NBC Sports Premier League studio host Rebecca Lowe sets a high standard for presenting soccer in the United States. NBC’s coverage of the Premier League began with a three-year rights deal in August 2013. It has garnered rave reviews ever since, with Lowe regularly among the critically acclaimed.
Lowe spoke to World Soccer Talk at last weekend’s Premier League Fan Fest in Orlando. The study programme, spearheaded by Premier League Live, continues to evolve and grow. Now, it surpasses the show that revolutionized soccer coverage in the US.
“The first few years we were very studio-based. But, when we made that first trip to England in 2015, it added a new dimension to the show, and then we did it as often as we’ve done, and adding trips to the Kentucky Derby, two or three fan festivals a year and from suddenly you have a program that is really dynamic, and while our syllabus is really good anyway, changing it up gives our syllabus a breath of fresh air. What we’ve done is push the show to the max and give the fan a community and keep the balance. We don’t want to be contrived and have a fan festival every week, but we keep the balance.”
Building NBC’s credibility
NBC has arranged a trip to England at least once every season since 2015. The one exception was COVID-affected weather. Those companies contribute immensely to NBC’s ongoing coverage.
“It has created more credibility and authenticity. Robbie (Earle), Robbie (Mustoe), Tim (Howard) and I know a lot of people there. Football in England doesn’t really change. I have been appearing at matches since I was young, and the commissioners and tunnel staff are usually the same people. We can feel connected once again when we go there, so it helps us stay close to the league and keeps our connections and perspectives fresh. Doing the trips to England and the fan festivals allows us to evolve things and make sure they don’t stay the same. We started in 2013, by the end of this current (rights) contract it will be 2028. We have to evolve, we can’t be complacent or static, and travel really helps us move the presentation over time.”
NBC’s coverage has not only been critically acclaimed in the US, but has also grown amazingly in terms of presence in the UK, helping to set a standard for coverage of the global Premier League. Lowe discussed the reaction to NBC in the UK.
“A lot of people (from the UK) who come on holiday here or watch NBC on the internet, via clips on Twitter or Instagram are watching our shows. Also, the name NBC means a lot around the world. It’s like the BBC or Sky now, in terms of the media world. Everyone knows and respects him. Now, with so many American owners and players, it grows bigger, giving us more access to interviews, because everyone wants to be on American television. [The US is] It’s such a big market that it’s very well known there (UK).”
americanized media
In recent weeks we have seen games between Brentford and Bournemouth where the announcers were given interviews and access to the dressing room. Additionally, Arsenal hosted Manchester United, where NBC commentators Peter Drury and Lee Dixon joined Sky Sports Gary Neville in the dressing room for a set piece segment. This is something that is rarely seen on television coverage of the Premier League. Lowe is hopeful that more access will be granted to NBC and other rights holders in the future.
“I think access is slow with the Premier League. Coming here and seeing how they do with the NFL, you see how far behind the Premier League is. Now, with more American owners coming into the league, you’re going to see changes because they want to be given that kind of access. As much as I love English football, it’s still very traditional and people will back off and it’s in the blood to be more restrictive, but slowly but surely more access will come. There will be a setback, but more access will come.
Rebecca Lowe fills multiple roles in Premier League coverage
Another evolution of NBC’s coverage has been the weekly Sunday morning television segment, “The Lowe Down”. Originally, it gave fans an opportunity to ask questions. Additionally, it allowed Lowe to don her analyst cap for a few minutes instead of serving as an anchor.
The segment has a different energy and vibe, which helps keep things fresh for fans and pundits alike. It is available on YouTube and on Sunday morning Premier League Live.
“At first I was a bit hesitant, in England where you’re not supposed to have strong opinions, and you’re just supposed to ease traffic (on set), but I have a lot of opinions and I spend all day talking to the guys giving my opinions. , so it’s pretty normal for me to give opinions but it’s fascinating how much other people find it interesting but I guess that’s like everyone at home having opinions and I never know guys questions so I have to be quick with my thoughts and responses.”
NBC Sports will continue to be the exclusive broadcaster of the Premier League in the United States until at least the end of the 2027-28 season, with Rebecca Lowe likely behind the desk for everything. That represents 15 years of broadcasting the world’s most popular soccer league exclusively in the United States.
And with Rebecca Lowe at the helm, football fans should feel lucky to have such a charismatic presenter bringing us Premier League football every week. The future looks incredibly bright.
PHOTO: Nicolas Casanova/NBC Sports
