By Theo Leggett
BBC News business correspondent
Football, or soccer, is a hugely popular sport.
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Football and its stars are growing in popularity in new global markets
But it is also big business, and the English Premier League is the most lucrative competition of its type in the world.
When the new season begins on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of fans will pack into stadiums up and down the country to witness the opening matches.
Millions more will be watching on television, and not just in Britain.
The league is becoming increasingly popular around the world, especially in Asia and the Middle East.
Hot shots
But the league does not only appeal to football fans. It is also attracting the attention of wealthy investors.
Of the 20 Premier League clubs, nine are now wholly or partly controlled by rich individuals from outside Britain.
The Premier League is ahead of any other football league in the world
Stefan Szymanski, Tanaka Business School
That includes the top three teams from last season.
The champions, Manchester United, are owned by the American businessman Malcolm Glazer.
The Russian oil billionaire Roman Ambramovich bought Chelsea in 2003.
And in February the American sports entrepreneurs George Gillet and Tom Hicks took control of Liverpool.
Money pot?
On the face of it, this looks like good business.
Last season the 20 clubs had combined revenues of ?1.4bn, accountants Deloitte say in their annual review of football finance.
In 2007-2008, that's expected to rise to ?1.8bn.
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Merchandising is a large revenue spinner for football clubs
The bulk of this money comes from TV revenues, worth ?2.7bn over the next three seasons. But box-office takings and sales of branded merchandise are also important.
Yet big revenues do not equal big profits.
In order to stay competitive, Premier League clubs have to spend huge sums on buying players and paying their salaries.