Why does print media prioritise the English Premier League over Malaysian football?

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Print media prioritises the English Premier League over Malaysian football because it draws more attention and sales than local leagues.

The argument is that print outlets tend to focus on the English Premier League in ways that help sell more newspapers, such as placing popular international stars like Romelu Lukaku, Philippe Coutinho and Harry Kane on back pages. In the same framing, this prioritisation reduces coverage space for Malaysian domestic football, even when local competitions are producing high-quality matches, such as Malaysia Cup quarter-final second legs where one match still involved a 4-1 comeback and a 5-4 aggregate qualification.
The effect on attention and coverage of local leagues
The central claim is that glorifying the English Premier League “takes away attention” from the local football scene. The writer points to a specific viewing gap: out of four high-quality local matches, only one was broadcast “live,” which is presented as a reason local leagues struggle to gain the visibility needed to grow.
The sales logic tied to international star appeal
The piece links Premier League-heavy coverage to commercial outcomes, stating that more newspapers can be sold when back pages feature globally recognisable names. It describes this as favouritism that crowds out domestic football coverage, implying that audience familiarity with international players drives demand for print content.
The comparison with daily domestic coverage norms in the UK
To illustrate how domestic leagues can be treated differently, the writer contrasts Malaysia with the United Kingdom, where domestic football is said to take up at least six to eight pages of the sports section every day. That coverage is described as comprehensive, ranging from top league storylines to the scores of the 5th tier National League, which the writer uses to highlight how Malaysian print media coverage is comparatively limited.
How the writer connects local interest to outcomes
The argument goes beyond coverage quantity by asserting that attention is necessary to build interest that can translate into results. The writer then ties this to recent setbacks in multiple competitions involving Harimau Malaya, and concludes that local leagues could be a source of inspiration if they receive adequate media attention, including “live” coverage.

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Why does print media prioritise the English Premier League over Malaysian football?

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