The Premier League may primarily be English on the field, but in the owner’s box, it’s now unquestionably an American game.
With the recent news that the York family was planning to buy Leeds United, it put even more focus on Americans invading Europe’s most-prized football league.
Of the 20 clubs in the EPL this season, half are currently U.S.-owned. And that number is only going to go up.
The top-three teams in the Championship division are owned by Americans as well, meaning next season could potentially see 13 of the 20 clubs – or 65% – being run from over 3,000 miles away.
The York family has owned the San Francisco 49ers since 1999. And if Leeds ends up getting promoted to the EPL next season, which is likely since they’re currently in first place, they’d be the fifth NFL franchise to also own a team in the most influential league outside the United State.
It’s a particularly thorny issue for English fans, who have seen their stake in the league they created dwindle more and more each year.
Not only are Americans taking over the league, but only five top-flight clubs are currently British-owned, with the other five split between owners from Saudi Arabia (Newcastle United), Thailand (Leicester City), the UAE (Manchester City), China (Wolverhampton), and Greece (Nottingham Forest).
The American owners are not one-offs, either. They are primarily the most influential men and women in international sports. Because they not only own clubs in the Premier League, but also the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
Five of the 13 American-owned clubs we could see next season in the EPL also own NFL teams. Three own MLB franchises, while one NBA and one NHL owner will be watching their European investment play at the highest level in the sport.
Liverpool, who is running away with the EPL this season, is controlled by John Henry, who bought the Boston Red Sox in 2001. His company, Fenway Sports Group, also includes LeBron James as a minority shareholder.
Arsenal, which is right behind Liverpool in second place, was taken over by Stan Kroenke in 2008. Kroenke owns the LA Rams, as well as the Nuggets, Avalanche, and several other sports franchises in the U.S.
Manchester United’s been one of the most valuable franchises in the world for decades. So when Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer bought the club in 2003, it shocked the world. It also opened the floodgates for other international billionaires to look at opportunities in the EPL.
Iranian-American Shahid Khan has owned the Jaguars since 2012, and it took him only one more year to scoop of Fulham FC. Khan and the Jags have been a fixture in Europe ever since, hosting more NFL games overseas than any other American franchise.
Josh Harris is a multi-team owner as well. Harris is the managing partner of the Sixers and Devils, and bought the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder in 2023. He’s an 18% owner of Crystal Palace FC, a partner of fellow American John Textor, who owns 40% of the club.
Chelsea is now owned by the Dodgers, Aston Villa by the Milwaukee Bucks and Bournemouth by the Las Vegas Knights.
Don’t expect the spending spree to stop anytime soon. With the success American billionaires, athletes and Hollywood superstars have had buying up smaller clubs around the world, recognizing the massive potential return on their investments, this may only be the beginning.
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