The three-year agreement, which commences at the start of the 2012 MLS season, calls for 45 MLS games and four US men’s national team matches to be televised live across both NBC and NBC Sports Network each season. This marks the first rights deal for NBC Sports Network, the newly named cable channel that will be re-branded from Versus on January 2, 2012.
Each season, NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two appearances by the US men’s national team, marking the first time four MLS matches will have been broadcast on English-language network television in the United States since 2002.
The NBC Sports Network will televise 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two US men’s national team matches. The new agreement replaces the existing arrangement with Fox Soccer Channel. “Our new partnership with the NBC Sports Group is a significant step forward for Major League Soccer and US Soccer,” said Garber.
“The NBC Sports Group is world-renowned for its award-winning coverage, superb broadcast quality and promotional expertise,” Garber continued. “We are excited to be part of NBC’s ambitious plans for soccer, and look forward to reaching a considerable audience on multiple platforms.”
Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, added: “MLS is a perfect fit for our new group, and we are uniquely positioned to help grow soccer in the United States with extensive coverage on NBC Sports Network, significant programming on the broadcast network and our growing digital platforms. Additionally, this agreement complements the partnerships that five of our regional sports networks have with their local MLS teams.”
