NBCU Wins Premiere League Rights

COMMENTS (19)

• Hockey just became the #8 sport in America.

  Comment by Viva la Bettman!!!! — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 5:25pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Whatever. Soccer has tried, and failed consistently, to gain mainstream attention. Americans like football, baseball, and basketball – everything else is little more than noise. $83 million, wasted.

    Comment by U.S. Breeze — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 6:05pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • There’s a simple reason that NBC bid so hard to get these exclusive rights and the popularity of “soccer” in the US (which is actually increasing) has little to do with it.

      To explain this, consider the fact that the typical Liverpool FC vs Manchester United match (the 2 most successful clubs in the leagues 100+ year history with almost 40 titles between them – think Yankees-Red Sox or Lakers-Celtics) draws a global viewing audience of over 500 Million viewers for that single match alone.

      Those are numbers that NBC (or ESPN or FoxSports) can’t even begin to fathom with any singular Basketball, Football or Baseball game.

      In other words, them not bidding for this and worse not winning, is losing money on a scale that you can’t even begin to imagine.

      Comment by Fremen — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 7:34pm PDT  Reply to this post

      • “In other words, them not bidding for this and worse not winning, is losing money on a scale that you can’t even begin to imagine.”

        Huh? NBCU only acquired the American rights. Good deal or not, they won’t be broadcasting these games outside the U.S.

        Comment by Johnny Ringo — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 12:16am PDT  Reply to this post

    • Seen any World Cup ratings lately? How about the growth of the Hispanic US population? You’re living in the past, dude, Drive to any field on a weekend in SoCal and what are boys and girls playing? Soccer.

      Comment by 2012 — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 9:08pm PDT  Reply to this post

• If only NBCU would make a substantial investment into quality primetime programming. If only…

  Comment by CR — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 6:03pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • CBS’ shows are not of high quality and yet it is no. 1

    Comment by PinoyTVCritic — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 9:05pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Yes, if only. Then they would be number one in ratings.
  Wait a sec..

  Comment by Juan — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 6:37pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Thanks only to SNF and The Voice. All else is a joke.

    Comment by CR — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 7:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Actually, viewership of overseas soccer is pretty impressive already. Everybody thinks because MLS is small that Americans don’t like soccer. They just like the best version of it, and the Prem is considered the best.

  Comment by theexception — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 7:49pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Considering what they paid….and the ratings for EPL (which are much better than the US based MLS)….NBCU will make out like bandits.

  Yes they will.

  The EPL is, by far, the most watched sports league in the world. Many recent immigrants to the US…and not just those from the British Isles or Commonwealth Nations, follow the EPL

  And, NBCU does not have to spend money on cameras, cameramen, and film trucks….the British rights holder provide the live video feed. NBCU will still have to pay announcers and some techs to run the boards back in studio….but it would not have to do camera and stadium set up like they do for NFL games, NHL, etc

  This is a good move by NBC…and like seeing the competition in the sports media market…ESPN and Fox Sports are growing stale

  Comment by DancingElkCondor — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 8:42pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Good for the EPL, not so good for those of us enjoying the great streaming coverage on Fox Soccer. Given their streaming incompetency and restrictions during the Olympics, I’m not sure this is really going to benefit the average fan watching on the computer and am also curious how and when NBC is going to schedule the games within their current sports programming since most EPL games occur on already crowded weekends. Also, one hopes they leave the current commentators intact and don’t try to provide an “American voice” for the League.

  Comment by JM — Sunday October 28, 2012 @ 11:14pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Anyone who doesn’t realize this may be the smartest move NBC has made since Tartikoff got Cosby to do a sitcom is clueless. As we didn’t forsee how the Dream Team would create a generation of basketball players from around the world. EPL already has a global audience, the last domino to topple is the American audience and the way youth soccer has grown and football is losing a number of kids to the threat of concussions— the American audience shall soon be catching up to what the world is loving in soccer. The investment will surely pay off soon. Well played NBC, well played.

  Comment by Joe L — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 12:11am PDT  Reply to this post

• Where’s the loyalty in this business! BPL was with FOX soccer for years. Can’t believe FOX soccer didn’t put up a fight.

  Comment by The truth — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 1:15am PDT  Reply to this post

• at least FOX didn’t waste their capital. 80 mill. And still NBC laid off all those employees. Thy could have Being Liverpool. What a joke!

  Comment by The truth — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 1:20am PDT  Reply to this post

• That is awesome…..it will make USA soccer better…..well maybe.lol

  Comment by Anonymous — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 8:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• Is NBCU going to have any influence on start times for major EPL matches? I would imagine that most viewers in the States would not be inclined to watch a match that has a UK start time of 1:00pm.

  Comment by Just Curious — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 12:03pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Super excited to watch the EPL on NBC. I just hope they don’t get American commentators. I have a feeling we will sadly being seeing the typical American Soccer crew going over the matches.

  Comment by Anonymous — Monday October 29, 2012 @ 12:14pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Lets hope that NBC do not use that awful PIP technique they use for commercials during Formula 1 coverage.

  Comment by Alan Roberts — Monday May 20, 2013 @ 6:47am PDT  Reply to this post