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NBC to televise 17 matches between NBC and NBCSN in first three weeks of EPL season

Robin van Persie of Manchester United celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game

By DAN KARELL

With the start of the season less than 10 days away, NBC Sports Group announced their channel assignments for the first three weeks of the upcoming English Premier League season.

NBC has decided to place games featuring Manchester United, Liverpool, and U.S. Men’s National Team forward Jozy Altidore’s Sunderland on their national TV channel for games kicking off at 12:30 p.m. In addition to the three games that NBC will televise, NBC Sports Network will air 14 other games in the first three weeks, featuring huge encounters like Manchester United vs. Chelsea in Week 2 and Arsenal vs. Tottenham in Week 3.

All matches that aren’t on live television will be shown free-of-charge to NBC Sports Network customers online through NBC Sports Extra. In addition, six matches will be televised on Spanish television via Telemundo and Mun2.

Arlo White, NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play voice of the English Premier League, will broadcast each of the NBC matches alongside Arsenal legend Lee Dixon, while White will partner with Graeme Le Saux to call two Sunday matches and one Monday match in the opening three weeks.

Here’s a closer look at the opening EPL schedule on NBC’s family of networks:

Following is the NBCUniversal schedule for the first three weeks of the Premier League season:

Date Time (ET) Home Away Network
Sat., Aug. 17 7:45 a.m. Liverpool Stoke City NBCSN
10 a.m. Arsenal Aston Villa NBCSN, mun2
10 a.m. Norwich Everton Extra Time
10 a.m. Sunderland Fulham Extra Time
10 a.m. West Ham Cardiff Extra Time
10 a.m. West Brom Southampton Extra Time
12:30 p.m. Swansea Man United NBC, mun2
Sun., Aug. 18 8:30 a.m. Crystal Palace Tottenham NBCSN
11 a.m. Chelsea Hull City NBCSN
Mon., Aug. 19 3 p.m. Man City Newcastle NBCSN
***
Wed., Aug. 21 2:30 p.m. Chelsea Aston Villa NBCSN
***
Sat., Aug. 24 7:45 a.m. Fulham Arsenal NBCSN, mun2
10 a.m. Newcastle West Ham NBCSN
10 a.m. Everton West Brom Extra Time
10 a.m. Southampton Sunderland Extra Time
10 a.m. Hull City Norwich Extra Time
10 a.m. Stoke City Crystal Palace Extra Time
12:30 p.m. Aston Villa Liverpool NBC
Sun., Aug. 25 11 a.m. Tottenham Swansea NBCSN, mun2
11 a.m. Cardiff Man City Extra Time
Mon., Aug 26 3 p.m. Man United Chelsea NBCSN
***
Sat., Aug. 31 7:45 a.m. Man City Hull City NBCSN
10 a.m. Newcastle Fulham NBCSN
10 a.m. Cardiff Everton Extra Time
10 a.m. West Ham Stoke City Extra Time
10 a.m. West Brom Swansea Extra Time
10 a.m. Norwich Southampton Extra Time
12:30 p.m. Crystal Palace Sunderland NBC
Sun., Sept. 1 8:30 a.m. Liverpool Man United NBCSN, Telemundo
11 a.m. Arsenal Tottenham NBCSN, mun2

 

Comments

  1. The new format sucks -goal announced before we see it get your s@@t together NBC !
    Also no repeats on games def. not the beautiful game anymore.

    Reply
  2. English premier league totally overrated, take away the top four clubs, and you are left with games like hull city v crystal palace etc.
    Fox soccer plus airs most celtic games, and games from the Scottish premier real games, real players not the phoney English stuff, it is becoming to show biz like.
    Soccer is the people’s sport, why are these clubs paying silly money to these mediocre players.
    Case in point celtic fc, made it to the last sixteen of the champions league , with players on a fraction of the clubs like Barcelona, man it’d, Chelsea etc, also the first British club to win it with all eleven players from the same city.
    So all you young Americans jumping on the Chelsea, man utd, arsenal bandwagon, who will you follow when all the millions of dollars of TV money is cut. Also remember most working class people in the uk cannot afford to go to the games because of the cost.
    $120.00 to watch Chelsea or man utd, no thanks.
    The bubble will burst. Take note.

