Paul Burmeister to Serve as Host, with Brendan Burke as Play-by-Play and Ryan Boyle as Analyst in PLL’s Inaugural Season
Season Begins Sat., June 1 From Gillette Stadium Across NBC Sports Platforms
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 7, 2019 – Host Paul Burmeister, play-by-play voice Brendan Burke, and analyst Ryan Boyle will be NBC Sports’ first-ever commentators for the Premier Lacrosse League’s inaugural season, beginning on Sat., June 1.
NHL play-by-play commentator Brendan Burke and men’s lacrosse Team USA World Champion Ryan Boyle will have the call from the booth during each broadcast, while Burmeister will provide pre-game, halftime, and postgame reports as well as sideline interviews. Chantel McCabe – anchor and reporter for Golf Central on the Golf Channel – will also serve as a reporter at various times throughout the season.
“We are so excited to bring in these elite commentators to introduce the Premier Lacrosse League and its world-class players to sports fans everywhere,” said Dan Steir, Senior Vice President, Production, NBC Sports. “Paul, Brendan, and Ryan will each bring their own backgrounds and experiences to our broadcasts that will provide unique access and discovery for the fans.”
The league’s opening weekend begins at Gillette Stadium on Sat., June 1, with a doubleheader, as Archers LC takes on Chrome LC at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Whipsnakes LC vs. Chaos LC at 4 p.m. Both will be live streamed exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s “Premier Lacrosse League Pass.” Opening weekend coverage continues Sun., June 2, when Atlas LC faces off against Redwoods LC at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
“NBC Sports Group has brought together three of the sharpest minds in sports to provide strategic and innovative commentary for our games in the inaugural PLL season,” says PLL Co-Founder and Atlas LC midfielder, Paul Rabil. “The relationship between an audience and talent is critical, and we’re eager to showcase Brendan, Paul, and Ryan’s unique skills and in-booth chemistry that will enhance our broadcast, giving us compelling insights into the competition.”
Comprehensive coverage of the 2019 PLL season continues throughout the summer across all NBC Sports platforms, with three games on NBC and 16 on NBCSN. All 39 of the PLL’s games will be live streamed on NBC Sports Gold’s “Premier Lacrosse Pass”, with 20 games exclusively for subscribers. For the PLL’s entire 2019 schedule, click here.
One of NBC Sports’ most versatile voices, Paul Burmeister debuts as NBC Sports’ first-ever Premier Lacrosse League host. His extensive broadcasting resume includes serving as studio host and play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports Group across a number of properties, including the Tour de France, NHL Live and the All-American Bowl. Burmeister has handled three Olympic assignments for NBC Olympics, most recently during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a ski jumping play-by-play announcer. He has served as a co-host for Pro Football Talk on NBCSN, alongside co-host and NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio.
BRENDAN BURKE
Brendan Burke currently serves as a play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports’ regular- and post-season NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage, as well as the play-by-play voice for New York Islanders telecasts on MSG+. Burke previously worked with the Utica Comets (AHL), where he served as the play-by-play commentator as well as pre-game, intermission, and post-game host since 2013. He was also part of the television team for the AHL All-Star Classic in 2015, and was honored after the season with the league’s James H. Ellery Award for “outstanding media coverage.” In addition, Burke has appeared on Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports 1 since 2012, calling college football and basketball.
RYAN BOYLE
Ryan Boyle – a four-time All-American attackman from Princeton University – brings an unmatched lacrosse IQ to the broadcast booth. Boyle helped lead the Tigers to the 2001 NCAA National Championship, as well as four consecutive Ivy League titles. He ranks third all-time in Princeton history with 232 career points (70 goals, 162 assists). Boyle additionally helped men’s lacrosse Team USA capture gold medals in the 2002 and 2010 World Lacrosse Championship. Additionally, Boyle played several seasons on the National Lacrosse League (NLL) indoor circuit.
For more information on the exclusive media partnership between NBC Sports and the Premier Lacrosse League, click here.
ABOUT THE PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) brings the sport of lacrosse to a national stage for the first time through a tour-based model, complete with the best players the game has to offer. Co-founded by lacrosse superstar, philanthropist, and investor Paul Rabil and his brother, serial entrepreneur and investor, Mike Rabil, the Premier Lacrosse League is backed by an investment group comprised of The Raine Group, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Chernin Group, and Blum Capital. The PLL season will begin in June 2019, with six teams, embarking on a 14-week season that concludes with a playoff and PLL championship game. The PLL season will be distributed through an exclusive media-rights agreement with NBC Sports Group. For more information, visit PremierLacrosseLeague.com, and follow on social media:
Instagram: @PLL
Twitter: @PremierLacrosse
Facebook: @PremierLacrosseLeague
YouTube: YouTube.com/PLL
ABOUT NBC SPORTS GROUP
NBC Sports Group serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital, which includes NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, the digital assets of the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Rotoworld, the NBC Sports Talk franchise, multiple apps, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: The International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, and many more.
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--
