NBC wins rights to broadcast UK Premier League football games for next two seasons
NBC Universal has won the US broadcast rights to show Premier League games for the next two seasons beating current rights holders Fox, the football league said yesterday.
The deal raises major questions over the future of Fox Soccer Channel, which has now lost rights to North America’s Major League Soccer, Italy’s Serie A and its flagship English league but retains rights to UEFA’s Champions League.
The Premier League statement did not give financial details of the deal but Sports Business Daily cited sources saying NBC’s bid was for around $83m per year, more than triple the $23m per year that reports say Fox is paying.
The Premier League has grown in popularity in the US in recent years with viewing figures rising significantly.
Last season a tape-delayed broadcast of Chelsea v Liverpool in November drew a US record 1.7m total viewers on Fox’s free-to-air channel.
The channels that will be used have a combined reach of 95 per cent of the US viewing public each month, the league said.