NBC Sports Premier League studio host Rebecca Lowe sets the bar high for presenting football in the United States. NBC’s Premier League coverage began with a three-year rights deal in August 2013. It has since garnered critical acclaim, with Lowe regularly among the critically acclaimed.
Lowe has spoken World SoccerTalk during last weekend’s Premier League Fan Fest in Orlando. The studio show, which is headlined by Premier League Live, continues to evolve and grow. Now it surpasses the show that revolutionized football coverage in the US.
“In the first 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 it, throwing trips to the Kentucky Derby, two or three fan parties a years and suddenly you have a show that is very dynamic, and even though our studio show is very good anyway, changing it up gives our show 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 a gimmick and have a fanfest every week, but keep a balance.
Building NBC’s credibility
NBC has hosted a trip to England at least once per season since 2015. The only exception was the time affected by COVID. Those ventures contribute greatly to NBC’s ongoing coverage.
“It has created more credibility and authenticity. Robbie (Earle), Robbie (Mustoe), Tim (Howard) and I know so many people there. Football in England is not really changing. I’ve been coming to games from a young age and the stewards and staff in the tunnel are often the same people. We can feel connected again when we go there, so it helps us stay close to the competition and keeps our connections and perspectives fresh. Doing the trips to England and fan parties helps us develop things and make sure things don’t stay the same. We started in 2013, by the end of this current (rights) contract it’s 2028. We need to evolve, we can’t be complacent or static, and the travels really help us keep the presentation moving with the times.”
NBC’s coverage has not only received critical acclaim in the United States, but has also grown surprisingly in terms of presence in the UK, helping to set a standard for global Premier League coverage. Lowe discussed the response on NBC in the UK.
“A lot of people (from the UK) who come here on holiday or watch NBC on the internet, through clips on Twitter or Instagram, see our shows. Moreover, the name NBC means so much all over the world. It’s like the BBC or Sky now, in terms of the media world. Everyone knows it and respects it. Now, with so many US owners and players, it’s growing more, giving us more access to interviews, because everyone wants to be on US TV. [The US is] such a huge market, it’s really well known there (the UK).”
Americanized media
In recent weeks we have seen games between Brentford and Bournemouth where interviews and access to the dressing room were granted to broadcasters. In addition, Arsenal hosted Manchester United where NBC commentators Peter Drury and Lee Dixon were joined by Sky Sports Gary Neville in the dressing room doing a regular fixture. This is something you rarely, if ever, see in Premier League television coverage. Lowe is hopeful that more access will be granted to NBC and other rights holders in the future.
“I think entry is a slow-burn with the Premier League. When you come here and see how you’re doing with the NFL, you see how far behind the Premier League is. With more American owners coming into the league, you’ll see changes because they want to have that kind of access as much as I love English football it’s still very traditional and people will push back and it’s in there blood to be more restrictive but slowly but surely more access is coming . There will be a pushback, but there will be more access.”
Rebecca Lowe fills multiple roles in the Premier League
Another development in NBC’s coverage is the weekly Sunday morning television segment, “The Lowe Down”. It originally offered fans a chance to ask questions. It also allowed Lowe to don her analyst cap for a few minutes instead of serving as host.
The segment has a different energy and vibe, which helps keep things fresh for fans and pundits alike. It is available on YouTube and the Premier League Live Sunday morning programme.
“At first I was a bit hesitant where in England, where you can’t have strong opinions and you just have to facilitate traffic (on set), but I have a lot of opinions and talk to the guys who express my opinion all day long , so for me it’s very normal to give opinions but it’s fascinating how many other people find it interesting but I suppose that’s like everyone back home who has an opinion and I never know the guys questions so I’ve to be quick with my thoughts and reactions.”
NBC Sports will remain 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 football competition exclusively in the United States.
And with Rebecca Lowe at the helm, football fans are lucky to have such a charismatic presenter bringing us Premier League football every week. The future looks incredibly bright.
PHOTO: Nicholas Casanova/NBC Sports
#Rebecca #Lowe #years #Premier #League #NBC
——-
NBC,NBC sports,Premier League,Premier League Fanfest,Rebecca Lowe,WST
——-
Read on main website: https://sportshighlights.online/rebecca-lowe-looks-back-at-10-years-of-premier-league-on-nbc/?feed_id=3614&_unique_id=63cec6b0e4554
Sports Highlights 