The 2025/2026 European Soccer thread. Will non soccer fans give one of the European league's seasons a chance this year (EPL, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.)?

[Buzz Rules]

The 2025/2026 European Soccer thread. Will non soccer fans give one of the European league's seasons a chance this year (EPL, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.)? The EPL can be found on NBC, USA Network, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo. Serie A can be found on CBS Sports Network, Paramount Plus, and the Golazo Network. Bundesliga can be found on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Plus, and ABC. La Liga can be found on the same networks listed for the Bundesliga. Ligue 1 can be found on Bein Sports. Other smaller leagues in Europe can be found on ESPN Plus or Paramount Plus. The EPL is considered the most popular league in the world. Many of the Canadian and American players who will represent our national teams in the upcoming World Cup next summer play in these top five leagues in the world. For those who say soccer is boring but tune into the World Cup, I ask you to watch 1 match in the next couple of weeks and tell me if you still think of the sport the same way. Enjoy this important sport's season everyone. ️🏟

https://www.premierleague.com/en/

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://ligue1.com/fr/

https://www.laliga.com/en-GB

https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga

 

[Dug720]

No. I don't care to understand soccer. Or most sports.

Not everyone has to like everything - and PLENTY of people like soccer. Why does it need recruiters for even more?

 

[patty57]

Only if it's Ted Lasso's team.

 

[Buzz Rules]

No. I don't care to understand soccer. Or most sports.

It's your choice obviously and I respect it.

Not everyone has to like everything

No arguments here

- and PLENTY of people like soccer.

Many in the USA don't give it a chance at all and many believe false stereo types about the sport. Many have never seen the true excellence of the sport.

Why does it need recruiters for even more?

Many of our professional teams don't recieve proper attention from the media or local communities. Some people have a team in their local area and don't even know about them. The soccer fans in the USA and Canada want the sport to grow and that won't happen if people only tune into the World Cup every four years. We want to win a World Cup and that won't happen unless our country is more engaged with the sport. I'm not saying everyone has to be a die hard fan but we do have ignorant sports fans that discourage others from liking the sport or go so far as to make fun of it. 2026 was supposed to be the spark of enthusiasm for soccer but I fear it won't be due to the subject matter we can't discuss here.

 

[Dug720]

It's your choice obviously and I respect it.

No arguments here

Many in the USA don't give it a chance at all and many believe false stereo types about the sport. Many have never seen the true excellence of the sport.

Many of our professional teams don't recieve proper attention from the media or local communities. Some people have a team in their local area and don't even know about them. The soccer fans in the USA and Canada want the sport to grow and that won't happen if people only tune into the World Cup every four years. We want to win a World Cup and that won't happen unless our country is more engaged with the sport. I'm not saying everyone has to be a die hard fan but we do have ignorant sports fans that discourage others from liking the sport or go so far as to make fun of it. 2026 was supposed to be the spark of enthusiasm for soccer but I fear it won't be due to the subject matter we can't discuss here.

I don't discourage people. I know we have a team around here. I just have no interest. If people want to go and like it, they're fine to. I just won't be acompanying them. Same as I don't accompany friends to horror movies. It's not on my interest list.

Perhaps my feelings on it may go back to childhood where I did go to YMCA matches with our neighbors across the street, but they never bothered to explain anything to me - and if I asked it was met with "Duh." So I was left with the impression that it's a snotty culture that doesn't really WANT new people to understand it. And that's not going away - especially by all the pushing of it.

And IMHO pushing it on people like you're someone from one of the religions that knocks on doors and/or stands on street corners isn't really the way to build fans.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I don't discourage people. I know we have a team around here. I just have no interest. If people want to go and like it, they're fine to. I just won't be acompanying them. Same as I don't accompany friends to horror movies. It's not on my interest list.

That's perfectly valid.

Perhaps my feelings on it may go back to childhood where I did go to YMCA matches with our neighbors across the street, but they never bothered to explain anything to me - and if I asked it was met with "Duh." So I was left with the impression that it's a snotty culture that doesn't really WANT new people to understand it. And that's not going away - especially by all the pushing of it.

