Arsenal 'using Real Madrid as Trojan horse' as £191m U-turn on cards - Kieran Maguire

It was almost immediately after the failure of the European Super League plot that Josh Kroenke started to play a more prominent role at Arsenal.

The Emirates co-chairman – who is the son of Arsenal’s ultimate owner, Stan Kroenke – is the most visible representative of the KSE ownership in North London.

His semi-regular appearances in the media and in meetings with supporters groups have contributed to an atmosphere at Arsenal that is far better than was the case around five years ago.

Of course, the biggest driver in terms of this improvement has been the success achieved by Mike Arteta.

The manager has returned Arsenal to the Champions League after a protracted absence, which in turn is yielding financial results that should keep the Gunners competitive long-term.

At the last count, Arsenal’s media income was £191m.

In isolation, that is a hugely impressive figure for any sports team. But many club owners feel there is still significant untapped growth in this department.

One idea that is popular is playing Premier League matches abroad, which US media executives are desperate to make happen and would pay a huge price for.

Josh Kroenke, however, is opposed to the idea controversial but lucrative proposal.

Speaking on the potential for Arsenal games to be played overseas, Kroenke said: “While it does sound attractive to a broadcaster or to FIFA, we’re happy with the current arrangement in the schedule, both domestically and in Europe.

“As a club, we have worked incredibly hard on and off the pitch the past few years and with input led by this group.

“Our goal is to re-establish a meaningful connection with our supporters, help shape club policy where appropriate and develop trust in the direction we are heading as a club.

“For anyone who has been at the Emirates the past few years, what we have now is very special.

“I believe the people in this room have helped turn our home stadium into a fortress.

“We want to host as many matches as possible so our players feel the love and injection of energy that is provided by the fans.”

To explore what the future holds for Arsenal when it comes to media rights, TBR spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer and Price of Football author Kieran Maguire.

Games in the US a ‘no-brainer’ from Arsenal’s business perspective

Both Project Big Picture and Super League have justifiably made fans of Arsenal and almost every other club sceptical of their executive’s stances on breakaway competitions.

“I think Josh Kroenke has read the room in terms of the supporters’ trust, who will be vehemently opposed to the idea of games abroad,” Maguire said.

“Once you take two per season to the USA, you then might say, ‘Well, Saudi are offering one more, and have you seen our fanbase in Asia? Then you have one taking place in Hong Kong.’

“What I’m trying to say is that you will see Premier League games chipped away at. You might have 12 home games per season.

“From a business point of view, it’s a no-brainer. You have higher ticket prices, greater merchandise sales, more opportunity for commercial deals with local partners.

“But it then just becomes a travelling circus. Being part of the identity of being an Arsenal fan is North London – it’s about history, heritage.

“That would all be sacrificed in terms of the bottom line.

“I just wonder if Kroenke realises that, relatively, they will be worse off than some of the other clubs who have even bigger followings.

“Therefore, they don’t want to be one of the forerunners.

Premier League matches in the US: What are Josh Kroenke’s true intentions for Arsenal

Arsenal are well aware of the benefits of paying in the US – they are currently on a pre-season tour of the nation, where they have visited Stan Kroenke’s SoFi Stadium and more.

They are also backing the expanded Club World Cup, a 32-team edition of the tournament whose quadrennial cycle will kick off in the US next year.

So why does Kroenke oppose competitive matches played outside Europe? Maguire suggests that it could be a ruse while the Gunners wait for another club to play the role of the bad guy first.

“The cynic in me says he is saying the right things to the fans, then – and this is what I think we will see – wait for Real Madrid and Barcelona to be the first to go into these markets.

“Then they will say, ‘If you want us to be competitive with Real Madrid and Barcelona, we have to do this. We don’t want to do it, but we have to, otherwise we’re losing out. You want to see us win the Champions League, don’t you?’

“I think they are going to use La Liga in particular as a Trojan horse to try and get games to the USA.

• READ MORE ARSENAL NEWS: Arsenal’s ‘shining light’ from pre-season is expected to be handed big role under Mikel Arteta this season

Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke to benefit from world-record TV deal

The Premier League’s £10bn TV deal is eye-watering, but even it pales in comparison to the value of Major League broadcast rights in the US.

The NBA, for example, has just struck a £77bn, 11-year deal with ESPN, TNT and NBC.

As the owner of NBA franchise the Denver Nuggets, Stan Kroenke will directly benefit from the deal.

What can the deal teach us about football’s media rights and what the future might hold in terms of streaming and broadcasting have a more direct, tangible impact on football.

“It’s an incredible deal,” said Maguire.

“I think it shows the value of advertising. From an advertiser’s perspective, it is sport or nothing that is going to attract viewers in real-time TV.

“When was the last time you watched a TV programme which was not sport or the Six O’clock News? I can’t remember. I stream.

“There are very few big-ticket programmes that aren’t sport.

“As far as sports broadcasting is concerned, it delivers for advertisers. It is effectively the only show in town. On the back of that, you see broadcasters willing to pay more money for rights.

“The problem for football is that, for TV, it is an absolutely terrible sport because it is 45 minutes without an advert break.

“This was one of the ideas that was put forward by Florentino Perez as part of the Super League, having four quarters, so you can double the amount of adverts.

“I don’t think there is an alignment between football and American franchise sports because those sports were created to be TV products first and spectator-attended products second.

“In terms of owners at Arsenal and beyond, some people at the top tier of football want the game to become more like an American franchise product.

“I think to do that, we will see increased innovation. That could come through streaming or big TV companies delivering a different product.

“Ideally, what they want is to have two or three screens in front of you. One will be the match, and others will be adverts and other ways to get you to spend money.”