How Championship play-off final could tighten US grip on Premier League

Known arsenic nan richest lucifer successful football, nan Championship play-off last has ever been a crippled of immense significance, pinch promotion to nan Premier League connected nan line.

But this twelvemonth nan stakes could beryllium moreover higher.

If Sheffield United hit Sunderland connected Saturday astatine Wembley, nan level of power wielded by American investors successful nan Premier League will scope an unprecedented level, pinch each 3 promoted clubs controlled from crossed nan Atlantic.

Remarkably, nan Blades would go nan 12th US-owned nine successful nan apical flight, person than ever to nan two-thirds mostly of 14 that is needed to enforce changes to nan Premier League's rules.

With a 3rd of EFL clubs besides partially aliases mostly US-owned, and a number of English clubs for waste aliases seeking caller investment, it whitethorn not beryllium agelong until that tipping constituent is reached.

What forces are driving this trend? And what are nan imaginable risks of a US-dominated Premier League?

In December Everton became nan 10th Premier League nine to autumn nether American power erstwhile they were bought by nan Texas-based Friedkin Group, joining Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and Fulham.

While Ipswich person since been relegated, nan promotion of Leeds United (owned by nan finance limb of nan San Francisco 49ers) and Burnley (AIK Capital) ensured a mostly of top-flight clubs adjacent play will beryllium US-owned, pinch Sheffield United (COH Sports) perchance to come.

That number could soon turn - particularly pinch US-owned Wrexham and Birmingham City now promoted to adjacent season's Championship, joining Norwich City, Millwall, Swansea and West Brom.

Twenty years agone nan Tampa-based Glazer family bought Manchester United successful a controversial, highly leveraged buyout, blazing a way for different US investors.

However, nan hundreds of millions of pounds of indebtedness that was loaded connected to United, nan £1bn it has costs to work it, and nan melodramatic diminution United person suffered since, some connected and disconnected nan field, has done small for nan estimation of those who followed successful their footsteps.

The financial issues that defined nan ownership of Liverpool by Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks betwixt 2007 and 2010 - erstwhile nan nine were astatine consequence of going into management - besides added to nan notoriety of US investors.

To make money.

With astir US investors successful English shot keeping a debased floor plan and attending fewer matches, nan motive seems to beryllium financial alternatively than reputational.

While erstwhile American owners of Sunderland and Aston Villa person mislaid important amounts of money aft getting progressive successful English football, others person been a batch much successful.

Although they are despised by galore United fans, nan Glazers person profited hugely from their ownership of nan club, done dividends and nan waste of shares that person grown successful value, pinch Sir Jim Ratcliffe spending £1.25bn connected a 28% liking past year.

Despite their worst play successful decades, and hundreds of millions of pounds of financial losses, United were precocious rated nan second astir valuable nine successful nan world, external astatine $6bn (£4.4bn).

With closed leagues, location are fewer opportunities to put successful US pro sports, and erstwhile they originate it is very expensive, truthful nan world crippled of shot is an charismatic option, particularly pinch NBC's sum of nan Premier League, nan Welcome to Wrexham documentary bid and nan Ted Lasso TV show fuelling interest.

Investors will besides beryllium banking connected Lionel Messi's information successful nan MLS and nan USA's hosting of this year's Club World Cup and nan 2026 World Cup to thief turn nan game.

US investors besides judge that much gross tin beryllium extracted from English football, whether done media rights, ticketing aliases sponsorship.

As a number investor successful Burnley, erstwhile NFL prima JJ Watt is among a number of US personalities to return a liking successful British shot clubs.

In March he told BBC Sport: "You look astatine an American shot (NFL) nine - correct now they're each weighted astatine billions and billions of dollars.

"You travel complete present (to nan UK) and nan valuations are different and there's much opportunity.

"I wanted to beryllium involved, beryllium successful nan committee meetings, study and grow, while besides injecting something, bringing thing to nan nine successful position of eyeballs to nan game.

"Another point that brings you to English shot is nan history, tradition, passion and supporters."

During nan attempted motorboat of nan European Super League (ESL) successful 2021 3 American Premier League nine owners - Manchester United's Joel Glazer, Liverpool's John W Henry and Arsenal's Stan Kroenke - formed portion of nan ill-fated organisation's activity group.

Having sparked a situation and been wide condemned by fans and different clubs, nan breakaway collapsed wrong days.

But nan connection that nan founding clubs would person been guaranteed introduction to nan ESL without needing to suffice each twelvemonth was a clear move successful nan guidance of American pro sports, which run successful closed, franchise-based systems without promotion aliases relegation.

That consciousness of a civilization conflict pinch nan traditions of nan English shot pyramid was only reinforced successful 2022 erstwhile Chelsea's American co-owner Todd Boehly expressed his dream that nan Premier League took "a small spot of a instruction from American sports" successful a bid to boost broadcast revenue.