I'm sorry that was your impression. That is not modern day soccer culture. On the flip side, soccer fans in the country were bullied for decades so I imagine that is where some of the pushback was coming from. If you ever do attend a professional match, you would see how inclusive the culture is. Newbies to the sport are now always welcomed. The tailgating is awesome as well.

And IMHO pushing it on people like you're someone from one of the religions that knocks on doors and/or stands on street corners isn't really the way to build fans.

It's a thread that's informative and encouraging. It's your choice to follow it or ignore it. No hard feelings either way.

 

[hardcorestitch]

The 2025/2026 European Soccer thread. Will non soccer fans give one of the European league's seasons a chance this year (EPL, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.)? The EPL can be found on NBC, USA Network, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo. Serie A can be found on CBS Sports Network, Paramount Plus, and the Golazo Network. Bundesliga can be found on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Plus, and ABC. La Liga can be found on the same networks listed for the Bundesliga. Ligue 1 can be found on Bein Sports. Other smaller leagues in Europe can be found on ESPN Plus or Paramount Plus. The EPL is considered the most popular league in the world. Many of the Canadian and American players who will represent our national teams in the upcoming World Cup next summer play in these top five leagues in the world. For those who say soccer is boring but tune into the World Cup, I ask you to watch 1 match in the next couple of weeks and tell me if you still think of the sport the same way. Enjoy this important sport's season everyone. ️🏟

https://www.premierleague.com/en/

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://ligue1.com/fr/

https://www.laliga.com/en-GB

https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga

It seems as if you can find soccer from outside the US so easily and even free channels in many cases, but you can’t seem to get your own country’s club soccer on those said platforms because the MLS wants streaming and only streaming.

 

[patty57]

I was joking about Ted Lasso. We just rewatched it. My husband is a fan, and played in high school and college. My older son is also a big fan. He loves the US team and Tottenham.

 

[Buzz Rules]

It seems as if you can find soccer from outside the US so easily and even free channels in many cases, but you can’t seem to get your own country’s club soccer on those said platforms because the MLS wants streaming and only streaming.

The ratings were horrible for the major markets on local channels. Some of it was lack of caring by the networks. Even on major networks like ESPN treated MLS like crap. Fox/FS1 actually cared which is why they won the World Cup rights for next year and still show a nationally televised MLS match every week. I'm not a fan of streaming but MLS was offered alot by Apple that Disney refused to give them. It's a shame because the big networks only care about the stars of Europe and promoting their product.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I was joking about Ted Lasso. We just rewatched it. My husband is a fan, and played in high school and college. My older son is also a big fan. He loves the US team and Tottenham.

That's awesome to hear. Your USL team (Rhode Island FC) is a cool team as well.

 

[Ning Ning]

It seems as if you can find soccer from outside the US so easily and even free channels in many cases, but you can’t seem to get your own country’s club soccer on those said platforms because the MLS wants streaming and only streaming.

Yes! MLS has infuriated me for the past few years with their mostly streaming games! Yet, the women's games are splashed all over various networks and I don't like women's soccer.

I am so excited to watch Liverpool in the first Premier League game on Friday afternoon!

 

[georgina]

No. The older I get the less important team sports has become to me. I have zero interest in European sports, I barely have interest any more in some American sports. I will watch some NFL games but I prefer individual sports like tennis.

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://www.nbcsports.com/pressbox/...tches-live-across-nbc-peacock-and-usa-network

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956051687442886707

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956084354376946012

 

[Ning Ning]

https://www.nbcsports.com/pressbox/...tches-live-across-nbc-peacock-and-usa-network

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956051687442886707

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956084354376946012

Liverpool scared me there for a minute! But, it was a good game. I'm so glad the season has started.

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1955245524195410282

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956435049055949181

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/rebecca-lowe-premier-league-soccer-gfm2j5rkt