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Arguably the world’s best soccer commentator is heading to NBC Sports. <a href="https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10866061/Premier-League-clubs-split-increasing-TV-access-season.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Daily Mail</a> first reported the news that Peter Drury is replacing Arlo White as the lead commentator for NBC’s coverage of the Premier League. Subsequently, sources to World Soccer Talk confirmed the report is accurate.
Arlo White’s career with NBC Sports’ coverage of the Premier League ran from 2013/14 through 2021/22. In the nine years of commentating, he became a familiar voice for fans of English soccer in the United States.
Drury is to begin commentating Premier League games for NBC Sports when the new season starts on August 6, 2022. Prior to this season, Drury has been calling the biggest games on the world-feed, often alongside <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/podcasts/jim-beglin-interview/">Jim Beglin</a>.
<h3>Peter Drury replaces Arlo White: Analysis</h3>
Many of the contracts for talent expired at the end of this season, so the timing is ideal for NBC Sports to give their coverage a refresh. To be quite honest, despite <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/05/24/premier-league-season-2nd-most-watched-us-history/">how well they’ve done</a>, the coverage has become stale. For instance, it’s only normal for the coverage to feel repetitive after hearing the same talent for nine consecutive years.
NBC’s coverage of the Premier League beginning in August 2022 is the first under its <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2021/11/18/nbc-wins-premier-league-rights-through-2027-28/">new TV deal</a>. In November 2021, NBCUniversal renewed its rights with the Premier League for six more seasons for a rights fee of $2.7 billion.
Replacing Arlo White with a better commentator only enhances NBC’s coverage of the Premier League. Drury’s commentary style is more fitting with the world’s game. He has greater experience calling the biggest games in world soccer. Plus, <a href="https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drury" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Peter Drury</a>‘s commentary doesn’t focus on statistics and storylines —&nbsp;which was a penchant of Arlo White’s commentating.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Drury and White is the number of calls that Drury is known for. White, while excitable, never really coined a very memorable call in his nine years with NBC. Drury, on the other hand, is more poetic. He has a <a href="https:\/\/youtu.be/UkIV6KRi0X0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">catalog of memorable calls</a> that fans know him for.
<h3>A fresh start for Arlo White</h3>
White, whose contract ended with the close of the 2021/22 season, is likely to return to MLS. Commentating MLS games is more of a <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2020/03/09/arlo-whites-commentary-style-will-adapt-well-to-chicago-fire-broadcasts-on-the-soccer-media/">natural fit for him</a> given his American style of commentating (even if it is with an English accent).
In a way, life has come full circle for White. Prior to commentating Premier League games for NBC Sports, White was the lead commentator for Seattle Sounders games. Later, White was hired to commentate MLS games when NBC Sports had the rights to the top-flight American league through 2014. 
<h3>What’s next for NBC Sports?</h3>
It’s quite possible that more changes may occur at NBC Sports before the new season begins in August. As mentioned previously, the contracts for the studio talent and co-commentators have wrapped up. 
By the time the new Premier League deal with NBC Sports ends in 2028, NBC Sports will have had fifteen consecutive years of coverage.

Peter Drury replaces Arlo White as NBC Sports's lead commentator for Premier League coverage on U.S. television.

Peter Drury replaces Arlo White for NBC's Premier League games - World Soccer Talk

