Independent research · Premier League × South & Southeast Asia · 5 October 2026

Asia's fans ask AI where to watch. A third of the answers point somewhere unofficial.

We asked ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI the questions Premier League fans in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam actually ask, graded every answer against the official record, then set it beside the ad campaigns running in those markets and a forecast of where search demand peaks next.

Research & build: Yash Khandelwal560 graded answers · 28 Google AI Overviews · 4 markets
Next big fixtures, local kick-off
10 Oct · 16:30 UTC
Man United v Spurs
Mumbai
Jakarta
Bangkok
Ho
22:00
23:30
23:30
23:30
11 Oct · 15:30 UTC
Liverpool v Man City
Mumbai
Jakarta
Bangkok
Ho
21:00
22:30
22:30
22:30
24 Oct · 16:30 UTC
Chelsea v Spurs
Mumbai
Jakarta
Bangkok
Ho
22:00
23:30
23:30
23:30
35%of answers to action questions include at least one unofficial option alongside or instead of the official channel.
13/24ChatGPT answers about kick-off times that got the fan's local time wrong.
1/72answers about watching in India, Indonesia and Vietnam that link to the licensed broadcaster.
0/512everyday answers that mention Barclays, the league's longest-serving partner.
Layer 1 · AI answers

What the assistants tell fans

35 fan questions, asked as a fan in Mumbai, Jakarta, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, twice each, with live web search switched on. Each answer was graded against the Premier League's own broadcaster list and current partner roster.

Finding 1

ChatGPT mixes in unofficial routes in half its answers

On questions with a real action behind them, Perplexity sent fans only to official channels in 78% of answers. ChatGPT managed 51%; most of the rest listed unofficial options such as resale sites, VPN services, replica kit sellers or unlicensed streams alongside or ahead of the official one. Google's AI Overviews landed between the two, and did slightly better in Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Vietnamese than in English.

Counted on questions with a real action behind them: watching, tickets, kits, games, events, kick-off times. Opinion questions are excluded.

Where the answer sends the fan · all markets
ChatGPT51%40%9%Perplexity78%21%Google AI (EN)60%35%Google AI (local)63%38%
Official onlyOfficial + unofficialMainly unofficial
By market
India · GPT62%28%10%India · PPLX83%12%Indonesia · GPT57%35%Indonesia · PPLX83%18%Thailand · GPT48%45%Thailand · PPLX80%20%Vietnam · GPT38%53%9%Vietnam · PPLX66%34%
Official onlyOfficial + unofficialMainly unofficial
Finding 2

The licensed broadcaster gets named, almost never linked

Both assistants usually get the broadcaster's name right: JioHotstar in India, Vidio in Indonesia, FPT Play in Vietnam. But they cite news articles and blogs as the source, not the broadcaster's own site: 0 links in India, 1 in Indonesia, 0 in Vietnam. Thailand is the exception at 18 of 24, because Jasmine and Mono publish English pages about the deal that the assistants can cite.

Watch questions naming vs linking to the rights holder
India17/240/24Indonesia22/241/24Thailand24/2418/24Vietnam22/240/24
Names the broadcasterCites its website
Finding 3

Wrong kick-off times, stale broadcasters

ChatGPT got the local kick-off time wrong in 13 of 24 answers about match times, Perplexity in 5 of 24. Some answers listed US Pacific times to a fan who had just said they were in Jakarta or Ho Chi Minh City. Both assistants also named broadcasters that no longer hold the rights: Disney+ Hotstar and Sony LIV in India, K+ in Vietnam, TrueVisions and beIN in Thailand. In total we logged 25 high-severity errors from ChatGPT and 9 from Perplexity.

