NEW YORK — NBC renewed its deal with the English Premier League for six years Monday.
The network won the American rights for the top European soccer league in 2012 from Fox and ESPN with a three-year agreement. This time, the Premier League went with a longer contract that goes through the 2021-22 season.
Viewership has been soaring for international soccer in the U.S., making the Premier League a hot property with most major sports rights locked up long term.
“Outstanding production, expert analysis and wide audience reach have all been beyond expectations,” Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said in a statement. “First-rate creative marketing and promotional campaigns have driven interest in our clubs, and the competition as a whole, to unprecedented levels.”
NBC Sports will continue to broadcast every Premier League game on TV and through streaming. USA Network added games this season to go along with NBC and NBCSN, with Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo and NBC Universo.
Premier League viewership on NBC and NBCSN averaged a record 479,000 viewers last season — up 9 percent from a year earlier.
Thumbnail photo via Frank Augstein/The Associated Press
