Photo by DavidKenny

The profile of the Premier League in the United States has never been larger. The TV ratings are at a record high with both ESPN2 and Fox Soccer Channel recording their highest ratings ever for EPL games this season. This summer, five Premier League clubs (Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton, Bolton and Newcastle United) will be touring North America to play preseason friendlies. And now with Stan Kroenke taking over Arsenal, 25% of Premier League clubs are owned by Americans. Or, another way to look at it is that 75% of the traditional Big Four are owned by Americans. Imagine that. English football institutions Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool — three of the most famous clubs in English football club history — are American-owned.

While Arsenal, a much loved club by many Americans, will be touring China and Malaysia this summer, the club has announced that it will tour America in the future. And it appears likely that more Premier League will tour the States especially with the prospect of signing lucrative sponsorship contracts with large American brands wanting to expand their reach into global markets.

But the question is, how big can the Premier League get in America?

My prediction is that the popularity of the Premier League will continue to grow upwards in the United States. It’s the perfect “gateway drug” for sports fans who are new to the sport. It’s readily available (there’s more coverage of the Premier League on US TV than the domestic Major League Soccer). It’s an entertaining fix. There’s a romanticism about the league with its remarkable history and great traditions. And finally, the same English language is used which makes it easier to read up about the teams, the league and every possible facet of the league.

While growing in popularity in the States, the Premier League is still a minnow compared to traditional American sports. That being said, that means there’s a huge opportunity to grow the game in the States. Expect significant growth in TV ratings year over year. That will translate into increased merchandise sales as well as more Premier League teams touring the United States each summer to generate revenues to put back into the club. And the tours themselves will help attract new fans to the sport (and to the league) who may otherwise not have become attracted to the Premier League.

Exactly how big the Premier League can become in the United States is difficult to predict. The popularity of the league will be helped, no doubt, by next summer’s Euro 2012 tournament where most of the Premier League’s talent will be showcased in the month-long tournament. Even if England doesn’t do well, there are enough European stars in the Premier League that viewers can relate to during each stage of the tournament. And after Euro 2012 is over, we can expect to see a bump in TV ratings for the Premier League on US TV just as we did after the 2010 World Cup.

In a recent interview with MarketWatch, here’s what one of ESPN’s top executives said about the Premier League. “The audience growth we’re seeing for the Premier League is right up there with our top sports,” said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president of programming at ESPN, who oversees the network’s soccer coverage.

Last, but not least, the prospect of a 39th game being played on the shores of the United States would give the league a massive boost. The level of anticipation for a game like that would be immense. Whether the 39th game concept will ever materialize is still up in the air, but even if it’s a League Cup Final or a Community Shield game, the lift it would give the Premier League in the United States would be gigantic.

What do you think? How big can the Premier League get in America? What are your predictions? Share them in the comments section below.