Masters made a tough statement: The 20 Premier League teams remain unchanged, and the 2027 summer series will go to the United States again

August 2 - Premier League CEO Richard Masters once again made his position in an exclusive interview with BBC Sports today: no matter how FIFA expands its competition calendar, the Premier League will not follow in the footsteps of Ligue 1 and reduce the participating teams from 20 to 18. Masters pointed out that since the Premier League reduced from 22 teams to 20 teams in 1994-95, it has maintained a classic game system of 380 rounds and 380 games for 30 years, which not only protects domestic traditions, but also maintains the emotions of fans. "We welcome new European and global events, but we will never come at the expense of the integrity of the Premier League." He stressed that there is currently a lack of real dialogue between FIFA and major leagues, and players are pushed to the limit by the ever-increasing schedule. Chelsea, Manchester City and other giants have applied to postpone the start of the new season due to fatigue in international events this summer, but they are rejected by the league, and the contradictions are becoming increasingly sharp.

In response to the club's doubts about the expenditure of the "Summer Series", Masters gave a data counterattack: the Premier League Summer Series, which was first listed in the United States in 2023, joined hands with broadcasting partner NBC, and its revenue in three items of tickets, sponsorships and copyrights exceeded US$120 million, with an average of 6 million per team. Although the 2025 event has not yet been opened, 90% of the advertising spaces have been sold out. Based on strong returns at the business level, the league officially confirmed today that the 2027 Summer Series will continue to be held in the United States, and the specific cities and schedules are announced after the club votes. Masters finally added: "Overseas games are not icing on the cake, but the core engine of the Premier League's global growth agenda, and it is also a common need of fans, broadcasters and business partners. We will continue to promote it."