NBC SPORTS BRINGS 'LEGENDARY FEBRUARY' TO FANATICS FEST
'Legendary February Challenge' to Feature Olympic, Football, and Basketball Games at Interactive Activation to Celebrate NBC and Peacock's February 2026 Lineup of Milan Cortina Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and NBA All-Star Game
NBC Sports Premier League Host Rebecca Lowe to Moderate On Her Turf Panel with Olympians Kendall Coyne Schofield, Erin Jackson, Elana Meyers Taylor, and NFL's Head of Flag Football Stephanie Kwok
NBC Sports' Noah Eagle and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter Featured in 'New York vs. The World' Panel
Matthew Berry and Lawrence Jackson to Host a Live On-Site Episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour at Fanatics Fest NYC
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 16, 2025 – NBC Sports is bringing 'Legendary February' – its upcoming month of iconic sports programming with the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Super Bowl LX, and NBA All-Star Game in February 2026 – to Fanatics Fest NYC from June 20-22 at the Javits Center in New York City. Billed as 'the world's largest arena for sports and collectibles,' Fanatics Fest blends the top athletes, celebrities, and sports brands and leagues into one celebration of sports and pop culture.
NBC Sports' main attraction will be the 'Legendary February Challenge,' an interactive activation designed for fans to experience the thrill of the three iconic events featured next February on NBC and Peacock. Fans will have 45 seconds to score points on all three challenges – a touchdown toss, basketball jump shot, and curling throw – with the names of the players with the best scores being displayed on the leaderboard as well as additional prizes and giveaways. The NBC- and Peacock-branded activation will feature a large LED screen displaying an immersive environment unique to whichever of the challenges you're currently playing – a football field, basketball court, or curling arena – to replicate the experience of competing in each sport, as well as the respective logos for each event.
Additionally, NBC Sports personalities such as Premier League analyst and former United States Men's National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard, NBA play-by-play voice Noah Eagle and analyst and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter, along with Olympic medalists Kendall Coyne Schofield (ice hockey), Erin Jackson (speed skating), and Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled) are expected to make appearances at the activation.
'Legendary February' is comprised of three of the biggest events in sports all taking place within days of each other in February 2026 on NBC and Peacock. The Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games begin with the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6 and conclude with the Closing Ceremony on Feb. 22. Within that 17-day window, NBC Sports will also present Super Bowl LX from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8 and the NBA All-Star Game at the newly opened Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 15.
In addition to the 'Legendary February Challenge,' NBC Sports will be represented on multiple panels. Premier League host Rebecca Lowe will moderate an On Her Turf panel on Sunday, June 22, focusing on women in sports and featuring Olympic medalists Kendall Coyne Schofield (ice hockey), Erin Jackson (speed skating), and Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled), as well as Stephanie Kwok, head of flag football at the NFL. On Her Turf is a dynamic brand focused on cross platform content and community dedicated to women's empowerment, powered by sportswomen for all women.
Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and NBC Sports' NBA play-by-play voice Noah Eagle will moderate a 'New York vs. The World' panel on Friday, June 20, featuring legendary New York athletes and celebrity super fans, including newly announced NBC Sports NBA analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter, New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver Malik Nabers, six-time Olympic medalist gymnast Suni Lee, actor-comedian Tracy Morgan, and former New York Knick Allan Houston.
Finally, NBC Sports' fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry and fantasy sports analyst Lawrence Jackson will host a live episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour, NBC Sports' daily fantasy football and sports betting show on Peacock, on-site at Fanatics Fest NYC on Saturday, June 21, and will be joined by actor-comedian Keegan-Michael Key.
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ABOUT NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering and presenting many of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Notre Dame, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television's No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years.