Peter Drury replaces Arlo White for NBC's Premier League games

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Editor’s note: In Kartik’s weekly column, he reviews broadcast media happenings around the soccer world. Every Monday, he discusses the latest happenings in the US soccer broadcast media scene including offering his observations and analysis about the highs and lows of the previous weekend of soccer coverage. 
Arlo White’s summer in Chicago – a more natural fit for him than England
<a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk/interview-with-arlo-white-about-leicester-city-and-nbc-sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arlo White</a>’s summer sojourn as the <a href="https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/03/03/chicago-fire-fc-broadcast-team-include-arlo-white-tony-meola" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago Fire’s commentator</a> was announced last week. White’s move got lots of play and good press for MLS. White had family in Chicago, and brings credibility to the club that is trying hard to repair its image as they reboot and rebrand for 2020.
White is a fan of the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs. He had family in the Windy City and visited it as a youngster, so the move is natural. White’s commentary style on TV is very well-suited to the American ear, much more so than it is to the British one. White converses with his co-commentators and goes on tangents with them at about the same frequency as FOX Sports lead soccer commentator John Strong. But for whatever reason, most of Strong’s commentary chatter seems more relevant to what I am watching on the pitch. Or perhaps Strong’s commentary is just more relevant to my tastes? 
The style honed on radio from calling sports with frequent stoppages like cricket and American football is, at times, ill-suited for the soccer commentary booth in Britain. White’s skill however is undisputedly outstanding when it comes to presenting pre- and post- match programs from the UK. And MLS local broadcasts have a significant element of this. 
Will White’s Chicago summer impact his demeanor, cadence and commentary style on NBC’s Premier League coverage? Only time will tell. 
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Summer club tournaments can drive TV numbers and change soccer landscape in US
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20200309_WST_297518_icc-club-world-cup-tv.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=340" alt="" width="680" height="340" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-297547" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/icc-club-world-cup-tv.jpg 680w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/icc-club-world-cup-tv-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/icc-club-world-cup-tv-600x300.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/icc-club-world-cup-tv-150x75.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/icc-club-world-cup-tv-200x100.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure></div>
UEFA’s interest in <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/international-champions-cup/story/4067517/uefa-wants-expanded-icc-tournament-as-club-world-cup-rival-sources">teaming up with the International Champions Cup</a> to compete with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup could shake up the TV landscape this summer. Club soccer has become a fixture-congested nightmare during the seasons, but in the US market it misses out on the lucrative summer TV season when competition is minimal. 
Part of the attraction of international soccer in the US market are tournaments featuring the World Cup, European Championship and Copa America taking place when the NBA and NHL have, at most, a week left to play. Plus it’s when American football is not being played and baseball is in its midseason lull. Golf’s US Open is four days, while Wimbledon just isn’t a big deal in the US anymore. The Open Championship usually falls after the end of big summer tournaments. 
I have never bought into the view that international soccer alone drives excitement for summer tournaments in the United States. From my vantage point, much of it in this market is timing. My feeling is the FIFA World Cup in 2022 will not do very well on American television when compared to previous tournaments. 
I have always felt some sort of club entry with the passion club soccer brings would be successful in the summer on US TV. Major League Soccer (MLS) has never captured that because quite frankly the stakes aren’t very high. And to enough potential viewers, it appears inadequate or inauthentic. 
FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup will probably be less attractive as a TV proposition than any competition tournament that primarily involves European clubs with a few from South America. Very few clubs outside those two regions have a payroll that can compete for players and be competitive in a larger tournament. 
One of those exceptions is CF Monterrey, the richest club in North America and a team that pushed European champions Liverpool to the brink this December in the Club World Cup. Liga MX is the most popular league in the US and a Liga MX (or MLS) club playing over the summer in a FIFA club tournament has the potential to drive monster ratings. 
ESPN currently holds the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/international-champions-cup-tv-schedule/">ICC rights</a> and if they were to broadcast a new UEFA-backed tournament, it could blow the FIFA one out of the water in theory. But another element may enter into this discussion – could FIFA use its relationship with locales such as Qatar to pull PSG for instance out of the UEFA club competition orbit? Would they be able to then violate UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) scheme without consequence and have the safety valve of a FIFA tournament?
Another driver of interest would be the simple comparison between events on ESPN and FOX. Unless FOX uses its over-the-air channel, ESPN’s prominence generally leads to higher ratings for sporting events. Add to that the built-in skepticism many soccer fans in the US have with any FOX broadcast of the sport, and ESPN would probably win any head-to-head. Spanish language rights would also play a role as both Telemundo and Univision have in the last three years made strides in breaking into English-dominant households as a viewing option. 
There are still so many questions to answer, but one thing is for sure from where I sit. This is potentially the most positive development for club soccer on US TV in years. 
If we have two competing club tournaments during the summer of 2021, it would give club soccer in this country the boost it hasn’t had in some time on television. It would probably be the biggest happening in the TV space of club soccer since <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2012/10/28/nbc-universal-confirms-acquisition-of-premier-league-rights-in-us-from-2013-16/">NBC gained the Premier League rights</a> in 2013. 
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ESPN FC’s coverage of the FA Cup and German Cup
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20200309_WST_297518_espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=381" alt="" width="680" height="381" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-297548" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv.jpg 680w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv-600x336.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/03/espnfc-liverpool-chelsea-fa-cup-tv-200x112.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure></div>
The history of the FA Cup on American television took another turn last week when, for the first time, the 5th round was held midweek due to the Premier League’s winter break forcing a change in the schedule. 
For <a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/c/330866/555830/9070" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ESPN+</a>‘s coverage of Tuesday’s Chelsea-Liverpool match at Stamford Bridge, the network actively promoted the ESPN+ telecast all morning on SportsCenter and then had wraparound ESPN FC coverage with pre, halftime and post match coverage. 
Liverpool’s defeat, the third for the presumptive Premier League champions in a fortnight, was met with minimal skepticism by <a href="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6njShwSUAM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ESPN FC’s studio talent</a>. But why? Klopp’s Liverpool can collect all the League and European trophies it wants, but any comparison with the best of Sir Alex’s United, Jose’s Chelsea, Wenger’s Arsenal and Manchester City since the takeover will show a huge voice for LFC in the domestic cups. When is all said and done historically, Liverpool’s “greatness” of this era will be questioned if they don’t start competing to win the FA Cup or League Cup. That this was ignored by the ESPN FC gang was a shocker to me as the historical level analysis on that show is usually top-notch. 
ESPNU televised the German Cup clash between Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen last week. <a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk/interview-with-adrian-healey-about-mls-usmnt-and-soccer-commentating" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adrian Healey</a> and Kasey Keller presented a good broadcast and a preview of what the Bundesliga on ESPN and ESPN+ could look like next season. Keller is an impressive co-commentator and one whose objectivity has rankled many a Seattle Sounder fan over the years. When he’s available for ESPN, he makes a good option for the Bundesliga.

