The Premier League is the most popular football division on the planet. It’s broadcast in over 200 territories and boasts a viewership of 500 million-plus. The quality of the product on offer separates it from the rest of the major European leagues.
It’s why six clubs from the English top-flight were in contention to join the European Super League – far more than any of the other nations who were committed to the failed project. The strength of those six clubs and the competitive nature of the Premier League is why not only fans in Europe are drawn to watch the action season upon season, but also across the globe.
LaLiga has a range of quality players, although outside of Lionel Messi, the production has declined in recent years. It can be quite predictable as Barcelona and Real Madrid trade off the title every other year, although Atletico Madrid can be sprinkled in at times to rock the applecart.
Bayern Munich has dominated the Bundesliga for the last 10 years, and although Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain failed to win the Italian and French league respectively, few would count them out from returning to the peak in the next campaign.
The Premier League, on the other hand, has had only one repeat winner in the last 12 years. Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City achieved the feat in 2019, although Liverpool pressed them all the way to the end mustering an incredible haul of 97 points to finish one point off the pace.
Liverpool and City and have won the two titles since, but there is increasing competition from Manchester United, Chelsea – who beat out Guardiola’s men for the Champions League crown – Leicester City, Tottenham, and even West Ham United were good value for sixth place last term.
The ever-changing cycle of competitive sides makes the Premier League alluring and it is reflected among t-shirt sales and social media followings. We’ll now look at these in detail to point out which clubs have the greatest sphere of influence and how it affects their performance on the pitch.
Social Media
Manchester United are dominant when it comes to their presence on social media. No Premier League club can match their following on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Their reach on Facebook spans 70 million likes across the globe, while their Twitter and Instagram followings range from 25 to 41 million. The hashtag #MUFC is often a worldwide trend on Twitter on matchdays, highlighting the global scope of their power. Liverpool is the next highest team in the top-flight but still pale in comparison to their rivals as United has capitalized on their standing as the Premier League’s leading power in the early stages of the league and through the 2000s.
Just give @MarcusRashford a ball and he's happy ⚽😁#MUFC #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/VOcQWKqLMw
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 25, 2021
Despite their lack of success since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the club remains as popular as ever through their fanbase, which is aided by an excellent presence across social media. United flood their pages with content on a daily basis, ensuring their supporters are well informed and, more importantly, entertained when viewing their pages from mobile devices or desktops, alike. Success on the field has not dampened the view of fans in differing markets.
It has a long arm indeed, stretching across to the Far East along with South Asia. They are certainly the most popular Premier League side in India, and although they may have fallen behind Manchester City and Liverpool in the odds for the top-flight crown, there will be no shortage of backers betting on them to win. Punters in India have a wide range of options as can be seen on platforms such as SBO.net, which search through the market to find the best sites. By providing reviews that rank various factors, punters can use these sites to search for the features that are most important to them. These can vary from welcome offers to customer service quality and options such as in-play betting, so consumers can easily navigate through the market.
It will take a drastic change in fortunes for the club to make a charge for the title next term. And although they remain dominant on social media, United’s lack of success is beginning to see their dominance of other markets wane slightly.
T-Shirt Sales
Manchester United signed a lucrative 10-year deal with Adidas in 2015 worth up to £750 million, placing them behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona for the funds received in t-shirt sponsorships. United boasted the highest t-shirt sales across the globe in the 2018/19 season, proving that the club was once again at the forefront of the market. Those sales have allowed United to remain a behemoth, producing greater revenue than their rivals in the Premier League.
However, those days could be numbered based on t-shirt sales from the 2019/20 campaign. According to research from Planet Football.com, Liverpool sold the most replica t-shirts two years ago, which coincided with their first Premier League triumph in 30 years. If not for United, then Liverpool would be the global megaforce in terms of revenue and commercial success. Relatively speaking, the Reds still boast a massive sphere of influence across the world and are well supported in all corners of the globe, particularly in Asian markets.
Now Liverpool is beginning to enjoy sustained success on the field by winning the Premier League and the Champions League over the last three seasons, it raises the possibility that they could oust United from the top spot of notoriety across the globe. They too have excellent partnerships with Nike and Standard Chartered, which provides the Merseyside team with gravitas in the commercial world.
The battle between Liverpool and United for popularity and financial success is more important to them than Manchester City and Chelsea, as explained at Andoverleader.com, following the collapse of the European Super League. Both City and Chelsea are backed by wealthy owners that continue to provide funds to propel their respective bids for glory. The Red Devils are one of the world’s major sports teams, as we cover on Andoverleader.com, but the next few years are pivotal if they want to maintain that position.
Liverpool and United’s rivalry, both on the field and off of it, will continue to be a riveting watch over the next decade. It could define not only English football but the entire global game.
