The Premier League has announced its first-ever pre-season tournament in the USA will take place this July, with six clubs travelling to take part in matches and events in five major East Coast cities.
The clubs confirmed to feature in the Premier League Summer Series are Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham and Newcastle United. They will compete in a total of nine matches between Saturday 22 July and Sunday 30 July at stadiums in Atlanta, GA, Harrison, NJ, Orlando, FL, Philadelphia, PA and Landover, MD.
"We're thrilled to work with the Premier League and the Washington Commanders to bring the league's inaugural Summer Series to Prince George's County this summer," said Terry Hasseltine, Executive Director, Maryland Sports Commission. "Maryland’s rich sports culture will be on full display during the staging of the series, where we're eager to host the top global soccer talent and deliver an unforgettable experience for fans at FedEx Field."
The tournament kicks off on Saturday 22 July when Chelsea take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. Tickets for all matches will be available via pre-sale on Tuesday 25 April and go on general sale on Wednesday 26 April. Fans can register their interest now via www.premierleague.com/SummerSeries and can also register to hear more about supporting events in their area, as well as general news updates.
This is the first time the League has hosted a pre-season tournament in the USA, giving US-based fans the opportunity to watch a world-class line-up of Premier League players and managers in action. The tournament will comprise high-profile matches and pre-season training camps and will be supported by a range of events for fans and local community groups.
The Premier League Summer Series is part of the League’s ongoing commitment to its US-based fans. In addition to the tournament, the League will work closely with a range of grassroots and community organizations in each host city to create a program of community and youth soccer initiatives.
The tournament builds on the success of the eight Premier League Mornings Live fan festival events the Premier League and its broadcast partner NBC Sports have hosted in multiple US cities since 2018. These events have seen more than 60,000 fans attend live match screenings in iconic locations, coming together to share their passion for the competition. This is in addition to the millions of viewers who watch week in, week out on television in the USA.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first-ever Premier League Summer Series.
“Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season. We have seen this dedication first-hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.
“We are currently enjoying one of the most competitive Premier League seasons of all time at both ends of the table and I am sure we will see some thrilling matches during the tournament.”
The Premier League’s long-standing broadcast partner NBC Sports will be the host broadcaster across the networks of NBCUniversal and Peacock for the Summer Series with the Premier League’s international licensees broadcasting the event around the world in up to 188 countries.
The Premier League has previously hosted pre-season matches via the Premier League Asia Trophy. This biennial tournament launched in 2003, with nine editions taking place in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Premier League Summer Series 2023 schedule (all kick-off times local)
Saturday 22 July @ Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Match 1: Chelsea FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC (7 p.m.)
Sunday 23 July @ Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Match 2: Fulham FC vs Brentford FC (4 p.m.)
Match 3: Newcastle United FC v Aston Villa FC (7p.m.)
Wednesday 26 July @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Match 4: Brentford FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC (5:30 p.m.)
Match 5: Chelsea FC v Newcastle United FC (8:15 p.m.)
Wednesday 26 July @ Exploria Stadium, Orlando
Match 6: Fulham FC v Aston Villa FC (7 p.m.)
Friday 28 July @ Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
Match 7: Brighton & Hove Albion FC v Newcastle United FC (7:30p.m.)
Sunday 30 July @ FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Match 8: Aston Villa FC v Brentford FC (12:00 p.m.)
Match 9: Chelsea FC v Fulham FC (2:45 p.m.)
For all the latest tournament and ticket information visit www.premierleague.com/SummerSeries
Fans can follow the build-up via Premier League and PL in USA channels on social media, and use #PLSummerSeries to get involved.
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Notes to editors
About the Premier League
The Premier League produces some of the most competitive and compelling football in the world. The League and its clubs use the power and popularity of the competition to inspire fans, communities and partners in the UK and across the world. The Premier League brings people together from all backgrounds. It is a competition for everyone, everywhere and is available to watch in 880 million homes in 188 countries.
The Premier League in the USA
There have been 62 American players in Premier League squads since 1992/93, with 53 of them playing at least one Premier League fixture. Seven American players have made a Premier League appearance this season.
NBC Sports has broadcast Premier League matches in the US since 2013 and the current six-year broadcast deal runs until 2028. NBC has played a key role in driving Premier League popularity; almost 40 million unique individuals have watched each season since NBC acquired the rights.
NBC Sports’ Premier League Mornings programming is now a real institution among supporters in America, with fans getting up early to come together and cheer on their favorite club, week in, week out.
Premier League Mornings Live fan festivals in conjunction with NBC Sports have taken place in eight different cities: Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Orlando.
Research from Nielsen Sports shows there are 30.6 million Premier League fans in the United States, which is equal to 13% of the population. Almost half (48%) of US soccer fans select a Premier League club as their favorite.
Soccer is now the fourth most popular sport in the US, with an estimated 85 million fans. Interest in soccer is growing at a faster rate – 51% of soccer fans say they have become more interested in the last two years as opposed to 35% of fans for NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
The Premier League has localized social media channels dedicated to its USA fans – PLinUSA on Twitter and PLinUSA on Instagram. #MyPLMorning has become a popular trend on weekend mornings as Premier League fans across the continent share their morning watching traditions.
About Maryland Sports Commission:
Our vision is to be the go-to resource for the sports events and sports tourism industry in Maryland. Our mission is to enhance Maryland's economy, image and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, retention and development of regional, national and international sporting events.
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