How long will it be when "foreigners in the Premiership" is replaced by "Americans in the Premiership"? It all depends on American television rights.
There is Fox Soccer Channel, and several Spanish-language cable channels that show soccer. The only people who watch these channels are established fans. Slowly but surely, World Cup and Champion's League matches are making it onto more channels with larger, broader audiences.
Disney and soccer-moms are the linchpin. Disney owns ABC and ESPN. If there is one thing Disney is good at, it's making money. Football is ubiquitous the world over (except the States and Canada) and the more globalized our society becomes, the more interest in football in this country. ESPN and ABC are in the perfect position to cash in on the demand. It's been baby-steps, so far. World Cup '94 was the first time all matches were shown in the States (only because we were hosts). However, more and more Championship football is being shown. I wouldn't doubt, if in the next several years, they make a move for Premiership rights.
Next we have the soccer moms, and their soccer-playing offspring. More kids play soccer than any other sport in the States. We're finally catching on. You don't have to have tons of equipment, it's a relatively simple game to follow (kicking ball in net = ecstasy), and you don't need a set number of people to play a pick-up game. Soccer is extremely accessible, like basketball. Basketball is the closest equivalent to soccer in the States. But, unless you're 7 feet tall, you can realistically write off any chance of playing the sport past high school on a competitive level. There are no Messi's in the NBA. Soccer is not physically exclusive like basketball and American football. Now in this regard, soccer is like baseball. Any short, fat, scratching, spitting slob can play baseball, but you need to be fit or take illegal drugs to excel.
American upper middle-class family life is often hectic, over-scheduled, and complicated. This demographic has the availability to devote time and resources so their child excels (or at least looks like their achieving with crisp kits, window stickers, and trophies for just showing up). Americans, in case you didn't know, like to be the best. If they can't be the best, they want to feel like they're the best. They will find a way.
Where am I going with this? American kids play soccer. Americans want to achieve. Soccer has the broadest canvas among sports, on which American children can express themselves and achieve. As the children get interested in soccer, they will want to watch it on TV. The more high-level soccer is shown on TV, the more other kids will watch. The more other kids watch, they will realize they can achieve at this sport, where they may not be able to in other popular sports. It will not be long when youngsters, previously interested in the NBA, or even NFL will be suiting up on a soccer pitch.
America has the monetary, and other tangible resources to dominate any sport on the global level that it wishes. The U.S. hasn't tapped its most valuable resource: its population. A simple TV contract could change all of that.
In an alternate reality, the question wouldn't be whether LeBron was going to stay in Cleveland or move to Miami, but whether he'd sign for Spurs or Chelsea. Spoiled millionaire Euro-trash move over, here come the gun-toting, dog-fighting, drug-using, date-raping Yank reprobates!
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