They'll care if they get paid to care. There's no additional prestige from beating teams you already play at least twice a year, so money is the only differentiating factor. Otherwise it'll look and feel like a barnstorming tour.
I actually picked my team before I committed myself to watching on a regular basis. I picked Aston Villa since I was born in Birmingham, Alabama and couldn't pick a Big 4 team out of guilt. I've found players to love out of it, though - Ashley Young finds new ways to amaze me every week.