Early on a sunny Saturday morning, Pierre Moussa was standing on his balcony overlooking Broadway, looking out at the scene and all the people.
“This is a special place,” he said.
Moussa, a coordinating producer at NBC, has overseen the network's coverage of the English Premier League since its inception in 2013, when it first acquired the U.S. broadcast rights. He has done traveling road shows before, but this edition was a different hit. Moosa attended Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in civil engineering.
Don't be fooled by an engineering degree. Moosa's passion and profession is television. What was happening before him on Broadway was ostensibly a made-for-television event. It's the Premier League Mornings Live crew who broadcast hours remotely, analyzing England highlights and football matches, and the fans who gather behind the stage holding autographs, scarves and more. It was clear from the fact that he was visible during the broadcast.
Up close, this was more than just a TV. It was a fan festival with tents, big screens, games, mascots, live music, and lots of people wearing jerseys and team gear. There were also supporters of famous clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
Others the average American sports fan probably won't recognize. But the fans here will.
That was this story.
It’s not about one game or one team; Even if it's just about the Premier League. This was a competition for lovers of global sports, a fusion of cultures and common interests. When something like that infiltrates that section of Lower Broadway in Nashville, it's a happening.
It was in 2017 that the Nashville Predators reached the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a hockey moment in this city as thousands attended a viewing party near Bridgestone Arena. A few years later, pro football had an experience in Nashville. The NFL remains a hot topic of conversation for the league's 2019 draft, which attracted more than 500,000 viewers.
We don't equate these showcases with random regular-season weekends held an ocean away, but in their own way, and for their fans, this weekend represents a big moment for football on Broadway.
“Ultimately, this is our way of thanking our fans for playing a huge role in this work,” Moussa said. “Some people call it Disneyland for football fans. It's always great to be able to meet all these people and let them see, touch and experience the Premier League and see how excited they are. .”
The two-day Premier League Fan Fest, with coverage of 10 games on Saturday and Sunday, was the ninth for the league and NBC Sports. Previously, we've done this in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Philadelphia, Orlando, and Austin, Texas.
None drew as large a crowd as Nashville. Saturday's attendance was 8,894, the highest single-day attendance for the event, according to NBC Sports.
During Saturday's broadcast, presenter Rebecca Rowe recounted some of the places she's been to, addressing viewers at home, but for those in attendance standing behind her: What's more, “I can tell you that Nashville is just around the corner.”
Lowe and his colleagues on NBC Sports, analysts Robbie Earle, Robbie Muto and former U.S. national team goaltender Tim Howard, continued to watch the game. They also mingled with the crowd between segments.
“I had two dream jobs,” Howard said. “I've been able to play in the Premier League and I've been able to play for the national team. And I've said publicly that it's a dream come true to have this role at NBC. As far as production goes, it's the best. The best of them all.”
Please consider that these words gave Musa and his friends a boost. His goal for NBC from the beginning was to make its Premier League coverage as authentic as possible. Moussa said the initial focus was naturally on his experience in England, where the games were being played. But as the story got longer, “I realized I should actually focus on what everyone here in the United States is paying attention to,” he said.
“And that’s what led us here.”
and this is unique. A truly American interpretation of Europe's great league. Moussa said the first Fan Fest attendees were waiting to get in at 12:30 a.m. Saturday and were “looking around the block” ahead of that day's overseas opener, which begins at 6:30 a.m. in Nashville. There was a line.” A similar setup awaited Sunday.
Meanwhile, Musa returns to his youth and plans to spend a Saturday night in the college town. Visitors from the Premier League told him he was eager to experience Nashville. His mind settled on the Station Inn.
“So I'll take them there and they'll love it,” he said.
Contact Tennessee sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com or on the X Platform (formerly Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.