Arlo White's commentary style will adapt well to Chicago Fire broadcasts - World Soccer Talk

Arlo White's commentary style will adapt well to Chicago Fire broadcasts

Today, NBC confirmed reports that they have hired Arlo White as their primary play-by-play voice for their brand-new Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer coverage. As many of you know, White has been the voice of Seattle Sounders FC, and with the new gig will come the end of his affiliation with the Sounders.
This acquisition seals up the play-by-play positions for the two national networks for Major League Soccer, ESPN and NBC. White completes a trio of British announcers, joining ESPN’s Ian Darke and Adrian Healey. It has truly evolved into a new British Invasion.
It seems that the networks have decided that the successful formula for domestic soccer coverage is coupling a British voice with American color commentators. ESPN has enjoyed good ratings pairing Darke and Healey with John Harkes and Taylor Twellman. As we reported before Thanksgiving, Harkes will not return to ESPN as his contract has expired, and Twellman has been promoted.
It’s tough to compare FOX Soccer by numbers to ESPN because their distribution to households is less pervasive. J.P. Dellacamera is a well-respected voice, but Kyle Martino wasn’t the right fit. According to reports, Dellacamera is still under contract with FOX Soccer and had no desire to leave.
If there’s another team that adds credence to pairing a Brit with a Yank, it would be GolTV’s primary coverage team. Phil Schoen has covered soccer for many years, and his English color partner, Ray Hudson, may actually be the best pairing on American television. Hudson’s flair for the dramatic is somewhat polarizing, but there is no doubt that they know the sport and are pros at entertaining. There were some who hoped that Schoen and Hudson could make their way onto the NBC networks, given their individual histories with MLS (Schoen as announcer of the first 4 MLS Cups, Hudson as a Coach for two different franchises).
In the short term I think this move towards British announcers fits the current landscape of those who watch the sport. Major League Soccer has thrived as they’ve adopted European strategies, whether it be catering to independently-organized Supporters Groups, building soccer-specific stadiums, or allowing big spending on foreign talent in certain cases. If there is any concern about Darke’s analysis, it’s a lack of knowledge of American players and the league. Arlo White, as with Healey, has become well-acquainted with the American game, both the talent as well as the style. The vernacular of course is different, but as Premier League and Champions League fixtures have grown in popularity, the target audience for soccer has learned to interpret the British slang.
What I do find unfortunate is that our country seems to have no other domestic talent worthy of the top billing for MLS broadcasts. We’ve seen Rob Stone as a third option at ESPN, but I do not have enough evidence to proclaim my thoughts on his abilities. Obviously Dellacamera and Schoen are top-notch, but guys like Max Bretos and Mark Rogandino haven’t earned high marks yet. Perhaps we’re at the point where some new blood needs to be groomed.
Here’s what I’d like to see: ESPN should realize that MLS isn’t a good fit for Darke. He doesn’t know the league well enough, and that leads to unimpressive commentary. It’s not his fault, he is used to covering a stronger league, and thus the lower quality in MLS matches misses the mark for him. Darke should be reserved for English Premier League and USMNT matches, which plays directly to his strengths. I would focus Darke on European friendlies, the CONCACAF Hexagonal, and the time before and during the 2014 World Cup – basically matches that would be in Darke’s wheelhouse. Adrian Healey is much stronger at covering MLS, and should be the primary MLS voice for ESPN. To supplement the Healey/Twellman partnership, ESPN and/or NBC should begin to develop a younger American play-by-play voice on a second team. Whether it’s Stone or another younger announcer, they need to look to the future.
My conclusion is that, in the short-term, the English flavor in national MLS coverage will be successful and the best course. But soccer is growing in this country, and the domestic sport needs some highly skilled, knowledgeable American voices to be developed – just like our on-field talent. It’s not about being exclusionary, but rather growing our own soccer culture. There’s no doubt that Darke, White, and Healey are great at their craft. Devoting resources to finding the next J.P. Dellacamera may deliver the preeminent voice of American soccer for the generations to come.

Peter Drury replaces Arlo White for NBC's Premier League games

Arlo White

Peter Drury replaces Arlo White for NBC's Premier League games

Arlo White

Arlo White's commentary style will adapt well to Chicago Fire broadcasts

Adrian Healey

The English Commentator Invasion Of American Soccer