His arguable proposals included a 'north versus southbound All-Star match' and relegation play-offs.

That prompted erstwhile Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville to opportunity that US finance into English shot was "a clear and coming threat to nan pyramid and cloth of nan game. They conscionable don't get it."

Niall Couper, main executive of shot run group Fair Game, told BBC Sport: "The increasing number of American owners successful nan Premier League is concerning. Many get pinch a franchise mentality - focused connected profit, closed leagues and commercialisation astatine nan disbursal of organization and tradition.

"The tipping constituent could good travel erstwhile 2 thirds of Premier League clubs are owned by Americans - a milestone that we are moving quickly towards. The past dream for fans and nan wider shot pyramid is nan incoming independent shot regulator."

Amid understandable concerns complete nan effect their attack whitethorn person connected summons prices, stadium naming-rights deals and nan imaginable scrapping of promotion and relegation, do US owners merit much credit?

Since taking complete Liverpool successful 2010, Fenway Sports Group's finance successful players and infrastructure, financial guidance and attack to recruitment has helped reconstruct nan nine to their erstwhile status.

In 2022 Leeds' American president Paraag Marathe - nan president of nan club's owners 49ers Enterprises - insisted fears complete American investors were unfounded, telling BBC Sport that because English shot is "special, unsocial and rare", nine owners needed to "protect it". "If it isn't broken, don't effort to hole it," he said.

Some person besides suggested that English shot could study from nan net caps, pre-season drafts and stronger subordinate national practice that person helped to make US leagues much competitive, unpredictable and sustainable.

Asked whether she was concerned by nan number of US-run clubs successful nan Premier League, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Sport: "My acquisition of dealing pinch Premier League owners is that they do person different views. They tin beryllium very robust astir coming guardant pinch those views, but they besides activity together successful nan liking of shot arsenic a whole.

"So I'm relaxed astir nan truth we've sewage owners from each astir nan world. It shows that nan Premier League really is simply a crown jewel successful position of what we're capable to export to nan world and lead nan world successful football.

"What I want to guarantee is that nan Premier League is built connected those patient foundations truthful clubs each nan measurement done from nan writer roots to nan Premier League tin proceed to thrive."

With awesome US sports leagues regularly playing regular-season games overseas, it would beryllium nary astonishment if American owners of Premier League clubs pushed to do nan same, particularly fixed immoderate of them besides ain US franchises successful nan NFL, NBA and MLB.

Last twelvemonth Liverpool president Tom Werner told nan Financial Times that he hoped to spot Premier League games played successful New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Riyadh and Rio de Janeiro, raising fears among immoderate fans of an attempted resurrection of nan '39th game' conception that was considered and past abandoned by nan Premier League successful 2008 aft a instrumentality backlash.

"The caller revival of ideas for illustration a 39th crippled played overseas is simply a stark informing sign," said Couper.

"It shows a willingness to prioritise world markets complete section fans and to move our nationalist crippled into a world intermezo marque alternatively than a ineffable institution."

Last twelvemonth Premier League main executive Richard Masters told BBC Sport location were nary plans to reintroduce specified an idea, and Bournemouth's American proprietor Bill Foley said he does not support staging convention matches abroad.

However, Spain's La Liga has said it is hopeful of staging games successful nan US adjacent season, and, pinch Fifa group to alteration its rules to let specified a move, immoderate stay concerned.

The UK authorities was reportedly considering tabling an amendment to nan Football Governance Bill successful bid to forestall immoderate anticipation of staging convention matches overseas, but it has chosen not to do so.

There person besides been reports that US-run Premier League clubs person been secretly pushing to scrap nan Saturday 3pm TV blackout which prevents games being screened unrecorded domestically, successful bid to maximise media authorities revenues.

The Premier League precocious said nan existent statement is successful spot until nan extremity of nan 2029 season, and that it supports nan blackout arsenic a intends of protecting grassroots information and attendance crossed each leagues. "Anything beyond that is speculation astatine this stage," it said.

Last twelvemonth each but 1 of nan US-owned Premier League clubs voted to o.k. changes to rules governing commercialized deals, contempt guidance from Manchester City and Newcastle United.

That whitethorn person reinforced fears that if nan clip comes erstwhile 14 of nan clubs are controlled from nan US, they could ballot arsenic a bloc to unit changes through.

However, insiders defender against an presumption that conscionable because a group of owners are from 1 country, they will collude to 'Americanise' English football.

They make nan constituent that wrong nan group of US-owned clubs, location are important differences, pinch immoderate controlled by backstage equity, while others are tally by an individual, family, business aliases consortium.

Indeed, nan Premier League has seldom seemed arsenic divided arsenic it has successful caller times.