There is a signature voice when it comes to the Premier League in the United States – and that voice is NBC Universal. On Thursday, the company solidified its relationship with the popular soccer league by securing U.S. media rights until 2028. The deal is worth around $ 2.7 billion, well over double the previous deal.
“When we acquired the Premier League for the 2013-2014 season, they were split between three partners,” Jon Miller, director of NBC Sports Group said Thursday. “While these entities did a good job, it wasn’t a priority for any of them, and we showed the Premier League that we were going to make the Premier League a priority. We came to them with a plan and a mission to do it, and they saw the resulting increase in ratings, increased value for franchises, increased kit sponsorships, etc. Then, obviously, they saw increased revenue in their second deal, and they saw it here. It’s no secret that others wanted to partner with us, and although we were flattered, we made the decision very early on that for us it was an all-or-nothing proposition. There are very few sports – in fact, none of the great American sports are anymore – with a single entity. Everything is shared, be it the NFL , NBA, Major League Baseball or NHL.The Premier League is unique in the way its matches are organized and t in the way its business model is developed. We felt it was important and essential for them to be with one partner and one voice.
This is obviously important news for Premier League fans, and Editors Felipe Cárdenas and Richard Deitsch have provided some initial thoughts below on what the deal means for you as a spectator.
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