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Klopp praises Liverpool's record Wirtz deal in simple message
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Among the many things this column is waiting for — a result in the Manchester City vs Premier League cage fight, Fenway Sports Group to buy a Spanish team, Gianni Infantino to give a press conference — none has been imminent for quite as long as a takeover at Tottenham Hotspur. Much like soccer has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for half a century, Spurs have been the next big English club on the block for a decade. Advertisement In that time, Spurs have built the best multi-purpose stadium in Europe and sold lots of shirts, but won only one trophy. During the same period, the Premier League has become majority-owned by American billionaires and Tottenham's billionaire former majority-owner, British businessman Joe Lewis, has put his shares into a family trust, pleaded guilty to insider trading, and celebrated his 88th birthday. 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If you had to pick one reason valuations have kept rising in the big leagues on both sides of the Atlantic, it is that live sport has been a must-have for TV executives. This means their sports counterparts have only needed two rival broadcasters in any market to create an auction. So, this month's news that New York-based media giant Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is splitting into two separate companies has prompted an outpouring of speculation about what it might mean for sport. So far, there is no real consensus. For those who have missed this story, WBD was formed in 2022 by an expensive merger between two multinational media conglomerates, WarnerMedia and Discovery. But the company's bosses have now decided to put all the cool, still-growing stuff in one company, Streaming & Studios, so it is not held back by the profitable-but-in-decline TV channels. 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It has been part of the Max bundle but has recently lost its NBA rights after a 40-year connection with the league. It still has some baseball, college basketball, ice hockey and motorsport, but it does not have any NFL, so it is more of a nice-to-have than a must-have for most American sports fans. The picture in the UK is a little different, as TNT Sports does have what most British armchair sports fans consider to be essential viewing, namely a package of Premier League rights and near-exclusive rights to UEFA's club competitions. TNT Sports acquired the football when it formed a 50/50 joint venture with BT Sports in 2022, which united BT's menu of football, rugby and assorted North American pastimes with Eurosport's smorgasbord of cycling, tennis and the snowy stuff we watch once every four years in the Winter Olympics. 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Even the mighty Premier League has had to throw in more content, spread out over the weekend, to get the same amount of money from its domestic partners. Advertisement Independent analyst Paolo Pescatore thinks the split will highlight something he has been saying for a while: TNT Sports is 'an entity in slow, painful decline'. He thinks the joint venture was 'poorly executed', with subscriber numbers falling and losses rising, which is why nobody has bought that 50 per cent stake in the business. Pescatore also believes the rising cost of watching sport, coupled with confusion over where to watch it, has driven the rise in digital piracy. Sports rights consultant Pierre Maes said he cannot see signs of any positive strategy for building an attractive streaming product in the UK and Europe, and dismisses the WBD split as a 'desperate move to calm down the stock market'. But the BBC's former head of sports rights, David Murray, is a bit more optimistic. 'My initial view is that it's probably a good thing for sport,' he said. 'I never got their strategy of wanting to bundle the likes of HBO with TNT Sport. So, in theory, the Discovery+ proposition can be a lot more focused, which should keep the price lower and allow it to cut through more than it would have done as part of a broader bundle.' Lower prices and more focus on providing a great sports product should be a benefit to consumers and sports rights-holders, as digital piracy is probably the number one threat to professional sport as we know it. Speaking of good times gone bad, we cannot have an edition of this column without a new cautionary tale about multi-club ownership (MCO). This one concerns Irish club Drogheda United, who have just lost their appeal against a UEFA decision to prevent them taking part in next season's Conference League, a prize they thought they had earned with their FAI Cup victory last November, because their American owners Trivela also have a stake in Danish side Silkeborg, who qualified for the same competition. Under UEFA rules, two teams with common ownership cannot play in the same competition and any clash is avoided by removing the team that finished lowest in its league. In this case, UEFA looked at Drogheda United's ninth-place finish in 2024 versus Silkeborg's seventh-place finish this year. Trivela took its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming that neither the Football Association of Ireland nor UEFA told the Alabama-based group that European football's governing body had moved forward the date for owners of MCO groups to create enough separation between their teams so they can potentially compete against each other. Advertisement Until this year, owners had until the start of June to dilute their shareholdings in one club or put all of their shares in a blind trust, but UEFA shifted that deadline to the start of March. Drogheda United, of course, are not the only side to miss this memo, as FA Cup winners Crystal Palace are still waiting to find out if they will be allowed to take their place in the Europa League alongside their co-owner John Textor's French side Lyon. The two cases are not identical, as there is no dispute that Drogheda and Silkeborg are controlled by the same owner, whereas Textor has never had that much sway at Palace, but Trivela's travails demonstrate that UEFA is getting increasingly strict with MCO groups. 'We are totally gutted by this outcome for the club, its players, its staff and its supporters,' Trivela co-founder Ben Boycott tells The Athletic. 