NBC Sports has confirmed that when the 2021-2022 English Premier League season kicks off next month, even more matches will be available to watch live via the Peacock streaming service. While good news for those interested in EPL action, it is still not going to be a full live TV subscription replacement for those wanting to watch all of the games live during the season.
When Peacock launched in 2020, much was made of the inclusion of access to Premier League matches. After all, these had previously only been available to watch with a live TV subscription. Peacock changed this, by offering access to a number of Peacock-exclusive games during the season, as well as the option to catch up on the other matches, so long as the viewer was willing to wait until much later in the day to see who won.
With the new season due to start in August, NBC Sports has now provided an update on what Premier League fans can expect. Essentially, even more games will become available on Peacock during the season, and without having to wait for the Premier League replays to go live in the app. For example, August alone will see 17 Premier League matches become available to stream live through Peacock.
The change clearly does demonstrate the continued move towards streaming and is going to be beneficial for those looking to watch Premier League games without having to also subscribe to a live TV subscription. However, it is not a full solution, as a significant number of matches shown live next season will remain unavailable through Peacock without a delay.
Peacock secures NBC, but not NBCSN games
What NBC Sports has really confirmed is that games currently scheduled to be broadcast on NBC will now also be available to watch, at the same time, on Peacock. What the announcement doesn’t as clearly state is that all of the games due to be shown on NBCSN will remain unavailable on Peacock. Due to this, those wanting to watch every game live during the season, or every game from an individual team, will still need to pay for a live TV package that includes NBCSN.
Otherwise, not too much else is changing. Similar to last season, NBC Sports has confirmed that Premier League replays will be available once again for those willing to wait until later the same day. Also similar to last season, access to Premier League games will be locked behind the Peacock Premium tier. Due to this, any individuals or households wanting access to Premier League matches will need to pay either $4.99 per month for the Premium (with ads) subscription or $9.99 per month for the no ads Premium Plus experience.
Source: NBC
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