The report says NBC’s 14th Premier League season in the US began with an average audience of 1.2 million for Brentford vs Tottenham, combining viewers across NBC and Peacock. It also says that figure was up 16% on the equivalent first Saturday match of the previous campaign.
That matters because the original bet, reportedly struck in 2013 for US$250 million, arrived when English football was still a niche passion for many American viewers. The league’s appeal is different now:
The other big reason this investment appears to be paying off is simple: the viewing habit has changed. The report says more than half of this season’s 380 Premier League matches will be shown on Peacock, with the rest spread across NBC outlets.
That is not a side note; it is the strategy. Football has become ideal streaming sport - regular, global, and easy to follow week to week. It also skews younger, which keeps advertisers interested and helps explain why the Premier League has become such a prized property in the American market.
Pierre Moossa, the coordinating producer, summed it up neatly in the report: “Estamos vendo essa mudança geracional.” That feels right. The first phase was about teaching new viewers the rhythms of English football. The next phase is about serving an audience that has grown up with it.
The next storyline is whether that momentum can keep building beyond opening weekend - and whether the Premier League’s US footprint, on television and streaming alike, still has another level to reach.