Premier League shareholders discussed the concept of playing competitive matches abroad at a meeting in London last week.
The proposal comes less than six months after the European Super League idea was opposed because of the effects it would have on local supporters.
The countries that have been mentioned so far include the US, China, India, Brazil and Indonesia as the Premier League believe their product could be most effectively marketed there, according to the Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The kind of fixtures that would be played in those countries is not yet understood but it would mean that Newcastle United would potentially play matches without the presence of their supporters.
The proposal would not come to fruition for a number of years yet but the initial response from fans suggests that it would not be a welcomed change.
Global exposure is the driving force behind the idea but it signifies the Premier League’s lack of consideration for the local supporters, groups of people they were reliant on to help overturn the Super League proposal earlier in the year.
It follows on from something Richard Scudamore presented in 2008; an extra round of fixtures that teams would be expected to play abroad at five different venues.
The involved clubs were set to earn £5m per game but it was immediately opposed by FIFA, UEFA and the FA which led to the idea being thrown out.
Despite seeing that proposal rejected, Scudamore claimed that ‘it will happen at some point’ with the vision for the direction of football being clear even 13 years ago.
The initial step for the more recent of the two concepts will be an enhanced pre-season tournament in the US next summer.
Those competitions have been happening for several years in both Asia and North America but the nature of an ‘enhanced’ version suggests it would be longer and would involve more Premier League sides.
While an idea like this brings the potential for more global growth for teams like Newcastle, it completely disregards the local supporters who are the lifeblood of these clubs.
However, with the offer of more money potentially on the table moving forward, it could mean a dilemma for boards around the Premier League.
