Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner will be present at their clash with Wrexham in the Championship this Friday evening at the Racecourse Ground.
His decision to become a co-owner in the club along with Tom Brady has seen a rivalry emerge with the Red Dragons, due to the celebrity owners they have in the shape of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
He will watch on as his Blues attempt to stop Wrexham from winning their first league game against Birmingham in 46 years when the two face off this weekend.
While he hopes Chris Davies will be able to mastermind a win for the 2011 League Cup champions, Wagner has been exploring the possibility of growing both Birmingham and the EFL, and he believes he has the perfect solution.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty ImagesTom Wagner wants a single global broadcast deal for the EFL
Sky Sports have long been the broadcaster for the EFL; however, Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner wants to see a change for the expansion of the league and to help the clubs grow both financially and in terms of marketability.
Speaking at The Summit, part of Leaders Week in London, Wagner was asked if he thought the EFL should consider striking a deal with a platform such as Netflix or Amazon, and he does, as reported by the Guardian.
He said: “I think that there’s an enormous opportunity for the EFL to create a broader distribution platform. And the reason I feel that way is because the quality of football is great.
“The storylines are great. There’s a lot to root for. It’s a giant underdog mentality, which, at least in the US, is massively appealing, and I suspect it would be elsewhere as well.
“I think the best way to explain it is, rather than focusing on how we distribute an existing pie, we grow the pie.
“We spend our time and energy thinking about how we grow the overall revenue streams and interest in English football. If we’re able to do that, everybody benefits more than distributing an existing set of revenue streams in a different way. My comment has always been that if we focus on growing the sport, we all win.”
Tom Wagner on Birmingham City’s clash with Wrexham
The Red Dragons have benefitted from a unique story as they have risen through the divisions in the English pyramid.
They will look to continue their progression, with the next step being to beat the Blues in the Championship, with Matty James detailing how Wrexham can beat Birmingham, believing the key to success is shutting out the outside noise and focusing on the game.
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Birmingham’s co-owner also gave his opinion on Wrexham and their owners ahead of the ‘Hollywood Derby’ on Friday night, after he had been asked about the broadcast deal.
He said: “It’s great for both of us.
“And I have enormous respect for Ryan and Rob … they’re good people, and they’re doing a good thing. What they’ve done in Wrexham is amazing.
“The people in Wrexham are incredible, period, full stop. It’s a wonderful place to go and visit and enjoy a football match. And that’s what I love about it.”