Exactly where the English Premier League ranks amongst the top-tier soccer leagues is being hotly debated at present thanks to EPL clubs’ recent struggles in European play, but the Premier League’s value as a television property isn’t in question. The league just signed a massive new TV deal in the United Kingdom, and its value in the U.S. has also increased dramatically over the last few years. Bidding for the Premier League U.S. rights for the 2016-19 seasons is expected to start in May or June of this year, and it’s quite possible we could see a bidding war at levels well in excess of the $240 million NBC paid for 2013-15, especially as this is one of the few remaining major rights properties that isn’t yet locked up for the foreseeable future. Will NBC be able to retain one of the current pillars of their sports lineup, will ESPN be able to get back into European soccer in a big way, or will we see something even stranger happen?
As the incumbent, NBC has several advantages. They’ve done a remarkable job of broadcasting the Premier League, from dramatically boosting the amount of games visible in the U.S. (through streaming/bonus channel package Premier League LiveExtra and their final-day cross-channel package) to hiring great talent such as Rebecca Lowe to having games called on-site by the very capable Arlo White to presenting a wide range of impressive studio coverage, from Match of the Day to the Men in Blazers. They’ve tried some other new and innovative efforts too, from the RedZone-style whiparound coverage of Premier League Breakaway to having current player Tim Howard call games to creating the Matchmaker app that helps fans find where to watch the games. The amount of focus NBC has placed on covering the league extensively and well has been a big part of its growing success in the U.S., which has been borne out in the ratings. They’ve shown they can handle Premier League soccer, and that they’re willing to invest in doing much more than just basic game coverage. That should all be considered by the EPL. Moreover, Premier League coverage has done very well for NBC and has helped put NBCSN more firmly on the map, boosting its case as the #2 sports network behind ESPN. That should help convince NBC management that paying up to keep these rights is well worth it.
It’s far from a sure thing that NBC will be able to hang on to the EPL rights, though, and the biggest reason why is ESPN. Soccer has been a huge priority for the Worldwide Leader throughout current president John Skipper’s reign, with ESPN history Those Guys Have All The Fun describing the quest for the 2010 World Cup as “the centerpiece of his administration,” but Bristol’s taken plenty of hits on the soccer front in recent years, from losing the Champions League to Fox in 2009 to losing the Premier League to NBC in 2012 to losing the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Fox in 2011. FIFA’s recent decision to unilaterally grant Fox 2026 World Cup rights without a bidding process (as compensation for moving that event to the winter) must have particularly stung ESPN. The Worldwide Leader has plenty of money, a strong roster of soccer talent, a good record as a soccer broadcaster, a dominant position in the U.S. sports marketplace, and substantial incentive to get back in the European soccer game. That could add up to a massive offer from them, one that the Premier League may not be able to refuse.
This could get even more interesting if a third-party wild card gets involved. The most obvious one is Fox, which has made it clear that soccer’s a strong part of their focus. They have the Champions League and the World Cup, they’ll have MLS (in partnership with ESPN) starting this year, and they’ll have the German Bundesliga for five years starting this year. Their Bundesliga commitment might make them reluctant to pay top dollar for another league, but it might not. The most potentially interesting scenario involving Fox is a partnership between them and ESPN similar to what they’ve done with MLS (Fox has also sublet some Champions League rights to ESPN), though, which has been floated. If those two can team up, that could make for even more money.
There are other potential wild cards to consider, too, including some from the internet side. Online streaming is getting more and more important, and the NFL just announced that it’s going to make one game exclusively streamed. At the moment, most leagues’ TV and internet rights are bundled together, but that may not always be the case, and what happens if, say, Google or Amazon decides they want to get involved in the EPL bidding, likely in partnership with one of the networks? That could help upset the balance further.
All in all, it’s impossible to predict exactly where the Premier League will land. NBC and ESPN both have huge incentives to try and win these rights, and there are plenty of potential wild cards to consider as well. One thing’s clear, though; these rights are going to cost a lot, and the EPL’s going to make much more than the $240 million it got last time around.
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