8:30 AM PDT on Sunday, October 11, 2026 corresponds to 11:30 PM ICT in Ho Chi Minh City.
ChatGPT · fan in Ho Chi Minh City · "When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?"
Who · whereWhat the AI saidWhat is true
ChatGPT
India
Sony LIV holds the broadcasting rights for Premier League matches in India.
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
JioStar holds Premier League rights in India for 2025/26-2027/28, shown on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
Perplexity
Vietnam
K+ has been reported to carry all 380 matches in Vietnam and is an alternative for watching the Premier League.
Q: What is the best website to stream the Premier League live?
K+ is a stale rights holder; since 1 January 2026 FPT Play (via Jasmine International / Mono) holds Premier League rights in Vietnam through 2030/31.
Perplexity
Vietnam
A 2:00 PM UK Sunday kickoff (Crystal Palace–Nottingham Forest, Hull City–Everton) is 9:00 PM Vietnam time
Q: Which Premier League matches are on at a good time for fans in my country?
On 11 October 2026 the UK is on BST (UTC+1) and Vietnam is UTC+7, a 6-hour gap. A 2:00 PM UK kickoff is 8:00 PM in Vietnam.
Perplexity
Vietnam
A 4:30 PM UK Sunday kickoff (Liverpool–Manchester City) is 11:30 PM Vietnam time
Q: Which Premier League matches are on at a good time for fans in my country?
With the 6-hour BST-to-Vietnam gap, a 4:30 PM UK kickoff is 10:30 PM in Vietnam.
ChatGPT
India
Return flights from Mumbai to London range from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000, with one-way fares from ₹9,000 to ₹15,000.
Q: How much does a trip to watch a Premier League match in England cost from my country?
Fares this low are unrealistic. Mumbai–London return fares are typically several times higher, often ₹50,000+, so the flight line and the total budget are significantly understated.
ChatGPT
India
Disney+ Hotstar holds the official streaming rights for the Premier League in India.
Q: Where can I legally watch Premier League matches live this season?
The rights holder is JioStar (2025/26-2027/28), streaming on JioHotstar; 'Disney+ Hotstar' is a stale brand name.
Perplexity
India
Arsenal vs Manchester City this season is available in India on SonyLIV and Sony Sports Network, and fans should check SonyLIV for future league meetings.
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
Premier League rights in India for 2025/26–2027/28 belong to JioStar, so league matches stream on JioHotstar and air on Star Sports, not SonyLIV or Sony Sports.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
8:30 AM PDT on Sunday, October 11, 2026 corresponds to 11:30 PM ICT in Ho Chi Minh City.
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
PDT is UTC-7 and ICT is UTC+7, so 8:30 AM PDT is 10:30 PM ICT, not 11:30 PM. The answer is off by one hour.
ChatGPT
India
Anyseats and Tixet are 'Authorized Ticketing Platforms' for Premier League tickets.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
These are unofficial third-party resale/ticket brokers, not authorised by the Premier League or clubs; official tickets come from club websites/box offices.
ChatGPT
India
Seativo offers 'official Premier League football tickets' via authorized hospitality providers.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
Seativo is an unofficial third-party reseller, not an official Premier League or club hospitality partner.
ChatGPT
Thailand
In Thailand, you can watch the match on TrueVisions, which holds the broadcasting rights for the Premier League.
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
Premier League rights in Thailand for 2025/26-2030/31 are held by Jasmine International / Mono, shown on MONOMAX, MONO29 and AIS PLAY, not TrueVisions.
Perplexity
Vietnam
K+ Sports provides Vietnamese-language Premier League highlights (implying it holds Premier League coverage in Vietnam).
Q: Can I watch Premier League highlights for free, and where?
K+ is a stale rights holder. Since 1 January 2026, FPT Play, through Jasmine International / Mono, holds Premier League rights in Vietnam.
Perplexity
India
Arsenal vs Manchester City is available in India on Sony LIV and the Sony Sports Network (Sony Sports 1, 3, 4).
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
Premier League rights in India for 2025/26-2027/28 are held by JioStar, so league matches stream on JioHotstar and air on Star Sports.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
16:30 BST corresponds to 21:30 ICT in Ho Chi Minh City
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
BST is UTC+1 and ICT is UTC+7, so 16:30 BST is 22:30 ICT.
Perplexity
Thailand
Budget includes a 'UK ETA' for a traveller from Bangkok.
Q: How much does a trip to watch a Premier League match in England cost from my country?
Thai nationals need a UK Standard Visitor visa, which costs considerably more and takes longer to obtain; an ETA does not apply to them.
Perplexity
Thailand
A 3:30 p.m. BST kickoff is 10:30 p.m. Bangkok time (ICT).
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
On 11 October 2026 the UK is still on BST (UTC+1) and Bangkok is UTC+7, so 3:30 p.m. BST is 9:30 p.m. ICT, not 10:30 p.m.
Perplexity
Vietnam
K+ is also reported to offer all 380 matches.
Q: What is the best website to stream the Premier League live?
K+ no longer holds Premier League rights in Vietnam; since 1 January 2026, FPT Play is the rights holder through Jasmine International / Mono, through 2030/31.
ChatGPT
Indonesia
Jacombs Tickets is an official authorized seller for Premier League tickets.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
