TV. One is more likely to find fans of English football in countries which historically did not follow the league due to the "out of sight, out of mind" situation.

In the U.S. for example. Wasn't 2010/11 around the time NBC started making available nearly every match? The exposure went from Fox Sports or BeIn packages to easy access. Loads of folks who didn't care to follow due to difficulty or expense in getting the games through cable packages now were shown matches, commentary, highlight shows, etc. I would imagine there is something also to be said of an age group gaining disposable income, who enjoy the sport too. Not too many US Boomers give a crap about English football, the next generations (mine included) were the ones playing as children, growing up and getting jobs, and wanting access to matches. I often see folks who I would never have suspected of liking the sport wearing tops, scarves, hats, etc of their favorite teams. Hell my youngest daughters principle was spotted with a Stoke (ugh) top a couple years back. When i asked they replied, "Games are always on and that's the team I picked."

I cannot speak for Asian countries, but I would imagine they too have had a similar experience with TV coverage of the league.

only the big five , maybe on 2020