NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2014-15 Premier League season kicks off 10 days from today, on Saturday, August 16. Coverage begins at 7 a.m. ET with Premier League Live on NBCSN followed by Manchester United v. Swansea City and continues throughout the season on the networks of NBCUniversal, on the Premier League Extra Time bonus TV package, and streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra.
PREMIER LEAGUE NUMBER OF THE DAY: 10
Only four players (Steven Gerrard, Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, and Luis Suarez) tallied 10+ goals and assists last season.
NBC Sports Group will once again make all 380 games from the Premier League available in the United States. 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.
New Season, New Teams: Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers earned promotion to the 2014-15 Premier League by winning the Championship Playoffs just one year after being relegated from the top flight. The west London club beat Derby County, 1-0, in the Final. Forward Bobby Zamora scored in the 90th minute, after QPR had been playing with 10 men for half an hour. Following the match, manager Harry Redknapp said, “I don't know how we did it.”
Rangers have had two previous Premier League spells. They were founding members of the league in 1992, enjoying a four-season stay in the newly created top division. After a 19th-place finish in 1995-96 saw the club relegated, supporters had to wait 15 years before the club made its top-flight return. QPR won the Football League Championship in 2010-11 to complete the climb back to the Premier League, but their second stay lasted only two seasons, as they were relegated again following the 2012-13 campaign. They’re now back after just a one-year absence and the upcoming campaign will be Rangers’ 23rd all-time in the top flight.