Premier League & NBC Sports execs in talks to potentially hold 39th league fixture in the US

The Premier League is in talks with NBC Sports to potentially stage a 39th match in the US, as a network executive has vowed to ‘continue to push for’ the first English top-flight match to be played abroad.

Jon Miller – NBC Sports president of acquisitions and partnerships – revealed that the exclusive broadcaster of Premier League matches in the US (since 2013) is currently working with league executives to devise a plan to strengthen ties between English football and further deepen American football. Audience in the coming years.

“We have had discussions with the Premier League and they have been very open and receptive to listening to me,” Miller said. Adam Crafton of Athleticspartially this week.

‘Last year we did the Premier League Summer Series (in preparation), where six teams came along; Fulham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. We had nine games in seven days in five cities in America (and 265,000 fans in attendance). It was amazing.’

The Premier League previously tried and failed to stage a 39th round of matches around the world in 2008, but abandoned its plans after facing opposition from supporters and the media.

Jon Miller – NBC Sports president of acquisitions and partnerships – is backing the overseas game

Last week, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters remained cautious about the possibility of an official league match being played abroad. He said this is not currently in the Premier League’s plans, despite acknowledging the door is ajar.

NBC Sports currently has a six-year contract with the Premier League for continued exclusive match coverage in the US since 2022. The deal is said to be worth $450 million per season to the Premier, equating to more than $5 million per season . times the first deal signed with NBC when they started broadcasting the Premier League in 2012,” according to The Athletic.

Currently, NBC is among the Premier League’s most important partners, as the network contributes enormously to the purchasing power and earning potential of top clubs.

What’s more is that Premier League matches have reached new heights in the US over the past sixteen months, as March’s match between Manchester City and Arsenal attracted a record 2.6 million viewers across English and Spanish-language channels.

Premier League CEO Richard Masters said an overseas fixture is not part of the league’s plans

Miller also wants to give fans better access to audio, including putting managers on the microphone

Additionally, nearly 40 million viewers have watched the Premier League on NBC every season for the past eleven years, and a Nielson survey found that 48 percent of all soccer fans in the U.S. now have a favorite Premier League team.

Miller also revealed that he wants to provide more audio access to fans as he looks to provide a deeper insight into how managers interact with fourth officials, players and the rest of their coaching staff.

He told The Athletic: “There are two things that really bring the viewer and the fan closer to the action: access and audio. So whenever you can increase your access and build your stars, that’s great. And people like to hear what Jurgen Klopp says to his team or what he says on the sidelines.

‘We realize that there must be some protection against this. But we think these are the kinds of things we’ll continue to push the boundaries on. And the Premier League is responding. They are very good when we come to them with ideas. Far be it from me to try to tell the Premier League what a good product is. Their product is spectacular.

“But just like we do with the NFL and golf, we’re constantly having conversations with our partners and brainstorming things we can do to make the games better and more engaging, to try to grow our audience.”