Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has given his support for the idea of playing Premier League games overseas every season.
The idea for a ’39th game’ every season was proposed a few years ago but was turned down by the Premier League chiefs (Evening Standard).
However, other countries have pushed ahead with the idea with La Liga’s revamped four-team Supercopa being played in Saudi Arabia this season.
The Spurs chairman believes that the Premier League must always be receptive to new ideas given the amount of competition there is for viewership.
Speaking to Varsity, the Cambridge University student newspaper, Levy said: “It’s important that we are always open-minded to anything that is proposed.
“We are in an industry where we are competing for talent, viewership and sponsors with other leagues across the world alongside other sports so we can never rule it out completely.
“In Spain, they are playing the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia this year, so we’ve got to be conscious that there needs to be a balance.”
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The Spurs chairman also revealed his opposition to the Saturday 3 pm TV blackout rule whereby no Premier League, Football League or FA Cup matches can be broadcast on live television between 2:45 pm and 5:15 pm on Saturday in the UK.
With Tech companies like Amazon Prime now entering football broadcasting, Levy insisted that it was time to end the archaic rule.
He added, “Personally, I’m not so wedded to something that is so historic. Just because it has always been there doesn’t mean it needs to be there forever. I think it is something that could be looked at in the future.
“The fact there is now a third domestic broadcaster in the UK is great for competition. Any new broadcaster coming in will always look at things in a different way.
“The way they’ve [Amazon Prime] been doing their live broadcasting has created quite a bit of attention so I think other broadcasters may also look to adapt the way they produce their coverage too. Competition is good for everyone.”
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While football purists will hate the idea of playing a 39th game abroad, it is something the Premier League has to consider if all their competitors are doing something similar. While the money coming into the Premier League has had some negative effect on fan culture, we also have to remember that the Premier League is what it is today because of the popularity the league has achieved globally.
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