For many, the good old days of football are firmly behind us, especially as an increasing number of clubs are run by foreign owners. The times when teams were owned by local businessmen with a passion for the badge have essentially been replaced by venture capitalists wanting a slice of the Premier League’s lucrative pie.
However, with nine Premier League clubs now having American owners, it’s fair to say America is taking control of England’s biggest sporting product. In fact, it’s now resulting in even more fans from the States having a Premier League club they adore. A country where sports lovers tend to marvel at NBA stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and fans indulge in Super Bowl betting at DraftKings, the Premier League continues to lag behind these other major sporting competitions, although it is growing, given its global reach.
Throughout America, some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs have loyal communities of fans who follow the action every weekend. The influx of American owners in the league has certainly resulted in more eyes on the sport from across the pond, although some clubs have managed to acquire States-based fans for decades. With that in mind, below we highlight some of the biggest Premier League fanbases in America.
Manchester United
While Manchester United isn’t the club it once was, the Red Devils are still arguably the biggest name in the Premier League. The Glazers might not be welcome at Old Trafford by the United faithful, but many American fans who recall the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson most definitely are. After all, when the Premier League became accessible to fans in America following its global expansion in the late 1990s, Manchester United were winning it all. As such, many Americans adopted the team as their own. These days, Manchester United now tour the country in pre-season, there have been huge commercial deals signed with American brands, and more.
Liverpool
If an American isn’t supporting Manchester United, then Liverpool is probably the next option on the list. The Reds’ popularity grew under the leadership of Jurgen Klopp thanks to Premier League triumphs and magical Champions League moments, but Fenway Sports Group’s ownership and their link with the Red Sox has also played a key role. Additionally, Liverpool arrange summer tours in the States and they’re backed by household names in the country like LeBron James, a part-owner of the club.
Arsenal
Even though it’s tough to put an exact number on the number of American fans who support the Premier League’s biggest clubs, Arsenal are clearly one of the most popular sides to get behind. Arsene Wenger was a likeable figure many Americans respected, the team played attractive football during their unbeaten Premier League-winning season in 2003-2004, and they’ve also embarked on the occasional US tour in major cities like New York and Los Angeles.
Chelsea
While Chelsea’s American owners, the BlueCo consortium, have enabled more Americans to know exactly who the club is, the Blues have generally always been known in America. During Roman Abramovich’s reign, winning major trophies and making some huge signings helped create headlines. Likewise, Chelsea is yet another club that has flown across the pond to take part in pre-season competitions over the years.
Manchester City
Finally, we have Manchester City, a club that has only recently managed to grow its name in America given the domination they’ve enjoyed in the last decade or so. From Pep Guardiola to the various US-based partnerships the club has agreed, fans who are fairly new to the sport are showing a particular interest in becoming Manchester City fans.
