NBC Sports to broadcast Newcastle v. Saracens Premiership Rugby clash from Philadelphia

Premiership Rugby returns to U.S. soil this year as a new four-year agreement between the English league and AEG – the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company – in conjunction with NBC Sports, is bringing Newcastle Falcons and double European champions Saracens to Philadelphia’s Talen Energy Stadium Saturday, Sept. 16, on NBCSN.

The event, sanctioned by USA Rugby, will be staged by Premiership Rugby in conjunction with AEG, and an official start time will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for the match will go on sale June 20. Fans can sign up for ticket updates and exclusive news at premiershiprugbyusa.com.

Premiership Rugby’s first-ever match in the United States between Saracens and London Irish, which NBCSN televised and streamed in March 2016, was held at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., another stadium utilized by a Major League Soccer franchise.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide streaming coverage of the event. Streaming will also be available on NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product.

“Premiership Rugby is the best club league in the world and thanks to the support of our partners at NBC Sports, we are now developing a strong following in the USA,” Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Officer Mark McCafferty said. “This new agreement with AEG will help take that to another level and today’s announcement is testimony to our collective ambition.

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“We’re delighted to be able to take two of our teams to the great city of Philadelphia – a city dominated by elite sport – for a match we know will capture the imagination of the American rugby public.

“We are very thankful to the city of Philadelphia which has already given its full commitment to the success of the match and we are looking forward to working with them in promoting rugby in the community during the lead up to the big match.”

Saracens is the reigning two-time Premiership Rugby champion and won the European Rugby Champions Cup for the second consecutive year this past weekend. Newcastle last won the Premiership title in the 1997-98 season, while both teams currently have Americans on their rosters.

“This match-up is yet another opportunity for our American rugby fans and future fans to witness, firsthand, up close and personal, the product created by some of the world’s top professional teams,” USA Rugby Chief Executive Officer Dan Payne said. “I’m looking forward to a tremendous display of our great game that will fuel our growth plan domestically; a plan for growth in participation, overall awareness, national broadcast, and commercially. This event ticks each of those very important boxes.”

Former USA Eagle Dan Lyle, a Bath Rugby professional for eight seasons, was recently appointed as the director of AEG’s new rugby division as the company has made a strong commitment to the promotion of the sport in the U.S. and globally.

“We are excited by the continual development and trajectory of rugby at all levels in the U.S., from the huge surge in playing numbers to an ever-growing appreciative and knowledgeable fan base,” Eagle No. 237 said. “We believe our long-standing relationship with NBC and this new multi-year partnership with Premiership Rugby represents a meaningful next step in developing the sport in the United States.

“Bringing world-class teams and players to our shores complements the initiatives and priorities of USA Rugby, including broader exposure within our country of the game being played at the highest levels.”

NBC Sports’ coverage of Aviva Premiership Rugby continues this weekend with the Semifinals of the 2016-17 season beginning Saturday, May 20, at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN. More information on NBC Sports Gold’s Premiership Rugby coverage can be found here.

Tickets for the Sept. 16 Premiership Rugby game at Talen Energy Stadium go on sale June 20. For all details related to the event, visit premiershiprugbyusa.com.