NBC Sports to Present Coverage of Aviva Premiership Rugby This September

By: May. 17, 2017
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For the second consecutive year, NBC Sports will present an Aviva Premiership Rugby match on U.S. soil, when Newcastle Falcons host Saracens at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, September 16, on NBCSN. The event will be staged by Premiership Rugby in conjunction with AEG, and an official start time will be announced in the coming weeks.

September's CONTEST featuring Newcastle and Saracens follows Premiership Rugby's first-ever match in the United States, which NBCSN televised and streamed in March 2016, when Saracens took on London Irish at Red BULL Arena in Harrison, N.J., home of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide streaming coverage of the event. Streaming will also be available on NBC Sports Gold - NBC Sports Digital's direct-to-consumer live streaming product.

"We're excited to televise Premiership Rugby here on U.S. soil for a second consecutive year," said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. "Following our first full season as the U.S. media home of Premiership Rugby, September's match in Philadelphia featuring Newcastle and Saracens is a testament to the continued growth and interest in rugby here in the States."

"The key to staging this match in such an impressive stadium has been the partnership we are announcing for the game with AEG and NBC Sports," said Mark McCafferty, Premiership Rugby's Chief Executive. "AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company while NBC Sports is one of the world's most prestigious sports media companies. This presents us with a powerful combination to help make this match a huge success."

"We are excited by the continued development and trajectory of rugby at all levels in the US, from the huge surge in playing numbers to an ever-growing appreciative and knowledgeable fan-base," said Daniel Lyle, Director, AEG Rugby. "We believe our long standing relationships with NBC and this new multi-year partnership with Premiership Rugby represent a meaningful next-step in developing the sport in the United States. Bringing World Class teams and players to our shores complements the initiatives and priorities of USA Rugby, including broader exposure within our country of the game being played at the highest levels."

Saracens are the reigning two-time Premiership Rugby champions, and won the European Rugby Champions Cup for the second consecutive year this past weekend. Newcastle last won the Premiership title in the 1997-98 season.

September's match between Newcastle and Saracens enhances NBC Sports' robust slate of rugby properties, which includes Olympic rugby coverage through 2032, Premiership Rugby, the RUGBY SEVENS World Series, the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup, and exhibition matches featuring the USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, and Qantas Wallabies.

NBC Sports presents the semifinals of the 2017 Premiership Rugby campaign this weekend beginning on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN, when Exeter Chiefs host Saracens. NBC Sports Gold will present exclusive streaming coverage of the semifinal between Wasps and Leicester Tigers at 9:45 a.m. ET.



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