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  3. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. However the only bummer thing I see about this deal is that it appears Arlo White will be doing ALL the games. Thus I take it he will not be at the stadium but in some studio in London? Just a slight pet peeve of mine but I hate listening to games when the play by play guys are in a studio.

    One of the great things about the ESPN games on Monday is listening to Ian Drake at the stadium.

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  4. Does anybody know how, and where to get the NBC Live Extra to stream live EPL matches? It’s a bit confusing. I travel for business often, and hotels do not always have NBCSN.

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    • I think that I figured it out. You have to subscribe to a cable, satellite, or TV plan to get the free service. I was hoping for a stand alone streaming app to buy.

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  5. I don’t have to head to the pub at 7am anymore to catch a match. It’s always a great temptation to have a pint with my Irish breakfast.
    YNWA

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    • Just because you don’t have to go to the pub at 7am doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Nothing better than watching games with some friends at a bar early in the morning. You can’t drink all day if you don’t start early.

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  6. This is so much better than paying an extra $15 for Fox Soccer Plus and another $15 for foxsoccer2go every month to be able to see every match. Goodbye Fox, and good riddance!

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  7. Why is it that all stations that I can get only want to broadcast EPL games ,I remmber when FSC used to bring on games from Spain, Italy, Germany, Celtic vs Rangers, now its just English games, and competitions. Why cant NBC bring on the biggest games in the world regardless of league.

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  8. No one else caught it says in the first paragraph NBC decided to put Jozy and Sunderland on its national channel, but it’s only listed under extra time below?

    Is that a mistake? Is Sunderland’s opener on NBC or NBCSN?

    Reply
    • Correct. The featured 10am EST game on NBC Sports Channel will be Fulham @ Sunderland.

      :eek

      This is soooooo great for the sport.

      Think about the future… I know this may be a bit of a stretch but… when we were growing up (I’m 31) there was no soccer what-so-ever on TV. NONE. We saw World Cup matches. The only way you could watch soccer was by going to a friends house who had satellite. Kids could actually see how the game was supposed to be played and I’m talking kids who only have basic cable… They’re showing EPL games on channel 6, guys!!! This is HUGE for the game here in the States. Kids will watch and duplicate what they see on Sat. and Sun. mornings, in their backyard, on playground and on the blacktop… much like we did after watching MJ, Bird and Chuck during NBA on NBC. Combine that with the steps MLS is taking to become more relevant and we may be witnesses to something very special in this country. Hats of to NBC for being ahead of the curve on this one. Well played.

      Reply
    • Extra time is EPL-only channels for the 10am ET matches – sorta like MLB extra innings except no extra payment needed. there are typically 5 matches in the 10am slot – NBC Sports Network will carry one of those games, the others will be on Extra Time

      Reply
  9. if NBC were smart they would add more games during the NFL time slot on Sundays. What have they got to lose? Fox and CBS have these slots for American Football. Make it a choice for others choosing futbol on the broadcast NBC rather than NBCSN.

    Reply
    • Soccer would be crushed ratings-wise by NFL any day of the week. Besides, the Premier League and the UK networks(SKY and British Telecom) control the scheduling. There is zero chance of Sunday evening(UK time) matches

      Reply
    • There are two Welsh teams, and they will play MUnited, Liverpool and Sunderland a combined total of 6 times…….AND one of those games will be Swansea playing MANCHESTER UNITED ON REAL NBC THE VERY FIRST DAY (please insert insulting terminology conveying your diminished mental capacity, your questionable parentage, and ridiculing the education system in the State in which you were raised).

      Reply
  10. Question. Will the games not on NBC or NBC sports network be shown on some different channel? I heard something like that

    Reply
  11. In addition to the actual matches, NBC is producing so many more shows than Fox Soccer ever did. NBC is putting all these on TV: Match of the Day, Match of the Day 2, Premier League Countdown, Premier League Download, Premier League 36, Premier League Goal Zone, Game Cut-Downs, Premier League Review, Premier League Preview, and Premier League World.

    Addionally, NBC has committed to airing every late Saturday kickoff (12:30pm ET) to the main NBC channel. Nobody is going to miss Fox Soccer, right?

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    • Not one bit. Their coverage is pretty unprecedented, especially for a single foreign league. It makes me wonder how well Fox will be able to produce the WC 2018 and 2022, we’ll have to wait and see.

