The Premier League is one of the leading football leagues globally, attracting top talent from all over.
With clubs touring different continents for pre-season, like Manchester United’s Asia tour before heading to the USA, the league’s global appeal is at an all-time high.
The Premier League is exploring new advertising opportunities, as discussed in last week’s shareholders meeting.
However, according to The Daily Mail, the proposal received mixed reactions, particularly from the “Big Six” clubs who have some reservations.
The idea is for the Premier League to centralize the sale of 60% of pitch-side advertising, aiming to raise an additional £750 million and expand the number of top-tier partners from seven to ten.
The generated revenue would be distributed among the clubs based on various factors yet to be disclosed.
Concerns from the top clubs mainly revolve around how the Premier League’s plans may affect their own brand identities.
These clubs have established commercial teams and believe the expertise required goes beyond what the Premier League can provide.
Another concern mentioned during the meeting relates to potential conflicts of interest.
For instance, if a club has a deal with a car manufacturer, a new agreement by the Premier League with another car brand could create conflicting situations.
Smaller clubs in the Premier League support the initiative as they hope to benefit financially from the clout of the bigger teams.
No clubs or the Premier League have made official comments on the matter, though the league reportedly has substantial analysis backing their proposal, supported by both internal expertise and club knowledge.
This topic is likely to continue as even the top clubs are willing to engage in further discussions despite their concerns.