Sky TV NZ Loses EPL Broadcast Rights FIFA Could Scrap 3D Broadcasts Of WC Ofcom To Probe BT, BSkyB Clash BDO Named Hearts Administrators Qataris Pump $774K Into Royal Ascot Nine Claims Input On Player Selection FFA CEO: TV Bosses Eye Football Rights FA Extends Partnership With Big Cola Welsh Rugby CEO Favors Profits Split Socceroos Score Top Rating For SBS
Currency Converter
Enter amount in full numerical value, without currency symbol or commas (ex: 3000000).
| From: | |
| To: | |
Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD Global/October 30, 2012/Media
NBC Awarded EPL Broadcast Rights In U.S. For $85M Annually
Published October 30, 2012
The Premier League has awarded its U.S. TV rights to NBC for three seasons beginning with the '13-14 campaign. NBC will broadcast live Premier League games, with Spanish-language coverage being broadcast on Telemundo and mun2. The broadcast channels reach 95% of the U.S. viewing public (Premier League). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reported NBC will "pay the league $80M to $85M annually," and will televise "up to 380 games a season on the NBC broadcast network, the NBC Sports Network and at least two other cable networks." About 200 games "will be available on the NBC networks in six time periods on Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the league’s 10-month season." Remaining EPL games will be "available online or in some other packages, one of them probably pay-per-view." NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus said, "There will be live, exclusive games, and we’re not going to tape delay any of them. Multiple games go on at once, and we can’t carry every one on our networks. But we won’t regionalize games." Sandomir reports NBC "has no plans to resell any of the games to another network, as Fox Soccer now does, sublicensing about a fifth of its games to ESPN." Lazarus: "We think this is a terrific property that we can do a lot with, and the leadership of the Premier League is interested in doing new things in the United States. ... The price we're paying for the Premier League is a terrific value for us" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/29). Lazarus said the games draw a "couple hundred thousand" viewers in the U.S. He added that that he "expects to increase that number over time." Lazarus: "Did we pay more than the others before, yes. But we think the value is there" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/28).
BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN UP: SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote acquiring EPL rights "gives NBC the most significant soccer portfolio among American broadcasters." NBC is "counting on the EPL to bring eyeballs (and affluent ones at that) to NBC Sports Network, which could use an infusion of high-caliber programming with the NHL on lockout and depressed MLS ratings." Lazarus said, "It will not be unlike the Olympics where you saw programming on CNBC, Bravo, USA or MSNBC." He added that EPL fans "can expect a number of games to be broadcast on over-the-air NBC." Deitsch noted those matches will "likely air Saturdays and be shown live" (SI.com, 10/28). The AP's Rob Harris noted NBC Sports Group in '11 acquired MLS TV rights, and had "success with its soccer broadcasts during the London Olympics." NBCSN's "biggest property is the NHL, whose season runs concurrently with English soccer." Lazarus said that the EPL "will be a good complement to the network's hockey coverage." Lazarus: "It's a younger skewing sport than some others out there, like some that are in a championship series right now" (AP, 10/28).
MAJOR BLOW: SI.com's Deitsch in a separate piece wrote the loss of EPL rights is "significant for Fox, even though it owns the World Cup for rights beginning with the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada." EPL has been "the jewel in Fox Soccer Channel's programming, and much of the network's programming centers around commentary and news of the league." NBC "sees opportunity in int'l soccer, which has been trending upward as a television property" (SI.com, 10/26). In N.Y., Belson & Sandomir wrote the deal is "the latest blow to a channel that once dominated the soccer scene on American television." Fox has broadcast the EPL in the U.S. for "nearly two decades." But a source said that NBC will pay "just under four times more than Fox currently pays for the rights" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/26).
MORE RIGHTS AWARDED: Int'l Media Content, parent company of SportsMax Ltd., has been awarded EPL broadcast rights from '13-16 in the Carribbean. SportsMax President & CEO Oliver McIntosh said, "For 10 years now, SportsMax has provided coverage of the BPL (Barclays Premier League), this season increasing the number of matches we show to five each weekend and ensuring that all BPL matches each weekend are broadcast" Also, Sportsnet and TSN have been given EPL broadcast rights in Canada (Premier League).
Return to top
BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN UP: SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote acquiring EPL rights "gives NBC the most significant soccer portfolio among American broadcasters." NBC is "counting on the EPL to bring eyeballs (and affluent ones at that) to NBC Sports Network, which could use an infusion of high-caliber programming with the NHL on lockout and depressed MLS ratings." Lazarus said, "It will not be unlike the Olympics where you saw programming on CNBC, Bravo, USA or MSNBC." He added that EPL fans "can expect a number of games to be broadcast on over-the-air NBC." Deitsch noted those matches will "likely air Saturdays and be shown live" (SI.com, 10/28). The AP's Rob Harris noted NBC Sports Group in '11 acquired MLS TV rights, and had "success with its soccer broadcasts during the London Olympics." NBCSN's "biggest property is the NHL, whose season runs concurrently with English soccer." Lazarus said that the EPL "will be a good complement to the network's hockey coverage." Lazarus: "It's a younger skewing sport than some others out there, like some that are in a championship series right now" (AP, 10/28).
MAJOR BLOW: SI.com's Deitsch in a separate piece wrote the loss of EPL rights is "significant for Fox, even though it owns the World Cup for rights beginning with the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada." EPL has been "the jewel in Fox Soccer Channel's programming, and much of the network's programming centers around commentary and news of the league." NBC "sees opportunity in int'l soccer, which has been trending upward as a television property" (SI.com, 10/26). In N.Y., Belson & Sandomir wrote the deal is "the latest blow to a channel that once dominated the soccer scene on American television." Fox has broadcast the EPL in the U.S. for "nearly two decades." But a source said that NBC will pay "just under four times more than Fox currently pays for the rights" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/26).
MORE RIGHTS AWARDED: Int'l Media Content, parent company of SportsMax Ltd., has been awarded EPL broadcast rights from '13-16 in the Carribbean. SportsMax President & CEO Oliver McIntosh said, "For 10 years now, SportsMax has provided coverage of the BPL (Barclays Premier League), this season increasing the number of matches we show to five each weekend and ensuring that all BPL matches each weekend are broadcast" Also, Sportsnet and TSN have been given EPL broadcast rights in Canada (Premier League).
