The Premier League: The UK’s Sporting Superpower

During the 2022 World Cup, 133 Premier League players were called up to represent their nations.

This formed around 16% of the 829 players at the tournament – a percentage that grew to 22% during the Round of 16 before peaking at 30% in the quarter-finals, where 63 players played their club football in England.

When the final came around, there were 10 Premier League players left, split evenly between France and Argentina.

In fact, the number has grown in every World Cup since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, with the 1994 World Cup featuring 30 Premier League players.

Marketing itself as the most-watched football league in the world, England’s top flight is home to some of the world’s biggest players. 

But what is its true impact as a sporting superpower?

Market Value and Impact on Tourism

In 2019, one in 27 visitors to the UK went to a live football match—most commonly a Premier League fixture. During their trip, they spent an average of £909, hinting at the economic value that football can bring.

Overall, the league contributed £8 billion to the UK economy during the 2021/22 season, reportedly supporting over 90,000 jobs nationwide.

During the 2019/20 season, the income of the Premier League and its clubs was around £5.1 billion. £1.5 billion of this came from commercial and broadcast deals, a revenue stream that skyrocketed in the early 90s.

In 1992, English football’s First Division rebranded as the Premier League and secured a £304 million television deal with Sky Sports. Despite initial skepticism, the revitalised league pushed spending through the roof, with clubs now bringing in some of the world’s best players.

Thirty-three years later, the 2025 summer transfer window saw a Premier League spend of over £3 billion. Now broadcast in over 180 countries, it is one of the UK’s most recognisable exports.

The Premier League as a Global Powerhouse

The Premier League’s international appeal can be tied to its broadcast deal with Sky Sports, then BSkyB, which had a heavy influence on its globalisation.

The influx of cash available to Premier League sides meant money could be spent on some of the world’s most premium players, of which there were 55 registered from outside Britain during the first Premier League season.

By 1997, this figure had nearly doubled, to include the likes of Patrick Vieira, Denis Bergkamp, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

With these stars came supporters. This is particularly true for nations who have had less footballing success over the years, with one example being Son Heung-Min. A footballing icon in his country, it is estimated that over a fifth of South Koreans would consider themselves Tottenham Hotspur fans – a total of around 12 million people.

The Premier League is now followed by over 1.8 billion people worldwide.

But not only has the introduction of foreign talent increased viewership, it has also changed the approach to the game as a whole.

Joining Arsenal from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996, Arsène Wenger’s approach to his squad’s nutrition was seen as alien, including a famous ban on chocolate and a switch to healthier foods, with his side winning their first Premier League title the season after he arrived.

To date, 16 of the 20 Premier League head coaches are from outside of the British Isles, and have largely revolutionised the style of play seen in England. In 1992/93, there were none, but the arrival of Arsene Wenger is now seen as a turning point in English football.

This trend has continued. Pep Guardiola is arguably the pinnacle of this, popularising a Cruyff-inspired style of play that has been adopted across the board. Combined with some of the world’s best talent, this has made the Premier League an engaging global product.

Overall, the Premier League is a sporting superpower that reaches billions worldwide and contributes significantly to both local and national economies.

For those looking to build a career in sport, understanding the Premier League as a business is a great way to start. Students on GIS courses such as MSc International Sport Management do so, whilst also getting to grips with other footballing ecosystems. 

To learn more about our range of courses, visit our programme offerings.
Article by Zakaria Anani