'To all of them, I'm deeply sorry that we're going through this. We genuinely felt we had a compelling case before CAS, a point somewhat reinforced in the observation that this appears to have been a split (2-1) decision among the arbitrators.' Trivela has committed to filling the €500,000 (£425,000) hole in Drogheda United's budget left by the removal of European football, but is still processing what Boycott believes was a 'very harsh decision which ignored a number of mitigating factors and months of good-faith efforts on our part to come to a solution with UEFA'. It has been a tough few weeks for Trivela as their English outfit, Walsall, were 12 points clear at the top of League Two with 11 games to go, only to lose form and end up in the play-offs, where they rallied to beat Chesterfield in the semi-finals, only to lose 1-0 at Wembley to AFC Wimbledon. More clubs equal more opportunities for disappointment. And let us wrap up this edition of the Business of Football with another column staple: an update on the arrival of English football's independent regulator. We will keep this short and sweet — it really is coming now. For the first time since this process started in 2021, something has happened ahead of schedule. On Tuesday, the Football Governance Bill passed through the committee stage of the legislative process, without requiring the three further days that had been scheduled for debate. 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New York Times
4 hours ago
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The one position your Premier League club needs to sign a player in during this transfer window
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Their attacking numbers improved in the second half of the campaign, but they remain light in the striker department, so a goalscorer has to be a priority. With that being said, goalkeeper James Trafford remains a Burnley player, but that is unlikely to be the case come the end of the window. Replacing him will be high on the priority list too. Andy Jones A right-footed left winger is a major priority and for good reason. Chelsea are short of options there right now. Firstly, they decided against turning Jadon Sancho's season-long loan move from Manchester United into a permanent transfer, and he has left. Secondly, the Football Association have now charged Mykhailo Mudryk, and he could face a lengthy ban. Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto can play on the left flank, while 19-year-old Tyrique George was promoted from the under-21s to the senior squad this season. But Chelsea's pursuit of Jamie Gittens — they have agreed personal terms with the player but are yet to finalise a fee with Borussia Dortmund — shows a desire to add another wide man to the ranks. Advertisement Simon Johnson Palace's most pressing need is for another centre-back, especially if Marc Guehi departs this summer. Chris Richards has come in and impressed after Trevoh Chalobah returned to Chelsea in January, and Maxence Lacroix has been excellent, but behind them there is a lack of depth. Nathaniel Clyne is an adequate option in an emergency and Jefferson Lerma has proven more than capable of dropping back from centre-midfield, but with Chadi Riad missing almost the entirety of last season through injury, Palace would benefit from adding a centre-back of starting quality to their squad. They could also do with adding another left and right wing-back as cover for Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz, but both have proven extremely reliable and available. Matt Woosnam Position? Try positions. With so many players out of contract this summer, many of whom are not being retained, Everton will need to strengthen across the board this summer. Things can change quickly in football, but they look particularly light on the right wing, with loanees Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom having returned to their parent clubs, and Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil better suited elsewhere. A pacy, goalscoring option there is much needed and would give David Moyes' side a chance of kicking on. Patrick Boyland Injuries, ill-discipline and the departure of Joao Palhinha left Marco Silva short in midfield at times last season. The Fulham head coach's options could diminish further over the coming weeks, with Tom Cairney's contract expiring and doubts around Andreas Pereira's future. Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic put in some strong displays last season, controlling the middle of the park against the Premier League's best sides, but ahead of them, Emile Smith Rowe and Pereira often struggled to break down defences. Advertisement A more creative midfielder could be just what Silva needs to nudge Fulham into European contention next season. Justin Guthrie In a summer after promotion, Leeds have reason to sign players in every position. However, goalkeeper stands out to me as the one, above all others, they need to nail this summer. Illan Meslier has been the club's first-choice keeper since 2020, but the errors have begun to grow more frequent and more egregious over the past three seasons. He was dropped by Daniel Farke with seven matches still to play last term. It's hard to see how the Frenchman recovers from that nadir, while back-up Karl Darlow will not be good enough to start regularly in the top flight. In a campaign when their goal will be severely tested, Leeds need someone reliable to keep the ball out. Beren Cross It's the summer for Liverpool to sign a new centre forward. Time is up for Darwin Nunez, who has had three seasons at the club and failed to prove that he's cut out to lead the line. With Diogo Jota's concerning injury record — and his struggles in front of goal last season — Liverpool need a reliable goal-getter to help defend their title. No doubt the arrival of Florian Wirtz will help strengthen the attacking line, but the German is expected to play as a No 10, so there's still room for improvement. Although Luis Diaz did well when he played in a central position last season, Liverpool need a more recognised middle man in their ranks. Gregg Evans Having brought in a specialist left-back for the first time since 2017 and strengthened the midfield with two new arrivals ahead of the Club World Cup, City still need a new option on the right side of the defence, with Kyle Walker likely to move on this summer. Matheus Nunes made a decent fist of playing there in the final weeks of the season, and Rico Lewis will remain another option despite his usefulness in a functioning midfield. But neither should be regarded as viable