What the Premier League learned from the NFL...

The Premier League is bringing some major changes next season.

Touchline interviews with substituted players during live matches.

Cameras on the pitch for goal celebrations.

Limited changing room access for broadcasters.

Basically, they're trying to make football coverage more like American sports.

And the fans?

They're absolutely losing it.

"Utter nonsense!!! Let football remain football.... don't SOCCER-ize it!!!"

"We don't want football to become americanised"

"Just play the game and stop introducing stuff the fans do not want."

Nearly 100 replies to a tweet from Football Talk HQ, not a single positive one 😬

Now, I don’t think they're making these changes because they hate tradition or want to annoy fans.

They're making them because they know attention is the new currency.

And if you're not evolving how you capture it, someone else will.

American sports have been doing this for decades.

The NBA, NFL - they've turned games into entertainment experiences, not just sporting events.

Behind-the-scenes access.

Player personalities.

Stories within stories.

The NFL's "Mic'd Up" segments are some of the most popular content on their YouTube channel.

Millions of views.

Every single time.

The NBA gives fans locker room access before and after games.

These clips get shared everywhere because people want to feel like they're inside the experience.

MLB does live interviews with players in the dugout during games.

And fans love it.

It works.

Meanwhile, traditional British football coverage has basically stayed the same for 30 years.

Same format.

Same distance from players.

Same stiff interviews after the match.

The fans say they don't want change.

But their viewing habits tell a different story.

NBC reported a 21% increase in US viewership when they started treating Premier League coverage more like American sports.

You’ve even got icons like Lando Norris getting millions of views giving behind-the-scenes access to F1.

It’s hard to turn a blind eye to the direction things are heading.

The thing about resistance to change is it usually comes from the people who are holding onto nostalgia (as harsh as that sounds).

The Premier League looked at their numbers.

They looked at what younger audiences expect.

They looked at how other sports are evolving.

And they made a business decision.

A decision that was deeply rooted in the fear of becoming irrelevant.

The question isn't whether change is coming.

The question is whether you'll lead it or get dragged along by it.

The Premier League decided to lead.

What about you?

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

P.S. Speaking of not being afraid to innovate... if you're seeing opportunities like this in your industry but not sure how to make the most of them, I've got some time this week for 1:1 calls. Everything from quick 15-minute brainstorms to full strategy sessions. 

Book directly here - let's figure out how to get you ahead of the curve while everyone else is still complaining about change.

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