The 21st Century's Top Sports Export: EPL Aims to Sweep Europe's Three Major Tournaments [Lee Jong-seong's Sports Culture & Industry]

*This content was translated by AI.

The greatest legacy left by the British Empire, which once built vast colonies across the globe, is the English language and parliamentary democracy. However, the most influential cultural content the British Empire spread worldwide is undoubtedly football.

British high-ranking officials transplanted football as a culture of the colonial empire, and British entrepreneurs built railways and factories in the colonies to establish football clubs. European nations seeking to benchmark Britain's industry and culture, which dominated the world in the 19th century, viewed football as a driving force for national development.

The seeds sown during the British Empire's golden age served as a crucial starting point that made football the world's most popular sport in the 20th century.

In the 21st century, the English professional football Premier League (EPL) has become Britain's top export. The EPL recorded revenues exceeding 14 trillion won in 2025. This figure is more than double the revenue of Spain's La Liga or Germany's Bundesliga.

The decisive reason for the EPL's higher revenue compared to other European professional football leagues is income from overseas broadcasting rights. The EPL's overseas broadcasting rights revenue exceeds 4 trillion won annually. This is approximately 2.4 trillion won more than Spain's La Liga, which ranks second in overseas broadcasting rights revenue at 1.6 trillion won.

This massive overseas broadcasting rights revenue reinforces the EPL's evaluation as the world's top sports export of the 21st century. The National Football League (NFL) is the world's largest sports league by revenue, but it faces limitations in overseas exports. Overseas broadcasting rights account for only 2% of the NFL's total broadcasting rights.

EPL matches are broadcast in 191 of the 193rd United Nations (UN) member states. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire world watches the professional football league unfolding in England.

On the 19th (local time), when Arsenal secured the EPL title, the presidents of Kenya and Rwanda congratulated the team via social media. In Botswana, fake news even circulated claiming a public holiday had been declared for local Arsenal fans.

Global interest in the EPL is also reflected in internet search volumes. According to Google, in 2025, search volume for Manchester United exceeded the combined searches for Taylor Swift and the Harry Potter series.

The EPL also generates trending phrases. The British current affairs weekly "The Economist" noted on the 20th, "In Korea, the golden period of one's life is expressed as 'the Leeds era'."

It does not stop there. A former Swedish Minister of Finance recently used the term "Spursy" while explaining the country's economic situation. This was a cautionary comment likening the Swedish economy to Tottenham Hotspur, which narrowly avoided relegation to the second division this season, warning that the economy should not follow Tottenham's path.

From the perspective of "overseas exports," the growth of the EPL was significantly driven by the fact that football is humanity's greatest global sport.

However, the influence of foreign players who have been active in large numbers in the EPL also plays a role. This season, foreign players from as many as 128 countries are active in the EPL. They play a decisive role in expanding the EPL fanbase in their home countries.

Moreover, foreign players active in the EPL are not mere fillers; they are core resources. This season, foreign players accounted for 75% of playing time in the EPL. This is a higher figure than the 62nd% in Germany's Bundesliga or the 44th% in Spain's La Liga.

The EPL is also a stage for foreign managers. This season, 14 of the 20th EPL clubs are led by foreign managers. Mikel Arteta, the Spanish-born manager of the title-winning Arsenal, is a prime example. Interestingly, no English-born manager has ever led their club to an EPL title.

Most EPL club owners are also foreign. This season, only five of the 20th clubs are owned by British individuals.

Having established itself as the world's football league, the EPL is attempting an unprecedented record in the 2025-2026 season: sweeping Europe's three major club tournaments (Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League).

Aston Villa of the EPL has already won the Europa League. Crystal Palace and Arsenal have advanced to the Conference League and Champions League finals, respectively, to be played on the 27th and 30th.

It remains to be seen whether the EPL, which exerts immense influence in terms of industry and culture, can deliver equally overwhelming results on the field this season.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.