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    • I will miss them every day after midnight when the new soccer channel shows: Bike Riding, Poker, Hockey, and Total Gym Workout Infomercials. Will also miss the SkySports News feed.

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    • “Addionally, NBC has committed to airing every late Saturday kickoff (12:30pm ET) to the main NBC channel.”
      Actually they have committed to airing half of the late matches on NBC proper (20 matches over the season). The other 20 will still be shown on NBCSN

      Reply
  12. Good stuff NBC

    Although didnt real pick the marquee matches for the ch7 national NBC games… No problem hope to see Jozy open him EPL account on national network tv in the middle of the day! Good stuff!

    Reply
    • Talyor Twellman is bad. He doesn’t have an accent and but also adds nothing.

      Signed,

      Mr. I Mute ALL ESPN games with Twellman

      *I’m just glad for a fresh change of pace with NBC. Much needed, in my opinion!*

      Reply
      • I actually think Twellman is decent. He grates on me sometimes, but he takes his job seriously and even when I don’t agree with him, his analysis is generally real analysis. What bias and ideology he has, he does not hide.

      • Twellman is so great in the podcast ( not as great as Ives ). It made me like him in the broadcasts…sort of.

  13. I remember twenty years ago the only soccer we got was a one hour tape delayed highlights package from one EPL from the previous weekend. Usually it wouldn’t be shown until the middle of the week. Now, there’s soccer on during the middle of the day on Saturday on NBC. Pretty amazing and makes me wonder how much more soccer can grow here during the next twenty years.

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    • It is incredible. EPL is already huge here, but this NBC deal is going to make the game/league only increase in popularity leading up to WC 2014. ESPN will benefit from this. As will other sports that NBC can now cross promote.

      The NHL, MLS, Tour de France, any racing they have can now all be highlighted during Sunday Night Football. This is a win for everyone.

      Reply
    • I remember those old wrap-up shows too. Remember Fox Sports World’s Lionel Bienvenue? You could tell he was just itching to switch over to “bigger” sports…

      Whatever happened to that guy?

      Very excited about NBC’s coverage. Can’t wait!

      Reply
  14. I’ve always just watched EPL games without any real rooting interest. Last spring I got into Tottenham, but without Dempsey and most likely Bale, they are a less attractive side. The big 4 don’t draw me in because I don’t want to be a front runner. I’d rather support a team that at least has a fighting chance. My options seem to be Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham. Stoke is a dark horse because of the American connection. The Liverpool-Stoke game to open the season might be the deterning factor in my rooting interest. A win does not necessarily get my support. Style means something. Who should I go with?

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    • That’s funny. I don’t have a rooting interest, I just hate Spurs. I don’t even have a reason for it; I’ve just never liked them.

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    • Go Fulham or go home. Seriously, they’re fun to watch, just got a new American owner. They’re in London, nice old fashioned stadium along the Thames.

      I’m a Cubs fan, so that’s a natural comparison.

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      • I hate Man Utd and their fans almost as much as I hate the Cowboys. However, Fulham is great. Crave Cottage is 15/20 min walk from my friends’ apartment. It a small, but really cool stadium, right by water. It almost hidden in a nice neighborhood. New American owner, perennial underdog…

      • Fulham is a great club with a beautiful stadium and a US connection. I flew over and went to my first match last year, unfortunately they were destroyed by Swansea.. but I got to see Deuce play one of his last games there. It was great to get over there and see them live, after following them for 4 or 5 years. I recommend the Cottage Tour as well, you get to see everything for like 15 or 20 pounds.

    • Spurs are my team, adopted into their clan when i was in London. Manchester U is always entertaining to watch but easier to hate. Everton, Sunderland and Stoke have the Americans but this changes quickly and often (see fulham). Swansea and Norwich were fun to watch last year. Or watch Palace as they fight for survival. Whatever you do dont join the bandwagon of pure evil that is Cheski, MC, Lpool, @rsenal or unitied.

      No problem being a unafiliated fan, especially when you have no ties to a club but following the week in week out roller coaster of a single club is entertaining!

      Reply
    • I’ve gravitated toward Everton since Donovan’s first loan spell. They’re consistently good enough to finish top 10, but they don’t spend their way to the top like the big four/five. I’m a huge David Moyes fan, so it’ll be hard getting used to Martinez – as good as I believe he’ll be.

