NBC has signed EPL studio host Rebecca Lowe and play-by-play announcer Arlo White to "six-year contract extensions," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. The duration of the deals "matches the six-year agreement NBC signed last year for the rights" to the EPL through the '21-22 season. Deitsch wrote Lowe and White have "been exceptional in their roles, particularly Lowe, who has morphed into the top echelon of sports broadcasting studio hosts." Lowe is "expected to go on maternity leave in March, so NBC will have to improvise." White is "versatile enough to fill that role, and NBC has other talent that can also pitch in for the final months of the season" (SI.com, 2/28). In London, Sale & Downes write Lowe has "made a name for herself in America" since working for Ireland-based Setanta Sports on their short-lived premier league partnership. Lowe's new deal "is understood to be worth" around $1M annually. The U.S. audience size for EPL games on NBC has grown by 150% on average, in "comparison to three years ago when the league's matches games were under" Fox Sports and ESPN's ownership (London DAILY MAIL, 2/29).
