NBC Sports is getting ready to televise some live action as the Premier Lacrosse League plans to come off the sidelines for a two-week tournament running from July 25 to Aug. 9.
The PLL Championship Series Powered by Ticketmaster will be played without fans in the stands and all players, coaches and officials will be quarantined throughout. A COVID-19 Medical Committee consisting of doctors and infectious disease experts will be on hand at the venue, which has not yet been disclosed.
The league’s regularly scheduled season was postponed last month.
Related: ESPN: Fans Looking Forward to Empty-Stadium Games
All of the games will be shown live on either NBC, NBC Sports Network or NBC Sports Gold. The cable and broadcast games will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. NBC signed an exclusive media deal with the league after it was founded.
The PLL’s move comes as other sports are looking for ways to restart live games after nearly two months without live competition.
“We are excited to partner with the PLL to broadcast the innovative PLL Championship Series this summer,” said Jon Miller, president, programming, NBC Sports & NBCSN. “With our numerous broadcast, cable, digital and OTT platforms, we are able to present the entirety of this unique tournament -- including 20 games in just 16 days -- and allow fans to get their fix of the best lacrosse in the world.”
The first week of the PLL Championship Series will have the league’s seven teams competing in a 14-game group play format. The second week will have a single-elimination tournament.
The PLL played its first season last year. It was formed by lacrosse superstar Paul Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil and is backed by an investment group including Joe Tsai Sports, Brett Jefferson Holdings, The Raine Group and Creative Artists Agency.
“The Premier Lacrosse League is excited to be a leader in the return of pro sports this July,” said Paul Rabil. “Although we’ve pivoted our originally scheduled season to a fully quarantined, fan-less model, our PLL Championship Series will bring sports fans an innovative and thrilling experience that only the best players in the world can provide. It’s taken a village of top-notch executives to develop, and this is a testament to the forward-thinking prowess that the PLL has become renowned for.”
“With the support of our investors, sponsors, and our fantastic broadcast partner, NBC Sports, we are delighted to officially unveil the PLL Championship Series,” added Mike Rabil. "This summer, millions of fans will witness the game’s best players compete for the ultimate prize in an exciting yet, most importantly, safe format. We’ve brought in respected medical experts as the health of our players is of utmost importance.”
