Leeds United to benefit from new £2bn Premier League broadcast deal in United States - YEP 18/11/21
The Premier League has announced a new £2bn six-year-deal with NBC Universal to show live games in the United States.
By Lee Sobot
The agreement, which will see NBC Sports remain the Premier
League’s official broadcast partner in the US until 2028, will cover all 380
matches every season.
The deal - which comes in Leeds United's second season back
in the top flight - also includes the exclusive rights for Spanish language
coverage.
NBC Sports became the home of Premier League coverage in the
US in 2013.
Since then, the broadcaster has worked with the League,
growing its profile and fanbase significantly.
NBC platforms - including NBC, USA Network, NBCSN, NBC
Sports digital and Peacock – reach every home in the country with a television
or the internet, and NBC Sports’ Premier League Mornings programming has become
well-established viewing for American fans.
Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, said:
“We are delighted to announce our new US broadcast deal with NBC Sports, who
have been brilliant partners for the Premier League over the last nine seasons.
"NBC Sports has significantly strengthened the
popularity of the League in the United States in that time through its
fantastic coverage and promotion.
“NBC Sports’ Premier League Mornings programming is now a
real institution among supporters in America, with fans getting up early to
come together and cheer on their favourite club, week in, week out.
"It’s an exciting time for football in the US and we
look forward to continuing to work with NBC Sports to bring our competition to
even more fans over the next six years.”
Pete Bevacqua, NBC Sports chairman, said: “We are excited to
come to this long-term extension with the Premier League.
"Our Premier League team, led by Jon Miller, has been
incredibly dedicated to growing the Premier League in the United States over
the last nine years.
"This new agreement is also a testament to the hard
work of production, marketing and other areas of our company, as well as the
tremendous partnership that has been established with the leadership and club
owners of the Premier League.”
Last month, the Premier League and NBC Sports took the
Premier League Mornings Live fan festival to Los Angeles.
The two-day event gave supporters an opportunity to
celebrate their love of the Premier League and watch the NBC studio team
broadcast the weekend’s matches live from the LA Memorial Coliseum.
Tens of thousands of fans in the US have attended Premier
League Mornings Live events to date and they are part of the League’s ongoing
commitment to bring unique experiences to supporters around the globe.
The Premier League has already completed its international
broadcast sales processes in Europe, Middle East and Africa and will now begin
that process in the rest of the Americas and Asia Pacific.
The announcement of the new US broadcast deal follows the
Exclusion Order agreement with UK Government relating to the three-year renewal
of the Premier League’s UK broadcast deal.
These deals will enable the League to invest £1.6 billion of
broadcast revenue outside of the League to lower-league and non-league clubs,
the grassroots game and communities; continuing the Premier League’s support
for all levels of the English game.
It was announced earlier today that an extra £20 million
will be paid to EFL League One and League Two clubs this season. A new package
of £5 million extra will support clubs in the top-three National League
divisions until 2025.
Masters added: “Interest in the Premier League is going from
strength to strength and it is great to see the growing global demand to watch
our matches and engage with the League.
"Our international and domestic broadcast revenues over
the next cycle will give stability and certainty to the game as a whole, which
is particularly important as football recovers from COVID-19 losses.