long-term options that are capable of holding down the fort week in, week out. Advertisement A move for Newcastle's Tino Livramento continues to be mooted despite, in the same breath, everybody talking about how difficult it will be to prise him away from St James' Park, but that is the kind of player that could quite possibly cap City's summer business. There is an argument that they need a winger with a more polished end product than Jeremy Doku and Savinho, especially as Omar Marmoush has scored all of his goals at the Etihad and nobody can be quite sure how Phil Foden will bounce back. Oscar Bobb generally gets far more assists than goals, too, but with those five players, as well as Rayan Cherki, City certainly have enough numbers for the wide roles, even if goals are not yet assured. Sam Lee Forty-four goals was Manchester United's lowest tally in a single Premier League campaign and together, their two strikers signed over the two previous summers — Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee — contributed just seven to that total. Even after spending a combined £100million on Hojlund and Zirkzee, United are exploring the centre-forward market once again. There has been contact with Eintracht Frankfurt regarding Hugo Ekitike and Amorim would welcome a reunion with Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres. Neither will come cheap, though, and funds have so far been prioritised for the No 10 positions, with United hopeful that Bryan Mbeumo follows Matheus Cunha through the door. Both Cunha and Mbeumo have experience of playing up top, and could theoretically serve as the focal point of a reconfigured front line, but United's summer's business will feel incomplete if it concludes without the arrival of an out-and-out No 9. Mark Critchley A first-XI signing of any form is long overdue, given Newcastle have gone three consecutive windows without making any, but at least one frontline attacker is required. Ideally, that would be an out-and-out right winger to compete with Jacob Murphy, who has just enjoyed the season of his life, and to fill the absence vacated by Miguel Almiron's departure in January. Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo was the top target, but Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo have long been admired. Advertisement However, with Callum Wilson's future uncertain and an exit appearing possible for the striker, a versatile forward may take precedence: someone who is adept at playing out wide and through the middle. Brighton's Joao Pedro was almost acquired in 2022, and he appears to fit that mould. Chris Waugh It has been obvious for some time that Forest need more choice in attack. The impending arrival of Igor Jesus, a Brazil international, from Botafogo will provide direct competition for Chris Wood, who will be 34 later this year and cannot be expected to play every week. But there is still room for another forward now that Forest also have to factor in Europa Conference League games. That is why Yoane Wissa of Brentford remains a target, among others. Yes, Forest also have Taiwo Awoniyi, but last season was a miserable one for the Nigerian and upgrades are needed. Danny Taylor Trying to choose where Sunderland should prioritise this summer is a bit like selecting your favourite child: it depends what day of the week it is and picking just one leads to unacceptable neglect elsewhere. Regis Le Bris' young squad was underestimated a year ago too, but Premier League survival is a different kettle of fish (more like a tankful of piranhas) to challenging for Championship promotion. If pushed, improving the core of the side looks most key to Sunderland's chances. Jobe Bellingham's inevitable departure has opened a hole in a midfield which already needed reinforcing, even as Enzo Le Fee's loan deal turned permanent on promotion. An experienced head in there, one capable of both supporting counter-attacks and helping Dan Neil in his deeper role, looks essential — and probably expensive. Behind Neil, Sunderland currently have no centre-backs with any Premier League experience (Leo Hjelde's two starts at left-back for Leeds United in 2022 are as much as they can muster). That's hardly unique for this team but rectifying it is imperative; Le Bris' side were well organised last season but will need to upgrade their ability to withstand long spells of pressure this year. Advertisement Chris Weatherspoon Tottenham's defence conceded 65 goals last season, but that was partially because first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both struggled with injury. New head coach Thomas Frank should instantly tighten things up at the back. They have a lot of different options out wide, including Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-min, but they could do with another peak-age player in that position as they look to make an impact in the Champions League. The biggest area for concern is defensive midfield. Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur struggled on and off the pitch last season, and both only have a year left on their contracts. Frank wanted to sign Archie Gray at Brentford, but it will be a huge task for the 19-year-old to start every game as the No 6. Frank needs to quickly decide whether to upgrade on Bissouma and Bentancur or not. Jay Harris There are three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes and West Ham needing to sign a striker. Head coach Graham Potter has a shortage of attacking options. Michail Antonio looks set to depart when his contract expires at the end of June, Evan Ferguson has returned to Brighton & Hove Albion following his uninspiring loan spell, and Niclas Fullkrug has an uncertain future, despite joining for £27million from Borussia Dortmund last summer. Striker is once again a priority position. Roshane Thomas After selling Matheus Cunha to Manchester United early in the summer window, Wolves have made a start in filling the void by agreeing a deal for the talented Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo, but he is only 21 and is not regarded as an immediate like-for-like replacement. It is unlikely that they will be able to replace their talismanic Brazil international with one player. They will need a number of players to improve the team in attacking areas, and that will mean adding more players to operate as one of Vitor Pereira's dual No 10s, preferably at least one who is already tried and tested over a longer period of time than Lopez. Steve Madeley (Top photos: Getty Images)