This claim is unverified. Premier League match tickets are sold officially through clubs; Jacombs Tickets is not a confirmed official or authorised Premier League seller.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
Jacombs Tickets is authorized to sell Premier League tickets.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
Jacombs Tickets' 'official authorised seller' claim is unverified. Official tickets come from the clubs' own box offices and their official resale exchanges, not third-party marketplaces.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
Premier League matches in Vietnam are broadcast on K+ Sports channels and can be watched by subscribing to K+.
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
Since 1 January 2026 the Premier League rights in Vietnam belong to FPT Play, through Jasmine International / Mono, through 2030/31. K+ is a stale name.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
FuboTV and Sling TV may provide access to Premier League matches in Vietnam.
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
FuboTV and Sling TV are not licensed Premier League broadcasters in Vietnam. FPT Play is the only rights holder there.
ChatGPT
Thailand
beIN Sports holds broadcasting rights for the Premier League in the region.
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
In Thailand the 2025/26-2030/31 rights are held by Jasmine International / Mono, shown on MONOMAX, MONO29 and AIS PLAY.
ChatGPT
Thailand
TrueVisions often broadcasts Premier League matches.
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
TrueVisions is not the current Thai rights holder. Matches are on MONOMAX, MONO29 and AIS PLAY.
ChatGPT
Thailand
Jacombs Tickets is an authorized ticket seller offering genuine tickets sourced directly from official club allocations.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
Jacombs Tickets' 'official authorised seller' claim is unverified; Premier League tickets are officially sold through clubs, not third-party sellers like this.
ChatGPT
India
Disney+ Hotstar is the digital streaming platform that broadcasts EPL matches in India.
Q: How much does it cost to watch every Premier League match this season?
The streaming platform is now JioHotstar, operated by JioStar; 'Disney+ Hotstar' is a stale name.
ChatGPT
India
Disney+ Hotstar holds the official streaming rights for the Premier League in India.
Q: Where can I legally watch Premier League matches live this season?
The rights holder is JioStar, streaming on JioHotstar; 'Disney+ Hotstar' is a stale brand name.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
International services like DAZN and ESPN+ may offer Premier League coverage in Vietnam.
Q: Which app or channel shows Arsenal vs Manchester City this season?
Premier League rights in Vietnam are held by FPT Play (via Jasmine International / Mono) from 1 Jan 2026 to 2030/31; DAZN and ESPN+ are not licensed broadcasters there.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
Kickoff times are given for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but all are listed in PDT (e.g. 04:30 AM PDT).
Q: What time do Premier League matches kick off in my time zone this weekend?
Vietnam uses ICT (UTC+7), 14 hours ahead of PDT. For example, 04:30 AM PDT Saturday is 6:30 PM Saturday in Vietnam, and 08:30 AM PDT Sunday is 10:30 PM Sunday.
ChatGPT
Vietnam
Saturday 3:00 PM kick-offs are listed as 3:00 PM ICT (likewise 12:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM ICT)
Q: What time do Premier League matches kick off in my time zone this weekend?
These are standard UK kick-off times, not converted. On 10-11 October the UK is on BST (UTC+1), so ICT is 6 hours ahead: 12:30 BST is 6:30 PM ICT, 3:00 PM BST is 9:00 PM ICT, and 5:30 PM BST is 11:30 PM ICT.
ChatGPT
Indonesia
Jakarta kickoff times such as 5:30 PM, 8:00 PM and 10:30 PM, described as converted from BST (UTC+1).
Q: What time do Premier League matches kick off in my time zone this weekend?
Jakarta (UTC+7) is 6 hours ahead of BST, so the standard 12:30, 15:00 and 17:30 BST slots fall at 6:30 PM, 9:00 PM and 11:30 PM WIB. The listed times appear to be one hour early.
ChatGPT
Indonesia
Seatpin, Tixet and Football Ticket Pad are 'authorized ticket sellers' providing genuine tickets sourced directly from official allocations.
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
These are secondary/resale marketplaces, not official Premier League or club ticket channels; official tickets are sold through the clubs themselves.
ChatGPT
Indonesia
Saturday early kickoff (12:30 UK) is at 5:30 PM, 3pm UK matches at 8:00 PM, and 5:30pm UK at 10:30 PM Jakarta time on 10-11 October 2026
Q: What time do Premier League matches kick off in my time zone this weekend?
UK is on BST (UTC+1) until 25 October 2026, so the WIB offset is +6 hours: 12:30 UK is 6:30 PM, 3:00 PM UK is 9:00 PM and 5:30 PM UK is 11:30 PM in Jakarta. The answer appears to use GMT, putting kickoffs an hour early.
ChatGPT
Indonesia
The fixture list is 'converted to Jakarta Time'.
Q: When is the next Liverpool match and what time is it for me?
The listed times are in US Pacific Time (PDT/PST), not WIB. For example, 08:30 AM PDT is 10:30 PM WIB, so the list's times are 14-15 hours off for a fan in Indonesia.
ChatGPT
India
Anyseats, Tixet and Seativo offer official and verified Premier League tickets (Seativo 'specializes in official Premier League tickets').
Q: How do I buy Premier League match tickets from my country?
These are unofficial secondary/resale sites, not official sellers; official tickets come only from the clubs' own ticket offices and official club resale schemes.
34 of 34 high-severity errors shown.
Finding 4

