The English Premier League, often referred to as the EPL, is recognised around the world as the best league in the world. Players from across the globe dream to play at famous grounds such as Old Trafford, St James Park, Stamford Bridge, The Emirates Stadium and Anfield, amongst others. In recent years, some of the world’s most expensive players have enthralled Premier League crowds across the country and have been watched by millions across the world. In fact, the Premier League is so popular around the globe it is broadcast in 212 countries giving EPL games a potential television audience of 4.7 billion people. That worldwide television revenue alone generates £billions each year and is distributed amongst the clubs depending on their final standing the previous year. For this reason, promotion to the English Premier League is highly prized and fiercely fought over in the English Championship.
Contested by 20 clubs, the English Premier League operates a system of promotion and relegation similar to the main football leagues worldwide. As well as English teams those clubs from wales who play in the English Football League can also qualify to enter the EPL; recent examples include Cardiff City and Swansea City Football Clubs.
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Currently, the top four teams in the league qualify to enter the UEFA Champions League with the first three entering the group stage directly and the team in fourth place must enter a play off in order to win a place in the group stages.
The English Premier League season runs from August to May and each team plays the other clubs twice, both home and away giving a 38 game season. So popular has the league become that in the 2010-11 season the English Premier League reached new heights with stadium occupancy reaching an average of 92% with the typical attendance at games being 35,363. The leagues success has continued to grow year on year and, in fact, based upon the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) coefficients the EPL continues to be ranked second amongst the leading European competitions and has been for the past five years.
Since its inception in 1992, the dominant team in the English Premier League has been Manchester United who have won an amazing 13 EPL titles in 23 years. United’s nearest rivals Chelsea have won the league 4 times with Arsenal trailing with 3 titles. The only former EPL champions who do not currently compete in the EPL are 1995 winners Blackburn Rovers.
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