FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 29th, 2021

NBC SPORTS & PEACOCK BECOME EXCLUSIVE U.S. MEDIA HOME OF BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA RUGBY THIS SUMMER, BEGINNING THIS SATURDAY, JULY 3 AT NOON ET

Peacock to Stream Eight British & Irish Lions Matches Live; Kicking Off this Saturday at Noon ET v. Emirates Lions

Tour of South Africa Concludes on Peacock Sat., August 7 at Noon ET as Lions Renew Rivalry Against Rugby World Cup Champions – The Springboks

Matches to be Shown Live on Peacock with Encores on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 29, 2021 – NBC Sports today announced it has become the exclusive U.S. media home of The British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa rugby this summer, with eight matches live on Peacock. Encore match coverage will air on NBCSN.

The 2021 Tour of South Africa kicks off this Saturday, July 3 as the Lions take on Emirates Lions in Gauteng, South Africa, live at Noon ET on Peacock (encore coverage at 1 a.m. ET on NBCSN).

The Lions’ Tour concludes on Saturday, August 7 in Johannesburg as they renew their rivalry with the South African national team live at Noon ET on Peacock. Encore coverage of the match will be presented Sunday, August 8 at 8:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. The Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which was also presented live in the U.S. by NBC Sports.

The British & Irish Lions consist of players selected from the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Formed in 1888, the team currently tours in the Southern Hemisphere once every four years, rotating series between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Lions last toured New Zealand in 2017.

NBC Sports’ Ahmed Fareed will host studio coverage while Dan Lyle, a former USA Rugby captain and Premiership Rugby player, and Alex Corbisiero, who played internationally for England, will provide studio commentary and pre-match, halftime, and post-match analysis.

The Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. The last time the Lions faced the Springboks on South African soil was in 2009 – with the famous touring side delivering a 28-9 victory over South Africa at Ellis Park Stadium.

Over the historic rivalry, Test matches between the Lions and Springboks have grown to represent the best of Northern hemisphere Rugby versus the best of the Southern hemisphere.

The British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa will also be available to commercial establishments through the NBC Sports Pass – a customizable direct-to-consumer platform developed specifically for the retail pub/restaurant market in the U.S.

NBC Sports’ Lions coverage is part of an extensive collection of rugby programming across NBC Sports platforms which spans the calendar year, including the Tokyo Olympics, the Six Nations Championship, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, the HSBC Sevens Series, and the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

NBC Sports’ British & Irish Lions schedule:

Date Match Time (ET) Platform
Sat., July 3 British & Irish Lions v. Emirates Lions (LIVE) Noon Peacock
British & Irish Lions v. Emirates Lions* 11 p.m. NBCSN
Wed., July 7 British & Irish Lions v. Cell C Sharks (LIVE) 2 p.m. Peacock
British & Irish Lions v. Cell C Sharks* 6 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 10 British & Irish Lions v. Vodacom Bulls (LIVE) Noon Peacock
British & Irish Lions v. Vodacom Bulls * 11 p.m. NBCSN
Wed., July 14 British & Irish Lions v. South Africa A (LIVE) 2 p.m. Peacock
British & Irish Lions v. South Africa A * 5 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 17 British & Irish Lions v. DHL Stormers (LIVE) Noon Peacock
British & Irish Lions v. DHL Stormers * 1 a.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 24 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE) Noon Peacock
Sat., July 31 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE) Noon Peacock
Sat., Aug. 7 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE) Noon Peacock
Sun., Aug. 8 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks * 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
*Encore coverage

 

British & Irish Lions matches join expansive sports programming on Peacock. Upcoming live sports coverage on Peacock includes the Tour de France, NHL Semifinal games, Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Premier Lacrosse League, INDYCAR, Premiership Rugby, the 2021-22 Premier League season, 2021 Sunday Night Football, and Super Bowl LVI. Peacock Originals available on demand include Lost Speedways, hosted by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; My Pursuit: Life, Legacy & Jordan BurroughsThe Greatest RaceMichael Phelps: Medals, Memories & More, and In Deep with Ryan Lochte. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel which streams Peacock Original Brother from Another, as well as The Dan Patrick ShowPFT Live, and The Rich Eisen Show.

Peacock is currently available on Google platforms and devices, including Android™, Android TV™ devices Roku platform; Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation5; VIZIO SmartCast™ TVs; Samsung Smart TVs; and LG Smart TVs. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.

-NBC SPORTS-