Could Promotion-Relegation work in College Football?
Manchester United and Liverpool continue to be two of the Premier League’s biggest draws in the United States — and now the rivalry is helping boost exclusive streaming numbers.
Monday’s match between the English soccer giants — a 2-1 victory for Man U — reportedly drew an average of 796,000 viewers on Peacock — the largest viewing audience ever for NBC’s nascent streaming service.
The previous record was set at 792,000 average viewers — when the Red Devils played the Reds on Oct. 24, 2021.
Besides the fact that United and Liverpool are two of EPL’s most popular clubs, the new record was aided by the fact that the Aug. 22 match was not simulcast on NBC or USA Network, but rather was a Peacock exclusive.
NBC re-upped on its rights to the Premier League in November, reportedly shelling out $2.7 billion to extend the partnership six years until 2028.
It’s a seemingly solid strategy thus far: In July, Peacock reported that it had booked $1 billion in upfront ad revenue this year — double the $500 million it did in 2021.
