They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.
-----
Asian fans stay up til silly hours to watch the big stars. Now they can watch the likes of Ronaldo at far more sociable hours. There is a massive market in Asia.

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 minute ago
They aren't attracting the elite players who are at their peak.

They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.

It's just an experiment that will fizzle out just like the original MLS.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Although I agree with the first part, Mane and Benzema can still do a job. They are going to attract a TV audience in the coming years. These folks are no China, they are as close to unlimited money as any nation comes. This is here to stay, this is no experiment like China

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 minute ago
They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.
-----
Asian fans stay up til silly hours to watch the big stars. Now they can watch the likes of Ronaldo at far more sociable hours. There is a massive market in Asia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yup, and the money and rights will follow. Probably best people aren’t so dismissive, this has potential to go far. Whether it will is another story.

City didn't inflate the market though. That's more due to Chelsea, PSG and United.

People were crying about the Saudi golf competition and now the fecking Golf establishment have merged with the devil. They all buckle for petro dollars.

Think there are probably 2 end goals - either get more control of FIFA or breakaway totally.
They want the money and the power.

comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted 6 minutes ago
People were crying about the Saudi golf competition and now the fecking Golf establishment have merged with the devil. They all buckle for petro dollars.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hypocrisy in full flow. After the likes of Tiger refused, they went behind him and signed with the “devil”

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.
-----
Asian fans stay up til silly hours to watch the big stars. Now they can watch the likes of Ronaldo at far more sociable hours. There is a massive market in Asia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a massive market in USA but that didn't really take off like they wanted it to.

comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
City didn't inflate the market though. That's more due to Chelsea, PSG and United.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

No cloggy City didn’t spend unheard of money on defenders. $50 million on two full backs because the first on was gash. One hundred million on Grealish.

comment by Arctic Monkey (U14534)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.
-----
Asian fans stay up til silly hours to watch the big stars. Now they can watch the likes of Ronaldo at far more sociable hours. There is a massive market in Asia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a massive market in USA but that didn't really take off like they wanted it to.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Was there? Americans are pretty stuck on Basketball, American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball. Womens football is a bigger sport in the US than mens...

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 16 seconds ago
comment by Arctic Monkey (U14534)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
They're nowhere near to competing with the top leagues either when it comes to potential TV audiences.
-----
Asian fans stay up til silly hours to watch the big stars. Now they can watch the likes of Ronaldo at far more sociable hours. There is a massive market in Asia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a massive market in USA but that didn't really take off like they wanted it to.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Was there? Americans are pretty stuck on Basketball, American Football, Ice Hockey and Baseball. Womens football is a bigger sport in the US than mens...
----------------------------------------------------------------------

In terms of population, yes & they hoped it would go global. There was a huge drive with "soccer" after the USA world cup, it just didn't pan out.

But the football viewers are already there in many Asian countries. It isn't trying to break football in an area heavily dominated by other sports. It is more trying to win the viewers from the PL - with the selling point of games being played in a time zone far closer to their own.

The PL's been established in the Far East for over 20 years, we're moving into a 2nd generation of support there.

They might watch the Arab league as well but it will never compete with the Prem if they went head to head.

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 11 minutes ago
comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
City didn't inflate the market though. That's more due to Chelsea, PSG and United.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

No cloggy City didn’t spend unheard of money on defenders. $50 million on two full backs because the first on was gash. One hundred million on Grealish.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
????

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 5 minutes ago
But the football viewers are already there in many Asian countries. It isn't trying to break football in an area heavily dominated by other sports. It is more trying to win the viewers from the PL - with the selling point of games being played in a time zone far closer to their own.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I still think it's a big ask to get the same popularity as the PL over there. It's not impossible & they have a lot of money to pull it off but it'll need years of paying these ridiculous fees before they start getting the big players in their prime having it as their first choice destination.

Would you prefer to watch games at 7pm or 3am?
Interest in Saudi football has increased massively in 7 months, all on the back of one player. It won't happen overnight, and it probably isn't even the end goal, but it will be easy to sell the best players playing at a decent time to the Asian fans!!
A lot of the fans are player orientated. You don't think South Korean fans are die hard Spurs fans rather than Son fans do you?

comment by Arctic Monkey (U14534)
posted 2 seconds ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 5 minutes ago
But the football viewers are already there in many Asian countries. It isn't trying to break football in an area heavily dominated by other sports. It is more trying to win the viewers from the PL - with the selling point of games being played in a time zone far closer to their own.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I still think it's a big ask to get the same popularity as the PL over there. It's not impossible & they have a lot of money to pull it off but it'll need years of paying these ridiculous fees before they start getting the big players in their prime having it as their first choice destination.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Obviously it wouldn't be overnight - and they don't have to win the PL fans totally, games won't be on at the same time in the main.

