PayPerHead Finds Significant Increase of Americans Betting on European Soccer Leagues
European soccer is creating a new wave of viewership, betting and fandom throughout the United States. Payperhead.com, the leading sportsbook software in the industry, is investigating a clear correlation between American viewership of European Soccer Leagues and an increased number of bets on featured games.
Nate Johnson, Product Manager of PayPerHead.com, gave insight towards the increased American viewership of the European Soccer League and betting.
“Throughout recent years, our agents have reported back an increase of wagers being placed on European Soccer Leagues like the Champions League and the Premier League. The increase of wagers throughout 2016, ‘17 and ‘18 coincides with the reported increase of American viewership throughout these years.
According to Statista.com, American viewership of European soccer games has experienced a significant increase over recent years. Recent statistics from the 2016 UEFA Champions League Finals found that American viewership reached a total of 1.68 million. The 2017 UEFA saw an increased viewership from 2016, achieving a total of 1.7 million Americans.
However, the 2018 UEFA Finals saw the highest spike in American viewers. Viewership for the 2018 finals increased from 1.7 million Americans to a total of over 2 million American viewers.
“European soccer has been trying to gain an American audience for years. Americans are now growing up with soccer, allowing them to develop a natural love and passion for the sport. While we see the rise of interest continue to grow, PayPerHead is anticipating an unprecedented demand for betting on European Soccer.”
In a December 2018 report, Gallup produced a poll that found 7% of Americans naming soccer as their favorite sport to watch. While the study admits that a 7% interest “doesn’t sound like much,” the study continued to note that interest in other popular sports is on the decline. Gallup noted that American Football decreased from a 39% interest to a 37% interest.
“We’re not interpreting the data as people losing interest in particular sports, many are just becoming interested in others,” explained Johnson. “An increased interest in European soccer means an increased interest in betting on the games and profit for PayPerHead agents.”
