The NBC Sports Group division of US media company NBCUniversal has said it will launch a new direct-to-consumer live streaming service for its coverage of the English Premier League ahead of the 2017-18 season of the club football competition.
Premier League Pass will be part of NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product, giving fans in the US exclusive access to 130 live Premier League matches, plus shoulder programming.
Priced at $49.99 (€45), at least three matches per Premier League club will be available as a live stream exclusively on Premier League Pass. In addition, subscribers can access replays of most matches, including those not offered on NBC Sports Gold, and a full suite of Premier League Productions and NBC Sports original content and studio shows, plus highlights clips.
However, NBC Sports has maintained there will be no decrease in televised matches on NBC and NBCSN compared to prior seasons. Showpiece matches such as the Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, the North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton will remain on NBC and NBCSN as they will be broadcast in single-game windows.
The overflow matches included in the NBC Sports Gold package were previously part of the linear Extra Time packages available through some video providers as well as on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
NBC Sports Gold launched last year with a Cycling Pass, which included the 2016 Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Monument Classics such as the Paris Roubaix. Earlier this year, NBC Sports Gold expanded its offerings to include a Track and Field Pass, Rugby Pass and Pro Motocross Pass.