Notre Dame’s 2021 home slate will begin on NBC’s exclusive stream service, Peacock, rather than on NBC itself. The rest of the home schedule will be on NBC, the University and network announced Wednesday.
Peacock also aired the Irish Blue-Gold Game this spring, but unlike that exhibition, a subscription will be required to view the Sept. 11 home opener.
“Dating back to airing Sunday football replays with Lindsey Nelson, we have always strived for innovation in the media space. Our partnership with NBC and Peacock only solidifies that mission,” Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. “Bringing Notre Dame football to Peacock is just the next step in the evolution of our relationship.”
NBC has leaned heavily on Peacock to air the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, partly due to the time difference and partly as a chance to encourage viewers to try the streaming service. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has launched its own streaming television app, Fighting Irish TV, in an attempt to reach fans on a more consistent basis than a handful of Saturdays each fall.
“Fighting Irish TV and Peacock shows the evolution of how media is consumed by our fans and television viewers, alike,” Swarbrick said. "... I see no better example of this than Peacock’s success in delivering fans wall-to-wall content during the Tokyo Olympics.”
Between now and 2:30 ET on Sept. 11, fans who want to watch the Irish play Toledo will need to subscribe to Peacock Premium, though they may want to wait a week for a football season-specific savings opportunity to be launched at www.peacocktv.com/notredame.
All seven Irish home games will be broadcast on Peacock, but only the Toledo game will be exclusive. The rest will be on both NBC and on Peacock.