Hear our interview with Jon Champion, the legendary soccer commentator who now works for NBC Sports as well as ESPN, ITV, and other broadcasters. For fans of Premier League clubs around the world, Jon Champion is one of the most well-known voices. In the interview, Jon Champion discusses:

– What he misses most about the United States

– His history with Peter Drury

– Working alongside Taylor Twellman

– Whether VAR should have been implemented or not

– Where he gets his wit from

– Other sports he has called

– His memories of supporting his favorite soccer club.

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In this week’s episode, we discuss why NBC Sports needs to step up the quality of its Premier League coverage, our thoughts on the new Messi documentary series from Apple, the trials and tribulations of Fantasy Premier League, and NWSL’s new TV deal. Plus we discuss:

- Technical issues streaming games across Peacock, Paramount+ and ESPN+

- Which soccer broadcaster is the most unformulaic

- Could CBS Sports do a better job at broadcasting the Premier League to viewers in the USA?

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Much like the men's side, the Wrexham Women's team has undergone considerable change since American investors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at the club. Not only has Wrexham Women earned promotion to its top flight, but it is growing in popularity.

The brains behind that growth is Gemma Owen, who oversees the entire women's department at Wrexham AFC. Among her many hats, she is also an assistant manager of the U-19 Women's side with Wrexham. However, her responsibilities vary greatly.

Owen joins World Soccer Talk ahead of 'Welcome to Wrexham' season two episode six, titled 'Ballers.' In this interview, Owen talks about her various responsibilities with the club as well as some of the players and fans of the side.

Additionally, Owen goes into detail about the growing popularity of the women's team from abroad. Thousands of people had made the pilgrimage to Wrexham to watch the men's team. Now, some people are staying an extra day to watch the women. Could fans in the United States have the opportunity to see the Wrexham Women in a friendly against NWSL teams? Also, is there any chance fans could see Wrexham Women play in the Champions League?

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On this week’s episode, we discuss the return of Welcome to Wrexham, audio problems for Premier League and Bundesliga games, whether Apple’s plans for soccer are a good move or not, and where NWSL rights could go next season after this year's deal ends.

In the Listener Mailbag segment, we answer your questions and feedback including why we feel business owners should stay clear of disrespecting the sport of soccer, why Peacock doesn't show every single Premier League game, Saudi Arabia versus MLS, the pros and cons of leagues having games streamed via Apple TV, and much more.

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Our exclusive interview with Wrexham AFC Club Executive Director Humphrey Ker shines a light on several fascinating topics involving the global phenomenon that is Wrexham Association Football Club. Ker, who is responsible for turning Rob McElhenney into a soccer fan and ultimately into becoming co-owner of Wrexham alongside Ryan Reynolds, answers questions about who is responsible for creating the magic of Welcome to Wrexham (season 2 launched September 12, 2023 on FX).

Take a journey with us through Welcome to Wrexham season 2 as Ker discusses whether the success of the series in the US surprised him, the decision behind not including spoilers in season two, his experiences running into people from around the world outside the Racecourse Ground, and what Wrexham's global plans are.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of Messi’s magical run in Major League Soccer, as well as catching listeners up on where we’ve been. That's just the start of the conversation as we also chat about the wonders of British motorway service stations, whether the Messi effect has been able to impact mainstream media, what the Messi effect is like in the United Kingdom, what the biggest benefit is of all after Messi's arrival in the United States of America.

Other tidbits discussed are NBC's new Premier League set, what their coverage is lacking, whether Super Clubs in MLS are a good thing or not, your thoughts on ESPN's coverage of soccer, criticism for ESPN's inability to take advantage of a golden opportunity, and what we've enjoyed about this Premier League season so far.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Harry Kane's arrival in the Bundesliga move the needle with the popularity of the German league across the United States? We discuss, but we also dive into several related topics.

For instance, is ESPN ready to promote the Bundesliga with as much attention that they've given to LaLiga? Does ESPN have the talent they need based in the United States who can share their expertise on German soccer? And we also share which league the Bundesliga is focused on overtaking internationally, and why it's important that social media is part of that strategy.

As always, we also discuss a variety of other topics and answer your questions in the Listener Mailbag section. One of the topics is, if you’re not watching full games, can you call yourself a soccer fan?

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Hot on the heels of Messi, would Neymar Jr moving to MLS be a smart move for the league or not? What does he offer that would make fans want to watch him, and what are any risks, if any? We also discuss how it could impact MLS Season Pass.

Other topics discussed:

• What we're most looking forward to seeing in the Premier League this season

• Added time, and how it's going to be an issue for TV broadcasters and viewers

• How US Soccer Federation is benefitting from Messi coming to America

• Why the US went crashing out of the Women's World Cup

• How many soccer fans are watching highlights but not watching soccer games

• What this Women's World Cup has been like

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Messi games with Inter Miami have become a must-watch on the calendar. So much so that they’re eating into Women’s World Cup viewership, and they may end up having an impact on Premier League viewership when that season starts in a week from now.

With so many games happening this summer and so few hours, we dive into what viewing choices we're making and why, as well as sharing our opinions about some of the biggest stories in soccer this summer.

Also discussed is whether Apple not sharing MLS Season Pass viewing numbers is helping or hurting the league. And why it's important to not believe all of the numbers you're hearing.

It's also time to share our preview of the English Championship 2023/24 season, as well as mentioning some good news out of the Bundesliga.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.