NBC’s coverage of the English Premier League was one of the best rookie seasons in the history of sports rights packages. NBC immediately stamped a sense of gravitas, legitimacy, and likability onto their coverage of the EPL with a strong cast in the studio and the broadcast booth as well as making every game available to fans for the first time. And when one also takes into account the rising ratings for the league, it’s been an unabashed success.
That has not meant that NBC has rested on their laurels, though. The second year of coverage has brought some new additions and tweaks. Active players like Tim Howard and Geoff Cameron continue to have an auxiliary role in the coverage, more features have been done from the match sites, and a dose of humor and levity has been added with the Men in Blazers now donning the peacock logo.
Another step forward for NBC is what the network plans to do on the weekend of April 11th. The entire studio cast will be shipped overseas to provide on-site coverage from three Premier League games for the first time. Details from Richard Deitsch’s always-informative SI media column:
NBC Sports will have its entire on-air Premier League team on-location in the United Kingdom for games from April 11-13. The group, Premier League Live host Rebecca Lowe and analysts Robbie Earle, Kyle Martino and Robbie Mustoe and NBC’s UK-based team of Arlo White, Lee Dixon, Graeme Le Saux and Steve Bower, will provide more than 18 hours of live on-site Premier League coverage across three days. NBC said there will be dual on-site studios for pre-match, halftime and post-game shows, including pitch-side locations for the first time in the history of Premier League coverage in the U.S.
“I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I attended my first Premier League match,” said NBC Sports coordinating producer Pierre Moossa, who leads the network’s Premier League coverage. “I wish every soccer/football fan could have that experience in person. Since most of our viewers may never have the opportunity to go to a match, one of our main aims has been to bring that experience to our audience. What better way to do that than to have our entire coverage originate from a different ground each day over the course of a full Premier League weekend?”
Moossa said that dates were chosen because it gave NBC Sports an opportunity to be at three iconic Premier League ground over three days. He noted that that production from Liverpool will be two days before the 26th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which will make it a poignant broadcast that Monday.
The full group will be at the Turf Moor grounds on April 11 for Arsenal at Burnley, which airs at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The next day, NBC will present seven hours of live coverage from Old Trafford including the Manchester Derby between Manchester United and Manchester City (11 a.m. ET on NBCSN). On April 13 the group travels to Anfield for Newcastle at Liverpool, where they will be joined by U.S. National Team and Everton goaltender Tim Howard, who will be broadcasting just two days removed from playing against Swansea City. Lowe will lead a rotating team of studio analysts from within the stadium while Bower and another team of analysts will be pitch-side at a desk located just a few feet from the playing field.
Is this College GameDay meets the English Premier League? This sounds like a fantastic idea. And the best part about this weekend is that fans will get a taste of the largest EPL stadium (Old Trafford), arguably its most iconic (Anfield), as well as one of its smallest venues (Turf Moor). Being able to be at those three grounds will really represent everything that the league is about. Furthermore, it will present a real connection between the stateside coverage and the league itself. Hopefully there will be some opportunities for access that it’s hard for NBC to get just because a good chunk of their resources are an ocean away.
NBC has thrown everything they can into the Premier League to make it a success. Here’s hoping the network is able to hold onto what is one of the best unions in sports media once its current contract is up after next season.
[SI]
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