STAMFORD, Conn. – Jon Champion, a signature voice of the English Premier League and on many matches presented across NBCUniversal platforms over the past decade, has joined NBC Sports as an EPL commentator, it was announced on Thursday.
Champion, who has called nine World Cups, including the 2022 event for ITV, will serve as the primary voice of EPL matches in the high-profile Sunday 11:30 a.m. ET window across NBC, Peacock and USA Network. Opening the season – which kicks off one month from today on Friday, Aug. 11 – Champion will call the season’s first match as champion Manchester City visit Burnley (Friday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network) and Chelsea v. Liverpool on Sunday, Aug. 13 at 11:30 a.m. ET on Peacock.
“For decades, Jon has been a distinguished voice of football matches around the world,” Pierre Moossa, coordinating producer of NBC Sports’ EPL coverage, said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome him to our NBC Sports team and back to the Premier League.”
Added Champion: “I’m thrilled to join NBC Sports. I’ve been an avid viewer of their Premier League coverage whilst living in the U.S. for the past four years, so it is with great excitement that I return to calling the weekly drama of the world’s most exciting football competition.”
Champion began his broadcast career with BBC Radio in the 1980s, before working on the iconic “Match of the Day” show on BBC TV. He has been calling Premier League matches since the competition’s inception in 1992 – first for the BBC, then at ITV, before joining Setanta Sports in 2007 and ESPN UK in 2009. He has been one of the League’s signature voices around the world for three decades and most recently served as Lead Commentator for ESPN’s coverage of MLS and the US Men’s National Team.
He has also called UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches, and multiple FA Cup and League Cup finals. In addition to his football work, Champion has called rugby and cricket at World Cups and has broadcast from three Olympic Games.
Peter Drury, who joined NBC Sports last season, will continue to call the Saturday 12:30 p.m. ET matches on NBC and Peacock. He also will call Sunday 11:30 a.m. ET matches for Sky Sports in the U.K., which since its acquisition by Comcast in 2018 has collaborated with NBC Sports across numerous properties and events.
This summer, NBC Sports begins its 11th season as exclusive U.S. media home of the Premier League, and will present matches, studio programming and additional coverage across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network. The 2023-24 season kicks off Aug. 11-14.