I don't think the Saudi league is the end goal anyway. It is just a step towards what the billionaires want.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 8 minutes ago
Would you prefer to watch games at 7pm or 3am?
Interest in Saudi football has increased massively in 7 months, all on the back of one player. It won't happen overnight, and it probably isn't even the end goal, but it will be easy to sell the best players playing at a decent time to the Asian fans!!
A lot of the fans are player orientated. You don't think South Korean fans are die hard Spurs fans rather than Son fans do you?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't Saudi Arabia 3 hours different during BST, 2 hours in winter when most games are played, the time difference isn't a big issue

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 28 minutes ago
comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
City didn't inflate the market though. That's more due to Chelsea, PSG and United.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

No cloggy City didn’t spend unheard of money on defenders. $50 million on two full backs because the first on was gash. One hundred million on Grealish.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
100 mil on grealish didn't inflate the market numbnuts. He is a recent signing. Market inflation started way sooner. Fecking hell United paid £27.5 million, deadline day deal for Fellaini despite the fact that he had a lower buyout clause earlier in the transfer window.

Sold pogba for a million bought him back for 90 million and paid the broker 16 million.

comment by Arctic Monkey (U14534)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 8 minutes ago
Would you prefer to watch games at 7pm or 3am?
Interest in Saudi football has increased massively in 7 months, all on the back of one player. It won't happen overnight, and it probably isn't even the end goal, but it will be easy to sell the best players playing at a decent time to the Asian fans!!
A lot of the fans are player orientated. You don't think South Korean fans are die hard Spurs fans rather than Son fans do you?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't Saudi Arabia 3 hours different during BST, 2 hours in winter when most games are played, the time difference isn't a big issue
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Saudi is only a little part of Asia.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Arctic Monkey (U14534)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 8 minutes ago
Would you prefer to watch games at 7pm or 3am?
Interest in Saudi football has increased massively in 7 months, all on the back of one player. It won't happen overnight, and it probably isn't even the end goal, but it will be easy to sell the best players playing at a decent time to the Asian fans!!
A lot of the fans are player orientated. You don't think South Korean fans are die hard Spurs fans rather than Son fans do you?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't Saudi Arabia 3 hours different during BST, 2 hours in winter when most games are played, the time difference isn't a big issue
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Saudi is only a little part of Asia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Irrelevant, the Saudi league games would be similar times to UK games so there wouldn't be a 8 hour time difference that you suggest (choose between 7PM & 3AM). It would be watch Saudi at 7PM or PL at 5PM

You think a league that will market itself to the massive Asian market won't schedule games to fit that market
I can promise you some English games are on at 3am in some Asian countries. I know because I watched some!!

You can see why the very damaging Brexit happened, the arrogance of little Englanders

Still, I guess billionaires who already have European teams didn't think they could sell their product to the Asian market and just spunked fortunes for the small viewership in Saudi

Binky must sleep like a baby at night

24/7 defending City with all his effort I bet we never hear from his again when the PL case is proven because he has about 5000 comments saying they did nothing wrong which will be thrown in his face.

Melts I actually think will eat humble pie and is a genuine fan so would be disgusted if they are proven as cheaters.

In fairness City outside of Ederson and Grealish haven’t been the worst offenders in terms of individual deals driving the market up

What they have done is cheat financially and then buy 8 players a year for 7 years spending 1.2bn they didn’t actually fairly generate

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 7 minutes ago
You think a league that will market itself to the massive Asian market won't schedule games to fit that market
I can promise you some English games are on at 3am in some Asian countries. I know because I watched some!!

You can see why the very damaging Brexit happened, the arrogance of little Englanders

Still, I guess billionaires who already have European teams didn't think they could sell their product to the Asian market and just spunked fortunes for the small viewership in Saudi


--------------------------------------------------------------------

If there's 2 hours difference between the UK & SA, if our 3PM kick off is 3AM, what time would SA need to have their games for Asian market?

Who said a 3pm ko is 3am in Asia 😂😂
You need to travel the world a bit, get some experience outside of England and Benidorm.