On Monday, NBC Sports revealed its lineup of Premier League matches for Championship Sunday. Six of the ten games are Peacock-exclusive matchups, with four airing on cable and, due to the Indy 500, none airing on NBC.
All ten matches begin at 11:30 AM ET, a half hour after Indy 500 pre-race coverage beings on NBC, Peacock, and Universo.
Premier League Live will be LIVE from Goodison Park for Championship Sunday! #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/lAI6pS9DKy
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 22, 2023
Here’s the full lineup.
- Everton vs Bournemouth (USA/Peacock)
- Leeds United vs Tottenham Hotspur (CNBC/Telemundo/Peacock)
- Leicester City vs West Ham United (SYFY/Peacock)
- Manchester United vs Fulham (Bravo/Peacock)
- Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (Peacock)
- Brentford vs Manchester City (Peacock)
- Chelsea vs Newcastle United (Peacock)
- Southampton vs Liverpool (Peacock)
- Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion (Peacock)
- Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (Peacock)
It’s a mediocre (at best) lineup, but that isn’t NBC’s fault. The title race ended on Saturday when Arsenal completed their collapse against Nottingham Forest, allowing Manchester City to claim their third straight crown. Newcastle clinched the third Champions League spot with a draw against Leicester on Monday. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Brighton have three of the remaining four European spots locked up, with one left.
Two of the three matches that could decide that spot are on Peacock, with the third (Leeds-Spurs) airing on CNBC, as it will also impact the relegation race. Two of Leeds, Leicester, and Everton will join Southampton in the Championship next year, and each of those three momentous matches will air on cable. Everton host Bournemouth on USA, while Leicester host West Ham on SYFY. The fourth cable match is Manchester United-Fulham on Bravo, though it could be largely meaningless if United are able to earn a draw with Chelsea on Thursday. That would clinch the final Champions League spot for them, sending Liverpool to the Europa League with Brighton.
It’s disappointing that the schedule has shook out this way, but at least there is *something* up for grabs. NBC would be in even worse shape if both the title race *and* the relegation race were already signed, sealed, and delivered. This is what happened two years ago, when City won the title with three matches remaining and the three relegation slots were all decided with at least three matches left. The highlight of NBC’s Championship Sunday coverage that year was a three-way dance for two Champions League spots, eventually claimed by Liverpool and Chelsea.
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.