN

global TV
audience

his huge demand for Premier League football

T around the world has been met, and fed by,
extensive and high-quality global media coverage.
For 10 months of each year the Premier League’s live
broadcast licensees screen 227,000 hours of match coverage
across 212 broadcast territories into 645 million homes. A
variety of kick-off times – from 12.45pm on Saturday to 645M
midweek at 8pm – and highlights shows enable fans in all
continents to watch matches at convenient times. In total,
the Barclays Premier League attracts an estimated homes across the world
with access to channels
cumulative TV audience of 4.2 billion viewers, an broadcasting the
extraordinary figure which compares favourably to the TV Premier League
audiences for other major international sporting competitions.
At home in the UK, football is in first place as the most
popular sport on TV, with 46% of adults citing it as their
16 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League premierleague.com Global media 17

400,000,000
Number of households in
China with a television

preferred sport on TV, way ahead of Unsurprisingly, China is the world’s In India, almost two-thirds of TV Two matches per round are also
tennis (24%), cricket, rugby and athletics largest television market, with a households have a pay-TV broadcast free-to-air – one at 3pm
(all 14%). This voracious demand is met staggering 400 million TV subscription, broadband and mobile Saturday on Indosiar and one 4pm
by over 3,672 hours of coverage on households. This vast media markets are booming. While cricket Sunday match on SCTV – together
both subscription and free-to-air TV. landscape is also quite unique. streaks away as the preferred TV sport with the weekly highlights, thanks to
During the 2013/14 season, Sky Over six thousand hours of Premier (94%), football is established in second a sub-licensing agreement with
Sports and BT Sport attracted an League football coverage is screened place (37%). With a young, vibrant EMTEK media group.
average of 1.32 million viewers and the in China, and all of it is free to view via audience for football, the country Access to satellite or cable
Premier League had an average UK regional cable companies. The provides fertile ground for the growth television is required in Brazil to watch
audience of 18.6 million viewers per eight-hour time difference means of the Premier League. Premier League coverage, which
match week (38 match weeks per early-afternoon kick-offs broadcast Last season, Star Sports began means it tends to be more affluent
season) across all programming. during primetime generate the largest providing a dual audio feed for Brazilians who watch it. However, with
The BBC’s free-to-air Match of the viewing figures. Barclays Premier League matches in 74% of adults watching football on
Day highlights programme remains a For the 2013/14 season, China held Hindi as well as English. Indian viewers TV and Brazilian broadcasters upping
national institution (it was viewed by a 3% share of the Premier League’s are now able to choose in which their commitment to Premier League
over 70% of the UK TV viewing global audience, but that seems sure language they want to hear live broadcasts, the potential for growth
population last season), while extensive to rise, especially as the League is a commentary and all matches are is clear.
radio coverage is available via BBC hot topic for daily debate on social available in HD. Word is also spreading via social
Radio, talkSPORT and Absolute Radio. media. The Premier League has a media – the Premier League’s
A significant change occurred at the burgeoning following on mobile social “I watch the Premier League Facebook page, with content
start of the 2013/14 season when BT media platform WeChat, and over two because of the quality of football conveniently supplied in Brazilian
took over from previous broadcaster million fans on Sina Weibo, the hybrid played and, most importantly, it has Portuguese, has over one million likes.
ESPN and challenged BSkyB in the UK Twitter/Facebook-style site that the best coverage.” Only Indonesia (3.2 million likes),
pay-TV market. It offers its BT Sport delivers bespoke content to Chinese Premier League football fan, Kolkata Thailand (2.0 million) and India (1.2
channels online, free to BT broadband fans in Mandarin. million) have greater engagement with
subscribers and via traditional TV In contrast to India and the general the Premier League via Facebook.
channels, screening 38 live matches “The coverage time is pretty ideal picture in the Asia & Oceania region, In the USA, soccer is overshadowed
compared to Sky’s 116 live games. for us.” pay-TV is still in its infancy in by more established sports, with just a
Additionally, both Sky Sports and Premier League football fan, Beijing Indonesia with a little over three tenth of Americans naming it as one of
BT Sport provide a comprehensive million subscribers. Premier League their preferred TV sports. However, at
schedule of support programming, and
Sky Sports has the broadcast rights to
226 ‘near-live’ matches per season.
Premier League broadcast rights
are sold in a package for the West Asia
region, which covers Bangladesh,
broadcast consumption on mobile
devices (17%) and computer (14%) is
growing and News Corporation, which
the start of the 2013/14 season, NBC
took over from Fox Sports and ESPN
as the sole holder of Premier League
31.5m
Number of
Not wanting to miss a thing, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Mongolia, currently holds exclusive rights to broadcast rights. Americans who
tuned in to
60% of Premier League fans now Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. And internet and mobile TV clips in It was a game-changing deal for the NBC’s coverage
consume some of their Barclays the viewing figures are hugely Indonesia, will be looking to increase Premier League, with NBC screening of the 2013/14
Premier League football on a impressive – during the 2013/14 engagement via these channels. all 380 matches live – 196 matches on Premier League
season
computer, while 41% access the season, 4,400 hours of coverage Media agency MP & Silva holds the the networks of NBC Universal and 184
action on a mobile device. reached an audience of over 92 Premier League broadcast rights until matches via the Premier League Extra
The Sun and The Times currently million viewers. the end of the 2015/16 season. Under Time bonus package – including
hold the rights to ‘near live’ clips for From the 2013/14 season to the deal, Barclays Premier League simultaneous live coverage of all 10
all 380 matches per season – this 2015/16 season, the rights are held matches are primarily broadcast on games on the last day of the season.
package includes the rights to make exclusively by Star TV, which also beIN Sports, which launched three Matches are also broadcast in Spanish
available video clips of all matches broadcasts the Spanish La Liga, Italian channels in Indonesia to cover on the Telemundo and mun2 networks.
on the internet and mobile devices, Serie A, the FA Cup and England football, one of which is dedicated to A record 31.5 million Americans
with in-game clips for all matches international matches on its Star the Barclays Premier League – beIN tuned in to NBC’s 2013/14 season
excluding 3pm Saturday kick-offs. Sports channels. Sports 3HD Premier League. coverage, more than doubling the
18 Sportcal Insight Barclays Premier League

