The Difference Between The NFL and The English Premier League

There is no doubt that the NFL, along with the English Premier League, are two of the most sought-after sports leagues around the globe. Not only are they both popular, with millions of views each and a huge army of followers, but they also generate billions of dollars in revenue through various sponsorship deals, media rights, etc. Curiously, they also share a very similar origin story – starting out small as regional professional football competitions and making their way up all the way to national leagues. 

However, along with many similarities, there are several differences between the NFL and Premier League that make the NFL stand out. We will cover the key differences below.

It is worth noting that fans from both camps also have a vast choice of great betting experiences. It allows them to combine their passion for the sport with making money by betting on various NFL and EPL or PayID Pokies. 

Premier League vs. NFL

Now, let’s take a closer look at the key differences between the NFL and the EPL.

#1 Number of Games/Season Length

The EPL season runs from August through May and is ten months long. The 20 groups in the league will play against each other twice – away and at home. That makes a total of 760 games played in a season. EPL also has three international breaks on average, where the players will represent their national teams in competitions – both international and friendlies. 

In contrast, the NFL runs a total of four months, from September to December. The 32 teams play 17 games each over the 18-week-long season, making the NFL season have a total of 272 games. In addition, each of the 32 teams gets a bye week, meaning they do not have to play any games.

As we can see, NFL teams have fewer games compared to the EPL teams. This is mostly explained by the physicality of the leagues and the toll it takes physically on the players, as well as due to a greater distance between teams.

#2 Franchises and Clubs 

A significant difference between EPL and NFL lies in the management of the teams. In the EPL, clubs compete, while the NFL has franchises. This might not say much to the fams or watchers, as they simply enjoy the game and seeing the teams compete, playing their best. However, it is an important enough distinction with the power to affect the league sometimes. 

While EPL teams tend to be related and community-owned, in most cases (alternatively bought by the rich but still preserving their location and identity), NFL franchises are somewhat different. Since they are not owned by a community, the owners can act in any way they want with the club, be it changing the logo, the name, the colors, or something as extreme as moving it elsewhere.

#3 Post Season

In the EPL, the season officially ends when the team that scored the most points at the end is announced a champion. However, this is not the case for the NFL, which has a regular season along with the postseason. At the end of the regular season, the best teams qualify to compete in the postseason for the greatest title in football, the Super Bowl. 

The 32 franchises in the NFL are grouped into two divisions – the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference, with 16 teams in each. These teams are then divided into four more divisions – South, North, East, and West divisions.

The winners of each subdivision qualify to compete in the postseason. Six other teams are then also selected based on overall records (three teams from each division). This means that 14 teams make it to the NFL playoffs. 

#4 Globalization

When it comes to popularity, there is no doubt that the EPL surpasses the NFL. This can be explained by the fame of soccer around the globe compared to American football. Not surprisingly, more than 90% of the NFL fanhood is in North America. Despite the ongoing attempts to expand the sport to global audiences, there is a lot of work and effort to be made to match the popularity that EPL and soccer have. 

However, despite falling slightly short in popularity, the NFL is way ahead of EPL in terms of the revenue it generates. While the Premier League had $6 billion in revenue in 2021, the NFL had an outstanding $18 billion in revenue. 

Closing Thoughts 

The Premier League and the NFL are undoubtedly the most well-known and profit-making sports leagues worldwide. Both have outstanding athletes, and both have come a long way since they were first founded in the 20th century. And they will certainly evolve more in the future and get an even bigger army of fans supporting their favorite teams.