| Soccer on NBC Sports | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Soccer telecasts |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 3+ hours (or until game ends) |
| Production company | NBC Sports |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
Soccer on NBC Sports is a number of television programs that have airedsoccer matches in theUnited States onNBC andNBCSN. These matches are from International, European, and American competitions. On August 10, 2011, NBC Sports announced a new three-year broadcasting contract withMajor League Soccer to produce games for the2012 season on NBC and the NBC Sports Network. This included the broadcast of two regular season games, two playoff games, and two national team matches on NBC and 38 regular season games, three playoff games, and two national team matches on NBC Sports Network.[1] On October 28, 2012, NBC Sports also announced a three-year, $250 million deal to televisePremier League soccer in English (primarily on NBCSN) and Spanish (onTelemundo andmun2) beginning with the 2013–14 season, replacingESPN andFox Soccer as the league's U.S. broadcasters.[2]
The first American coverage[3] of the World Cup consisted only of apreviously filmed telecast of the1966 Final onNBC.[4][5][6] The Final was aired before their coverage of the SaturdayMajor League Baseball Game of the Week. NBC used theblack & whiteBBC feed and aired it on a two-hour film delay. This was the first time soccer had been shown in the United States as a stand-alone broadcast.
1986 marked the first time that the World Cup had extensive livecable andnetwork television coverage in the United States.ESPN carried most of the weekday matches whileNBC[7] did weekend games. To be more specific, NBC aired seven[8][9] matches, including the"Hand of God" quarterfinal, with broadcasters on-site. NBC's theme music[10] for their 1986 coverage wasHerb Alpert's[11] "1980", from his 1979 albumRise.
On January 5, 2012, NBC Sports signed a three-year contract with Major League Soccer[12] to nationally televise 40 matches per year,[13] which would primarily air on the NBC Sports Network (now NBCSN), beginning with the2012 season. All NBC telecasts included pre-game and post-game coverage, with the network intending to promote its games during broadcasts of its other major sports properties, such as theOlympics. More specifically as part of the new deal, NBC would carry three regular season and two playoff matches (the first time since2002 that that many MLS games were to be broadcast on English-language network television), as well as 38 regular season and three playoff matches on sister channel NBCSN; both networks also aired matches featuring theUnited States men's national soccer team (with two games airing on each network).
NBC and NBCSN's MLS telecasts during the2013 season averaged 115,000 viewers per game, a steep drop from 2012. Looking to capitalize on further soccer opportunities, NBC Sports acquiredthe rights to thePremier League from Fox Soccer in 2012, in time for the2013–14 Premier League season. Speculation abounded on if MLS was to be treated by the sports division secondarily to the Premier League, which has a greater U.S. audience than the domestic league, placing MLS' future with NBC in doubt.
In 2014, negotiations broke down between NBC and MLS on a new television contract. The league instead signed an agreement withFox Sports to serve as its U.S. broadcast partner, beginning with the 2015 season in a shared rights deal withESPN.[14]
NBC acquired rights to the Premier League in 2013, replacingFox Sports andESPN.[15] NBC's studio programming for the league includes the pre-match showPremier League Live, and the highlights showsPremier League Goal Zone andMatch of the Day (modeled uponthe similar BBC series).[16] NBC Sports president of programmingJon Miller explained that their main goal was to not "Americanize" their coverage (besides providing explanations of terminology unfamiliar to U.S. viewers, such asderbies), citing their decision to employ talent (such as formerESPN UK andBBC Sport presenterRebecca Lowe, who became NBC's lead host) who "know the Premier League and can talk about it intelligently".[17][18] In 2014, NBC also hired the duo ofMichael Davies andRoger Bennett—the "Men in Blazers"—to provide soccer-oriented content across NBC Sports' platforms.[19]
In September 2020, NBC agreed to a season-long partnership withATA Football to broadcast up to 50FA Women's Super League matches during 2020-21 season. The plan is for 12 matches to be broadcast on NBCSN, while other matches will be available via the NBC Sports website and app.[20] NBC's coverage ended after the broadcasting rights moved toCBS Sports starting the 2022-23 season.
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