The 2023-24 Premier League season is over, with Manchester City making history by winning their fourth consecutive championship. But City’s latest title run, coming after a historic treble in the 2022-23 season, didn’t dampen viewer enthusiasm for live matches on NBC’s platforms.
Per the Sports Business Journal, Premier League matches across NBC, USA, and Peacock averaged 546,000 viewers this season, a 4% increase from 2022-23 and the company’s most-watched season since taking over the Premier League’s rights in 2013-14. The previous record was set back in 2015-16, when Leicester City’s stunning title-winning season averaged 541,000 viewers.
After cratering during the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 season with just 414,000 per match, Premier League viewership has steadily increased since, crossing 500,000 viewers in each of the last three seasons. The increases have come while City have dominated the league, though, despite their landmark title streak, the title race has come down to the final day of the season in two of the last three seasons (including this past week).
On a per match basis, NBC’s coverage saw six of its seven most-watched matches this season, including the first match to cross two million viewers (City’s draw with Arsenal in March).
On Sunday, NBC’s Championship Sunday coverage averaged 2.17 million viewers in English and Spanish across cable and broadcast alone for a four-match slate, with six more (including Jurgen Klopp’s final match managing Liverpool) relegated to Peacock-exclusive status. Including Peacock viewership, Championship Sunday totaled 2.9 million viewers, per NBC. The schedule was led by City’s title-clinching win over West Ham United, averaging 1.173 million viewers on NBC and Telemundo.
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.