I can't say I am massively concerned at this. A closed shop league would really struggle to be massively watchable in the medium term. There would certainly be a lot of interest initially but I do think in the medium term they would face huge problems.
There is nothing inherently big about say Manchester City V Chelsea/Liverpool as a match, other than both teams are at the top of the league. If they were in the middle of a league, it's a nothing game. This will be especially so if those sides play each other regularly. Part of the intrigue of such games is that you don't get to see them every week, so they feel a bit special.
Where the PL is strong, is because of the more egalitarian structure (which these clubs seek to destroy) most teams are competitive and the games that aren't the big games are often entertaining and produce great moments and interesting narratives.
The CL is essentially a mid week super league. Yet it's viewing figures are flatlining currently. They are in sharp decline when compared to the PL. The concept is quite stale and people are a bit sick of the novelty of it. When the true fan is lost from the concept it filters through. I don't think having a system where you make it more of a closed shop, put more of the matches on and remove the national narrative that surrounds those teams is going to magically make a super league more marketable. In fact I suspect the opposite is true.
On the flip of it, the PL is an extremely durable product and is one which is thriving currently. Where break aways have happened before (see darts or the creation of the PL) there was an acute sense that the game was being left behind and there was an innovative approach to rectify those problems. What we see with this super league is a product that is extremely well established, arguably the biggest franchise in the world, and the super league is taking some of the worst aspects of the game and pushing them to the forefront.
The concern in this has to be 2 fold though. Firstly as has been hinted at, lots of this is a negotiation for more power/money from those clubs. The game and other clubs need to be much stronger with them and call their bluff. The demands won't stop either and there comes a point where you have to draw a line in the sand. It is ridiculous and preposterous that we are allowing 5 teams to gain all the advantages of being in the PL, get a huge chunk of revenue (the majority share) while at the same time start negotiating with other competitors to establish a commodity which would be a direct competitor to the PL. If this is what they wish to do fine, but don't go giving them the TV revenue to help tide them over to do this.
Secondly it must be clear the terms with which they go. If they leave under no circumstances should they be allowed dual entry. You cannot allow them the "best of both" and people need to stand form on that. They will always be looking to undermine from within.
This also comes back from the point if they ever want to come back. It should be made clear they will start at Lancashire League level and that they would be have to pay damages for entering an illegal league if they ever tried to come back. Make it very clear it's an enormous risk to go and that it will cost them an enormous amount of it goes wrong.
You have to hope 1 or 2 would bottle it and begin to further undermine the product, leaving 3 or 4 in the lurch as a result.
The PL is a strong product on a number of levels. To an extent it doesn't matter who's top. Yet Manchester United have lots of fans now, but if say, West Ham had their success and the PL remained a viable product West Ham would grow internationally. International viewers get to say a league with a long history, with 20 competitive teams in great facilities, modern big stadiums generally sold out with passionate fans. None of this changes if those clubs go..
So yes if I were the PL now, I would be upping the ante on them and seeing who is playing silly b's about it and who is more serious. The space they are being allowed to operate in is negligent from the administrators and if you want to volley them out, you are best doing so well before they have fully organised a rival package.
On a subjective level, I would love to see the greed of Liverpool football club fall flat on it's face in a shambolic European League.
