Baller League: A 'new sport' with 'room to improve'

East London played host to two very different versions of the 'beautiful game' on Sunday.

Just a stone's throw from the London Stadium, where 58,669 fans turned out to see West Ham beat QPR in the FA Cup, about 4,000 supporters watched close to five hours of football as season two of Baller League UK concluded.

Wembley Rangers - managed by former England strikers Ian Wright and Alan Shearer - won the title by beating defending champions SDS in Sunday's final.

And Baller League chief executive Felix Starck believes his six-a-side competition has surpassed what the Premier League can offer for the younger generation.

He claims the top flight is "not even close" to the age group following Baller League.

"In the younger audience, we are leading that market share - between 16-28 we are more watched than the Premier League when it comes to live games," he says.

The figures are hard to verify - but it is worth pointing out Baller League matches are more accessible than Premier League fixtures shown solely on subscription channels.

Baller League is broadcast simultaneously across Sky, Twitch and YouTube, and the league says it had more than two million live viewers per matchday in season one.

It is yet to release figures for its second season in the UK but just one of the 11 matchdays hit one million views on YouTube - compared to eight matchdays in season one.

Premier League games shown on Sky Sports attracted an average audience of about 1.57 million per game during the 2024-25 season - down 10% from the previous campaign.

Baller League leans on former Premier League players, content creators and celebrities to attract the masses, with Wright, Shearer, England Euros winner Chloe Kelly and actor Idris Elba among those managing teams.

"We need to educate our fans well enough to say: 'It's a new sport, come on the journey with us,'" says Starck.

Starck acknowledges Baller League still has "room to improve".

He has ambitions to raise the pay structure over the coming years and is looking to ensure players are cared for financially if they are unable to play because of injuries sustained on the field.

Goalkeeper Serine Sanneh is one such example.

Sanneh plays for Southern Counties Eastern Division side Rusthall FC but sustained a broken finger playing for the 26ers in season two of the Baller League.

The former Crystal Palace academy player also has a day job as a delivery driver, and Starck wants to ensure he - and any others in a similar situation - have financial security.

"Every player who plays for us is insured in the world of Baller League, but if you can't do your job then we are working on solutions," Starck said.

"If I have to pay out of my own pocket, then he will be fine."

Most of the 12 clubs have at least one player who can tell a tale of almost making it at the highest level of the 11-a-side game, having spent time in Premier League academies.

Alfie Matthews falls into that category.

Matthews was one of just four boys - alongside Bukayo Saka - to be handed a pre-scholarship contract two years early, aged 14.

The 24-year-old now plays for National League South club Dover Athletic in the sixth tier of English football and also turns out for Baller League side SDS.

Baller League offers players like Matthews the opportunity to gain exposure and benefit financially, with contracts ranging from £300 to £800 per game.

But it is also stepping on the toes of non-league clubs.

Matthews and Dover team-mates Francis Mampolo and George Nikaj fell foul of manager Jake Leberl in December when they played in the Baller League just 24 hours before losing in the league against Kent rivals Ebbsfleet.

"We'll manage it and I'm sure they'll be even more desperate to do well for the football club," Leberl said. "It doesn't need to be a circus act around it."

Starck said he was "quite sure" the Dover players "make more" at Baller League than at their clubs - but with only 11 matchdays, contracts do not offer the same stability as those signed with clubs for an entire season.

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