The English Premier League has a growing global footprint, with fans in Canada proving especially eager to increase their support and catch games in real time. That typically means getting up early and making the live viewing experience part of an entertaining morning routine when Saturday rolls around each week while the season is underway. A few habits and rituals define what Canadian supporters of English top-flight football do in this scenario.
Rise and Shine
Depending on when kickoff is scheduled and whereabouts in Canada supporters are based, some very early starts are involved in supporting a Premier League team in this part of the world. People in Western provinces have it hardest, as certain games will begin as early as 4:30 AM. Over in the East, the more standard start time of 10 AM for the main slate of games on Saturday is a bit more civilised.
The most committed members of the fanbase who live in major cities like Vancouver and Toronto have the option of heading straight to their local sports bar or pub of choice, as more and more of these venues are opening early specifically to serve Premier League-obsessed audiences.
Placing Bets
Another big part of the morning ritual for football fans across the Atlantic is looking up Canada odds for English Premier League games, as sports betting has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, fuelled by more liberal regulations and locally licensed betting site operators.
Checking up on odds for game outcomes and also making the most of in-play betting during games helps keep things interesting, even if the game itself is a bit of a damp squib. And with some Premier League fixtures being duds due to modest scorelines and draws, this added spice is exactly what Canadian audiences need to remain invested.
Getting Involved in the Wider Scene
Because of the power of the Saturday morning rituals around Premier League games, making football more accessible and widely watched as a sport in Canada, there’s also a knock-on effect for the sport as a whole. This has gone hand in hand with Major League Soccer as a North American point of interest, and the recent World Cup being hosted partly on Canadian soil added further fuel to the fire.
The EPL and MLS fanbase will in turn take more notice of the Canadian Premier League, and it’s this kind of self-perpetuating momentum that’s important to growing any sport in a country that already has bigger, better-established alternatives in place.
Another important factor behind the Premier League as a viewing experience in Canada comes from how there’s now sufficient support to justify the creation of local supporters’ clubs in many of the country’s major population centres. When fans know that they can share the experience of watching a game with their peers, there’s even more reason to get together on a Saturday morning and make it a communal event. Best of all, early morning game times leave the rest of the weekend free for other activities, so it’s simple to slot an EPL viewing party in before getting on with other social engagements.
