Since 2013, Rebecca Lowe, who recently signed a contract extension to remain at NBC through the 2026 Summer Olympics, has been the network’s lead studio host for coverage of the Premier League. After not being the number one host for soccer coverage at the BBC or at ESPN, she was happy to get the chance to be the number one for a network’s soccer coverage.
Lowe was a guest on The Press Box podcast with Bryan Curtis and she said when she decided to go to NBC, she knew that the USA was ready for Premier League.
“I wanted to be the number one at a network. I had been the number two to Ray Stubbs at ESPN for 4 years….To be the number one was a dream. An American audience that I knew from spending a lot of time in America beforehand was ready for this and was wanting there. Therefore, I knew there was massive, massive growth. I was lucky to be proven right with that.”
In her role as the studio host, Lowe knows it’s her job to bring the storylines to the table and let the analysts bring the bulk of the information:
“It’s less about for me stats and facts and more about storylines. Peter Drury is the stats and facts guy. I am the person who weaves the storylines and he fills in all the colorful bits. I have the page and he colors it in. I listen to the radio constantly. I’m reading blogs every week. It never actually ends. I never have a day where I don’t have access to an audio podcast, blog, or newspaper.”
“To me, a studio show is all about the analysts. I’ve never played the game. I’m literally there to lead them down a road they want to go down and bring with us down that road all of their experiences and insight. That’s what the audience pay for. That’s what the audience wants to hear and that’s my job is to get it out of them.”
Lowe told Curtis that ever since her career began, she has over prepped for any show because she wants to be able to have enough information in her grasp as possible.
“I just did what I felt was necessary, which was over prep. I over prep every studio show I have ever done because my biggest fear has always been to be live on-air with a delay or with a situation where you are having to fill and not having enough information at my fingertips. I feel less about that now 20 years in, but I am in the rhythm of over prepping. I just want to know everything about everything.”
