NBC Sports to Kick Off Coverage of Premiere League, 8/17

Ten days from today - on Saturday, August 17 - NBC Sports Group kicks off the most ambitious, extensive and comprehensive coverage of the Premier League available anywhere in the world. Coverage begins at 7 AM ET on NBC Sports Network with the Liverpool-Stoke City match and continues throughout the season on the networks of NBCUniversal, on the Premier League Extra Time bonus TV package, and streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.

PREMIER LEAGUE NUMBER OF THE DAY: 10

On Championship Sunday, the final day of the Premier League season, all 20 clubs are in action, with all 10 matches kicking off at the same time and presented simultaneously on 10 NBCUniversal channels. This season's finale will take place on May 11, 2014 at 11 AM ET.

NBC Sports Group will make available in the United States all 380 games from the Premier League. That's more than anywhere else on the globe (including the U.K.). All games will be preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.

Sounding off with NBC Sports Group's Premier League lead announcer Arlo White:

There is no way...

The Premier League Championship will be won as easily as Manchester United managed last season. It was almost like Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal et al gave them a free pass, which won't happen again. United will be naturally destabilized to a degree by the departure of manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while Chelsea and Manchester City have new managers and new players to mount a serious challenge.

Before I Go On air, I need...

A work-out! It sounds odd, but it gets the blood flowing and keeps my energy up. I don't have any 'big-timer' requests like having someone take all of the blue M&M's out of the bowl for me! All I require is a hotel with a gym and I'm happy! That, of course, is in addition to the hours of research and preparation during the week to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for each game.

The game that I'm looking forward to in the first few months of the season is...

Manchester United v. Chelsea (August 26 at 3 PM ET on NBC Sports Network) is circled on my calendar. What a terrific game to have in week two of the season. It's a Monday night at Old Trafford in front of 76,000 fans. United won their 20th top division title last season, but their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down after 26+ years in charge. It's a time of enormous change at United, and Sir Alex's successor David Moyes will be under tremendous scrutiny. As if that wasn't enough, the self-proclaimed 'special one' is back in charge of Chelsea. Jose Mourinho is a flat out winner, who even gave Sir Alex a run for his money in the mind game stakes. It's a mouth-watering match-up; the defending champions versus many people's favorites for the title, and it's not to be missed.

For information about NBC Sports Group's Premier League announcers, click here

To "Keep Calm and Pick A Side" on the Premier League team picker, click here

For more information on NBC Sports Group's Premier League television schedule, click here

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