Resale sites called "authorised", an unlicensed stream ranked first

Asked how to buy tickets from Asia, ChatGPT described resale marketplaces as "authorised" or "official" sellers in all four markets. Premier League tickets are sold by the home club. In Vietnam, three ChatGPT answers about free matches and highlights put Mitom TV, an unlicensed streaming site, first, with FPT Play, the actual rights holder, further down. ChatGPT also cited a private UK visa-assistance site 23 times in travel answers; that site charges a £59 fee on top of the government's own.

SiteTypeMarkets
Mitom TV
ChatGPT ranked it first in free-viewing answers
Unlicensed streamVN
Jacombs Tickets
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceTH VN ID
Tixet
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceIN ID
Anyseats
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceIN
Seativo
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceIN
Seatpin
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceID
Football Ticket Pad
ChatGPT called it official or authorised
Resale marketplaceID
Finding 5

The league's sponsors only exist when you ask for them

Across 512 answers that were not about sponsorship, Barclays, Guinness, Adobe, Microsoft, Coca-Cola were never mentioned. EA Sports (24 mentions) and Puma are the only partners that come up on their own, because fans ask about the game and the ball. Even when asked directly, Coca-Cola appeared in 6 of 16 answers.

Share of answers mentioning each league partner
0%25%50%75%100%BarclaysEA SportsGuinnessPumaAdobeMicrosoftCoca-Cola
When asked "who sponsors the league?"In every other answer
Finding 6

Ask which club to support, get Liverpool, sometimes

When a new fan asks which club to support or follow, Liverpool comes first most often. Liverpool is also the most active club advertiser in the region in our ad data. The pick is unstable: asked the identical question twice, the assistants changed their first recommendation 5 times out of 16. For clubs competing for new fans in Asia, the first impression is close to a coin toss.

First club recommended to a new fan (30 answers)
Liverpool17Arsenal7Man City3Man United3
Layer 3 · Live campaigns

Who is actually buying fans' attention

The league does advertise in Asia, under its broadcasters' names: the Premier League itself paid for 24 of 40 sampled Vidio ads in Indonesia and 11 of 40 MONOMAX ads in Thailand, driving fans to the licensed service. It pays for none in India or Vietnam, and its own domain has no Google ads in any of the four markets since August. Liverpool is the busiest club advertiser, with 88 creatives on record in Thailand alone. In Vietnam, no top-five club has run a Google ad since August except Arsenal.