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    • So top 4 is front running but Spurs finishing 5th by like one point a year after finishing 4th was fine ? Not judging, just a funny place to draw a line.

      When I first got into it, I just watched a ton of old games on Fox Soccer over the summer and picked the team I had the most fun watching.

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      • lol… I just never thought of Tottenham in the same echelon as Man U, Man City, Chelsea, and Arsenal… but you are right that my “line” is quite arbitrary
        I’ve watched EPL for years on Fox Soccer but never really took to a team because I couldn’t count on being able to watch every match like I can now with NBC. I just think I’d be more invested if I had a team to follow.

    • Style means something? Spurs are your team. Bale ain’t gone yet, and if he goes, Spurs will have a killing to invest, so that shouldn’t cause you any hesitation.

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    • I’ve always liked the free flowing style of Arsenal. Their older teams just moved and pa$$ed the ball so well , but the most recent editions don’t seem to do as well. Nevertheless, I still like the way they play. I think Swansea plays the same kind of attractive soccer and a year or so ago they beat Arsenal by outplaying them at their own game; it was a joy to watch. So0metimes Man U plays the same way with quick, accurate passes, good movement off the balol that can just tear apart the defense. Don’t know if Moyes will change that and I don’t care for Man U because I prefer the underdogs myself.

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    • I’ve always liked the free flowing style of Arsenal. Their older teams just moved and pa$$ed the ball so well , but the most recent editions don’t seem to do as well. Nevertheless, I still like the way they play. I think Swansea plays the same kind of attractive soccer and a year or so ago they beat Arsenal by outplaying them at their own game; it was a joy to watch. Sometimes Man U plays the same way with quick, accurate p@sses, good movement off the ball that can just tear apart the defense. Don’t know if Moyes will change that and I don’t care for Man U because I prefer the underdogs myself.

      Reply
    • Sunderland. Jozy is the most high profile US field player in the EPL now. They’ve got a passionate fanbase. They’ve got a lot of potential to surprise this season. And supporting them doesn’t make you look like a bandwagon hopper like supporting City/Chelsea/Arsenal/Liverpool/United/Spurs would.

      Reply
    • Try the Sounders they have a bunch of exciting Americans to watch. Nat teamers, up and coming ones too. Good mix of great foreigners in there too.

      Reply
  15. Those pop-up ads are EXTREMELY annoying. Readers will drop off because of it Ives. I know you need to make money and all, but its atrocious.

    Reply
    • NBC Extra Time is their online format. Similar to what foxsoccer2go.com did for games that weren’t televised, except it is free if your cable provider is signed up. Not sure how DirectTV works.

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      • Sounds like I am getting screwed with NBC. I will have to watch games on a fricking computer if I don’t get NBC extra time.

        I think I was the only fan of FSC FSP as I watched most every game on a TV when i wanted without some neophyte announcer telling me the scores of the other games.

        What am I missing here?

    • NBC Sports effort, quality and coverage of MLS (especially their “NFL Redzone” style “MLS Breakaway) has been a great sign for the sport in our country.

      While I’m sure MLS ratings could always improve, their purchase of EPL rights has me excited about the network’s attention and level of care for the sport as a whole.

      Huge upgrade from FSC on just about every level imaginable.

      sidenote: What television rights does FSC (soon to be FS1) have now for the game? Do they still have UEFA Champions League?

      Ideally, I’d like to go ahead and just cancel the subscription to the channel but *may* hold on to it depending on what they still have.

      Reply
      • Classic!…I almost dropped my laptop because I was laughing so hard.

        Nice work Old School. I needed that to brake up the monotony of the day.

      • I think most cable companies are switching Speed over to Fox Sports 1, not FSC. No idea what’s happening with FSC.

      • I can head to the pub for CCL if I get all the EPL matches at home. I think I’m going to call and cancel the soccer channels.

      • They have uefa champions league and Europa league don’t cancel the proactive acne I mean fox soccer channel soon to be NASCAR sports channel just yet….

      • What you said here “NBC Sports effort, quality and coverage of MLS (especially their “NFL Redzone” style “MLS Breakaway) has been a great sign for the sport in our country.” is so true.

        That was like Christmas in August when I stumbled upon it after the game last week. Fantastic stuff

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