I would be very curious as to who they reached out to at in the US.

The prem is a large and growing audience here. In fact, I think a lot of sports fans would put it above Hockey and possibly even Pro basketball. The NBA has struck all kinds of "deals" with broadcasters and many games aren't available unless you buy a "season pass" which is pretty hefty. The product itself bears little resemblance to real basketball. Like olympic wrestling vs "world championship wrestling". It's a farce of a product. In Indiapolis we have a pro team (of which we get to pay 2% of every dollar we spend on food, drinks and lodging to support this team yet there are no broadcasts on the local TV or cable channels unless you buy the pass.

In the end, when you don't remain visible in the sport or entertainment local world you'll become irrelevant. The short sided greed eventually will lead to the team moving since the interest level drops off over time. I really could care less if they left town and I got to keep an extra 2% of my money when I go out.