reach of 13.3 million who watched the season, across all media platforms and
previous season (source: The Nielsen across 23 broadcast territories. 
Company). It remains to be seen In Africa, the Premier League has
whether the hoopla surrounding the successfully harnessed the passion for
USA national team’s heroic efforts at football among all income groups by
the World Cup will lead to another making one free-to-air match per week
spike in interest in the League widely available throughout the continent.
regarded by fans as the best. Furthermore, all matches are available
Across the Middle East and North via the SuperSport subscription TV
Africa (MENA) region, broadcast service, which has made out-of-home
markets are dominated by free-to-view viewing in bars and specialist ‘viewing
satellite broadcasters and to date, centres’ popular options. The viewing
demand for pay-TV has been low. centres, which sometimes charge an
However, there is healthy competition entry fee, show concurrent matches on
among pan-regional sports different screens (unlike bars which
broadcasters such as OSN, beIN
Sports and Abu Dhabi Sports, for
premium sports content including
typically only show one match at a
time) – perfect to satisfy African
football fanatics who feast on over
1
Number of free-
the Premier League. And this is 7,000 hours of Premier League to-air matches
made available
helping to drive pay-TV subscriptions coverage per season. throughout
across the MENA region and satisfy Africa every
growing appetite for football. “In a bar, they have just a screen but week
For example, football is far and in ‘viewing centres’, they will have
away the most popular TV sport in two screens. Let’s say Chelsea and
Qatar with 63% citing it as their Arsenal play at the same time, you
preferred sport on TV, way ahead of can watch the two matches
the second-placed sport on 20%. For together, so most people like to go
many Qatari fans, watching football on to viewing centres.”
television is a great social activity, with Premier League football fan, Lagos
fans visiting each other’s houses or
local cafes and restaurants. It helps that Altogether, then, with high-quality
the time difference in Qatar is only two coverage across all media platforms
hours ahead, which means Barclays available to a massive and expanding
Premier League matches are at fanbase, the Barclays Premier League
convenient viewing times. offers a lasting level of global
No wonder then that last season, exposure that few, if any, sports
the Premier League had a cumulative properties can match.
audience in the MENA region equating
to 13.8% of the League’s worldwide
audience.
beIN Sports took over broadcast
rights for Barclays Premier League
matches across the MENA region, at
the start of the 2013/14 season. The
sub-licensing deal was struck with MP
& Silva, which now owns the rights to
all 380 Premier League matches per
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE + SPORTCAL INSIGHT
PREMIERLEAGUE.COM