Advertiser destinationIndiaIndonesiaThailandVietnam
Premier League
premierleague.com
0
1 total
nonenonenone
Licensed broadcaster
hotstar.com · vidio.com · monomax.me · fptplay.vn
40
20,000 total
40 ◆
300 total
40 ◆
700 total
40
2,000 total
Liverpool
liverpoolfc.com
20
35 total
17
36 total
40
88 total
0
5 total
Man United
manutd.com
7
12 total
4
7 total
2
6 total
0
2 total
Arsenal
arsenal.com
4
10 total
5
8 total
5
8 total
3
5 total
Chelsea
chelseafc.com
3
16 total
1
13 total
0
10 total
0
8 total
Man City
mancity.com
1
23 total
2
22 total
1
11 total
0
8 total
EA Sports FC
ea.com
40
200 total
40
300 total
40
300 total
7
9 total
Source: Google Ads Transparency Center, by destination domain and country. Cells show creatives last shown since 1 August 2026, out of up to 40 sampled per domain; the small figure is Google's total count of creatives on record. ◆ marks domains where the Premier League itself is the paying advertiser.
Layer 4 · Demand & forecast

Where search interest goes next

Weekly Google search interest for the five most-searched clubs, two years of history and a six-week forecast. The model only uses what is known before a match: the fixture list, whether it is a top-six clash, the local kick-off slot, international breaks, and current interest.

Market
Vietnam · weekly Google search interest, 0–100 · dots mark top-six fixtures in the forecast
020406080100Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26FORECAST
43%lower forecast error than the better of the two baselines, tested on every week since July 2025
4.7average error on the 0–100 scale, against 8.3 for "same as the last four weeks" and 8.4 for "same week last year"
62%of the real spike weeks (top fifth) flagged in advance as spike weeks; chance would be 20%
Prediction · next six weeks

Campaign windows

Weeks in which a club's search interest is forecast to reach at least 1.5 times its current level, with the fixture that drives it and its kick-off in local time. The largest predicted surge is Liverpool in Indonesia, week of 11 Oct, at 3.2 times current interest. 7 of the 30 windows belong to a club with no Google ads in that market since August, which makes them the cheapest attention on the calendar.

Market
Week ofMarketClubFixtures · local kick-offLiftClub ads since Aug
11 Oct IndonesiaLiverpool Liverpool v Man City Sun 22:30 WIB
Brentford v Liverpool Sat 21:00 WIB		 ×3.2
9 → 29
 17 live
11 Oct VietnamLiverpool Liverpool v Man City Sun 22:30 ICT
Brentford v Liverpool Sat 21:00 ICT		 ×2.9
5 → 15
 No club ads
1 Nov IndonesiaLiverpool Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 WIB ×2.9
9 → 27
 17 live
1 Nov IndonesiaArsenal Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 WIB
Arsenal v Hull Sat 22:00 WIB		 ×2.6
11 → 30
 5 live
11 Oct ThailandLiverpool Liverpool v Man City Sun 22:30 ICT
Brentford v Liverpool Sat 21:00 ICT		 ×2.3
17 → 38
 40 live
11 Oct IndonesiaMan City Liverpool v Man City Sun 22:30 WIB
Man City v Ipswich Sat 21:00 WIB		 ×2.2
17 → 37
 2 live
25 Oct IndonesiaMan United Man United v Bournemouth Sun 21:00 WIB
Chelsea v Man United Sat 19:30 WIB		 ×2.2
33 → 73
 4 live
1 Nov VietnamArsenal Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 ICT
Arsenal v Hull Sat 22:00 ICT		 ×2.2
10 → 22
 3 live
1 Nov ThailandLiverpool Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 ICT ×2.2
17 → 36
 40 live
11 Oct IndiaLiverpool Liverpool v Man City Sun 21:00 IST
Brentford v Liverpool Sat 19:30 IST		 ×2.1
12 → 26
 20 live
11 Oct VietnamMan City Liverpool v Man City Sun 22:30 ICT
Man City v Ipswich Sat 21:00 ICT		 ×2.1
14 → 29
 No club ads
25 Oct ThailandMan United Man United v Bournemouth Sun 21:00 ICT
Chelsea v Man United Sat 19:30 ICT		 ×2.1
32 → 67
 2 live
1 Nov ThailandArsenal Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 ICT
Arsenal v Hull Sat 22:00 ICT		 ×2.0
9 → 18
 5 live
1 Nov VietnamLiverpool Liverpool v Arsenal Sun 23:30 ICT ×2.0
5 → 10
 No club ads
Lift = forecast interest ÷ the club's average over the last four weeks. Later-round kick-off times can still move when broadcasters pick matches. A club with no ads since August in that market is flagged.
Implications

What each party can do this season

Licensed broadcasters

  • Publish an English "how to watch the Premier League in [country]" page with prices and plans. Thailand's rights holder publishes English pages about its deal, and it is the only one the assistants link to.
  • State the deal length plainly on that page. Both assistants got Vietnam's deal or rights holder wrong.

