The Premier League is in talks over a ‘Drive to Survive’ style series similar to Formula One’s series which offered a behind-the-scenes outlook on the sport. This series could showcase parts of the Premier League that fans do not usually get to see; players’ personalities; man management strategies; different approaches to training and much more.
The Drive to Survive series was not only incredibly popular but it had a huge impact on viewing figures in terms of the actual sport. People who were not yet fans of the sport found the series engaging and entertaining and it actively grew the fanbase of Formula One.
This type of series focused on the Premier League could engage international fans in particular and greatly contribute to the league’s viewing figures and overall popularity. Many international fans are already interested in the Premier League due to sports betting, which offers the ability to place bets on fixtures within the league. Fans also benefit from various types of sign-up bonuses – some fans are enticed to watch the league due to having free bet offers that act as a gateway to the world’s biggest soccer league.
Countries that have Premier League rights, such as Canada, have started to watch games more often and many have become fans of the league. The series could be a further catalyst on top of the already growing interest in the Premier League for international fans.
Many people don’t tend to stumble over live sport as they are familiar with the experience, but viewers could enjoy a series on demand if it was streamed. The series could provoke initial interest that could lead to more people watching the sport live.
This is exactly the effect that F1’s ‘Drive to Survive’ had – people who were not yet fans came across the series and learned about the drivers’ personalities as well as the approaches and attitudes of the backroom staff. They gained an initial interest in particular drivers which led to an overall interest in the sport. Football and sport, in general, are extremely emotional and supporting teams and players is about attachment and loyalty.
There could be people with a general interest in soccer that are yet to decide on a Premier League team to support and the series could increase the viewership by helping these types of people decide and thus tune in to watch their team every week.
Showing off-the-field disputes would offer more clarity to fans and could help bring supporters closer to their club; however, potential drawbacks are that some managers and clubs may be unwilling to provide behind-the-scenes footage for the show. Managers such as Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp have denied the opportunity to film an ‘All or Nothing’ series in the past.
Many of the Premier League’s biggest clubs already market themselves efficiently via social media, but a potential series that involved some of the league’s lesser teams could allow these teams to accumulate many more fans and experience big strides forward commercially.
If the series is to happen it would be huge for the exposure of the entire Premier League brand; the biggest league in the world could grow even larger and all of its teams would benefit.
