Don Garber: 'Premier League games in North America would cross the line'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 19 November 2015

MLS commissioner Don Garber believes that any move to play competitive Premier League games in North America would threaten his league's future.

Don Garber, the Commissioner of Major League Soccer, has claimed that any move to play competitive Premier League games in North America would threaten his league's future.

Audiences for English top-flight games on US television have risen by 150% in three years, and were up by 67% year on year for the opening weeks of this season.

The idea of playing an extra round of Premier League games overseas, the so-called 39th game, was first floated in 2008, but was withdrawn after it was given a hostile reception.

Garber, at the helm of the MLS since 1999, told BBC Sport: "[Premier League games abroad] really would cross the line of going into a market and potentially threatening the first division.

"While the Premier League is interested in growing revenues, they are the leaders of the game professionally - or certainly in the top two - and I think Richard Scudamore really cares about the game, loves our country and loves our league."

"What we're trying to do is create a soccer nation in the US and Canada, and the more people we can turn into professional soccer watchers the more we can convince to become fans of their local team and the better off we'll be."

Premier League ratings on US television routinely beat those of MLS games, despite the influx of big names such as Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo.