NBC Sports Group yesterday released its TV schedule for the first three months of the EPL season, which will kick off Aug. 17 with a Liverpool-Stoke City match. A total of 69 matches will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network, NBC and CNBC with all games featuring "Premier League Live" pre- and postmatch shows. Below is a breakdown on what nets will air games (NBC).
| NETWORK | # OF GAMES |
| NBC Sports Network | 57 |
| NBC | 10 |
| CNBC | 2 |
SOCCER FOR EVERYONE: NBC Sports Group President of Programming Jon Miller yesterday said that NBC plans to "cross-promote MLS on its EPL broadcasts." In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald noted there also was "talk of EPL-MLS doubleheaders when possible." But looking at the schedule, there are "very few true doubleheaders." Tannenwald: "Perhaps now that the EPL schedule is out, NBC and MLS can get together and find a way to get more of them." ESPN "proved that MLS broadcasts get ratings bumps when they follow EPL broadcasts." Tannenwald: "We can also hope that NBC and MLS will work together to schedule playoff game kickoff times in ways that get them as much exposure as possible" (
PHILLY.com, 7/29).
GOING ALL-IN: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds wrote NBC's coverage plans are "reflective of its all-in approach that will make every match available to Stateside soccer fans." NBC Sports Group said that it has "secured carriage for its Premier League Extra Time coverage with AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish and Suddenlink." Relative to "streaming service, NBC Sports Live Extra, the aforementioned providers, as well as Cox and Verizon FiOS, will make all Premier League games available to their authenticated subscriber bases." Meanwhile, "notable by their absence" were Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications. NBC Sports officials said that they are "continuing to work with these distributors and other affiliates" that carry NBCSN (MULTICHANNEL.com, 7/29).
