NBC Universal is paying $250M over three years for the EPL's TV and digital rights in the U.S., a figure "nearly four times what Fox Soccer had been paying in the last deal, but it has paid off," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. EPL games "have strengthened NBCSN’s identity and provided unexpectedly high viewership, with an audience that is younger and wealthier than most sports viewers." The matches, "shown largely on weekend mornings, are averaging 414,000 viewers so far this season -- more than the 342,000 watching NHL games" on the net. NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus said, “We had reasonably high expectations for the Premier League, but we’ve exceeded them. We’ve done well by the Premier League by giving them a new identity and growth opportunity in the States, and they’ve done well by us to deliver a quality product that has captured the attention of sports fans here.” But Sandomir notes the net "now faces a quandary of its own making." Sandomir: "How much more would it be willing to pay to keep what it has built up?" Lazarus said, “We will assess its value to us and we’ll be disciplined, but this is a product we believe in.” Sandomir notes ESPN and Fox, and perhaps other nets, "will almost certainly" provide competition for NBC, whose deal expires after the '15-16 season. Meanwhile, Sandomir adds there is "little downside at NBCSN" to adding Friday games as has been recently reported, because they "would be seen in the afternoon" in the U.S. (N.Y. TIMES, 12/16).
