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NBC Using U.K. Natives Lowe, Davies, Bennett To Drive Soccer Coverage In The U.S.

NBC's Rebecca Lowe, a London native, "has vaulted to the top of American sports television studio hosts thanks to her intellect and preparation on all things EPL," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Soccer fans "have a legitimate claim at being the harshest broadcast critics so it is remarkable that the 33-year-old broadcaster has drawn near-universal acclaim from viewers and soccer writers for her work." Lowe, on her long-term prospects in the U.S., said, "In this game you can only look rights contract to rights contract and I've found that out the hard way. ... I do though love working in the U.S. and in U.S. television just as much, if not more, than I thought I would. I love the work ethic, the commitment and the open mindedness that I have found. As for the future, it's too dangerous to look too far ahead!" She said of what has worked best for NBC's soccer coverage, "Having our own team of commentators in the U.K. at the biggest games allows us to feel a real connection to that fixture we are covering. We may be 3,000 miles away in a studio in Connecticut, but our eyes and ears are Arlo White, Graeme Le Saux and Lee Dixon, and what they can tell the viewer really enhances the content we produce. I also think giving the option to the viewer to watch any game they want is unique and a real service." She added of what can be improved, "We can always improve as a talent team, as a production and as a program. ... We review every show in great detail and our constant aim is striving for perfection. Whether perfection is possible, who knows? But that's what we aim to find every time we go on air" (SI.com, 10/19).

DYNAMIC DUO: ROLLING STONE's David Peisner writes the hosts of NBC's "Men in Blazers," Michael Davies and Roger Bennett, "have realized that the future" of soccer in the U.S. "may finally be here." And, "strangely enough, they may be its irreverent, pop-culture-obsessed voice." This year's FIFA World Cup on ESPN "was a breakthrough moment" for Davies and Bennett, who "discussed the games with the kind of wild-eyed glee hardcore fans skipping work to watch them could relate to." When NBC's deal to take the duo from ESPN was announced, "fans worried 'Men in Blazers' might turn into a slick network production." But the show remains "defiantly amateurish -- or 'suboptimal,' in MiB parlance -- with information scribbled on poster boards" (ROLLING STONE, 10/23 issue).

STARTING STRONG
: NBC and NBCSN are averaging 483,000 viewers for EPL game coverage this season to date, up 13% compared to the same period last season (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

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