Clubs

  • Put an official tickets page for international fans where AI can read it, naming the only sale channels, so resale marketplaces stop being described as authorised.
  • Vietnam is the gap: high forecast demand around top-six fixtures, and almost no club advertising since August.

The league

  • Offer fixture pages with kick-off already converted to each Asian time zone. Wrong local times were among the most frequent errors.
  • The league co-funds broadcaster ads in Indonesia and Thailand, not India or Vietnam. The forecast windows show where that spend would land hardest.

Partners

  • Partners without a product inside the game (banking, beverage, software) are invisible in everyday AI answers. Tie activations to the questions fans ask: watching, tickets, fantasy.
In brief

Questions this research answers

How accurate are AI assistants about watching the Premier League in Asia?

In 560 answers collected on 5 October 2026, Perplexity sent fans only to official channels in 78% of practical questions and ChatGPT in 51%. Across both, about a third of answers included at least one unofficial option, such as a resale site, a VPN service or an unlicensed stream.

Who broadcasts the Premier League in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in 2026/27?

India: JioStar, on JioHotstar and Star Sports (2025/26 to 2027/28). Indonesia: EMTEK, on Vidio (2025/26 to 2027/28). Thailand: Jasmine International and Mono, on MONOMAX, MONO29 and AIS PLAY (2025/26 to 2030/31). Vietnam: FPT Play through Jasmine International and Mono, from 1 January 2026 to 2030/31. Source: the Premier League's broadcaster list.

Do AI assistants give Asian fans the right kick-off times?

Often not. ChatGPT gave a wrong local kick-off time in 13 of 24 answers about match times, Perplexity in 5 of 24. Some answers listed US Pacific times to fans who had said they were in Jakarta or Ho Chi Minh City.

Which Premier League sponsors do AI assistants mention?

Only EA Sports and Puma come up in everyday answers. Barclays, Guinness, Microsoft, Adobe and Coca-Cola were mentioned in none of 512 answers that were not directly about sponsorship.

Which Premier League clubs advertise to fans in Asia?

Liverpool is the most active club advertiser on Google in the region, with 88 ad creatives on record in Thailand alone. The Premier League itself pays for broadcaster ads in Indonesia and Thailand, but not in India or Vietnam. In Vietnam, only Arsenal among the five biggest clubs ran a Google ad between August and early October 2026.

How reliable is the fan demand forecast?

The model was trained on weeks before July 2025 and tested on every week since. Its error was 36% to 44% lower than two simple baselines in all four countries, and it flagged 56% to 62% of real spike weeks in advance.

Method & limits

How this was built

Questions. 35 English questions across watching, free streams, kick-off times, tickets, kits, choosing a club, games and betting, events, news, sponsors and league comparisons. Each was asked twice per market per assistant on 5 October 2026: 560 answers.

Assistants. ChatGPT through OpenAI's API (gpt-4.1-mini with web search and an approximate user location) and Perplexity's Sonar API with a user location. Every question opened with the fan's city. Consumer apps can answer differently because of model choice, memory and personalisation. Gemini was excluded: search grounding was not available on the API tier used.

Google. Organic results and AI Overviews through SerpAPI, localised to each city, in English and in Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Vietnamese. 28 full AI Overviews were retrieved. Some names in Overviews render as link chips our parser can drop, so missing names were not scored as errors.

Grading. Claude Opus 5.5 graded each answer against a fixed ground-truth file: the Premier League's 2025–28 broadcaster list and the 2026/27 central partner roster. All high-severity errors shown here were checked by hand.

Campaigns. Google Ads Transparency Center by destination domain and country, up to 40 creatives sampled per domain. Google ads only; Meta ads were not included.

Demand. Google Trends club topics, which count searches in every language, weekly for five years per market. Values are scaled 0–100 within each market, so compare clubs inside a market, not across markets.

Forecast. Gradient-boosted trees predicting interest one to six weeks ahead relative to the current level. Trained on weeks before July 2025 and tested on every week since, against two baselines: the last four weeks and the same week last year.

Data. Every graded answer and every high-severity error is downloadable: all 560 answers with machine grading (CSV) and the 34 high-severity errors, each checked by hand (CSV). Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0).

Independence. Not affiliated with, funded by or endorsed by the Premier League, any club, broadcaster or AI company. Club and competition names are used to describe the research only.