It can be very basic, believes Gary Neville.
That's the way it should be, Rebecca Rowe agrees.
That's where the real magic appears.
Anyone with even the slightest interest in the Premier League, or soccer in general, will have seen or heard both on TV, as they are the mainstay of sports coverage on the biggest media outlets.
But now they want to be heard in a different way.
Seen through a different lens.
Connected with fans through different mediums.
And most importantly, bringing beautiful games to a new and ever-growing audience.
So Neville and Rowe have teamed up with Jamie Carragher for a new digital sports show, It's Cold Soccer, designed for American fans.
“I think what we're doing here is just reporting the record, letting it do the talking and pressing stop. It's really simple,” Neville said extensively with Lowe at the Spotify studio in downtown Manhattan. He told the Post in a sit-down interview over the weekend. “And I love the simplicity of what we do. When you're watching TV, sometimes you wait three hours for a game to start. You have a very limited window of time, and you only have three minutes to speak. You can also talk for two minutes. I love the freedom of being able to press record and it records everything, and then it disappears.
“I like the idea of being able to just have a conversation about the sport we love. It goes back to an old British saying: 'Go to the pub with your mates, talk football, have a conversation, debate, argue.' Who should I play with? Should I fire him? 'That's it. That's football. I love that idea. ”
It's important to note that the trio wants to expand into the United States.
Neville is a Manchester United and England legend.
He spent his entire 20-year career at Manchester United, winning eight Premier League titles and two Champions League titles with the club.
He served as captain for five years.
Neville was also England's starting right-back for more than a decade, playing in two World Cups and three European Championships.
Carragher is a Liverpool legend, having spent his entire 17-year career with the team, winning the Champions League title.
He represented England at two World Cups and the European Championship.
After retiring, Neville and Carragher became some of the sport's top on-air analysts and personalities.
As NBC's studio host, Lowe is the central figure in NBC's Premier League broadcasts in the United States.
All three help explain how soccer is consumed by millions of fans around the world.
And they see America as the next frontier for the sport.
May 11, 2003. Manchester United (via Getty Imag)
The show (co-produced and distributed by Buzz16 and Wave Sports And Entertainment) is part of Neville's media channel Overlap's expansion into the United States.
“I think the time is right,” Lowe said. “The World Cup is coming up. Also, the Premier League now is at a level that was unimaginable 10 years ago. It was like, 'Wait a minute, there's a market there.' Not enough is provided. ” There is more space.
“Everything has become more accessible in the world of social media. Mo Salah has become more reachable through social media. And the product works for us. It's just the best league. It wouldn't be popular if it was a shitty league. The content and the product itself is working. It attracts me.”
They believe this platform allows them to be their true authentic selves.
Neville hopes television cameras will pick up what the crew is saying off-air, “because that's the most interesting thing.”
He wants this show to be as close to that dynamic as possible.
And they stress that it's better for viewers too.
“I feel like my performance has gone down,” Neville said. “Whereas when you're on TV, you have to think about what to wear, you have to do makeup, you have to do your hair, and you have all these big productions around you to talk about. You have to show up at a certain time and then you're told to stop. All that formality has gone away. I think it's become less formal as I've progressed in my career. They seem to like the casual approach.”
“I think we as humans try to create the next best thing and overcomplicate things,” Lowe added. “But sometimes when I sit down and listen to a podcast, I think, 'I'm listening to a conversation that sounds like two women talking on the phone.'” Why do I love this so much? And it's simple. Well, I think it’s because of the connection – You want normality. Especially in the age of social media, when so many people seem to be living less than normal lives, we just want to hear about normalcy. I think we're trying to push, we're talking about football, we're trying to press stop. As long as it's normal within those boundaries and touching on interesting things, it works.”
Although there are only 12 episodes, there is a noticeable focus on America.
Already appearing on the show are former USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann, current USMNT star Anthony Robinson, former USWNT legend Brandi Chastain, longtime NFL star Josh Norman and current USWNT manager Emma Hayes. .
It's still early days, but if you had one goal for this show, what would it be?
“I can't believe we'll still be doing this five years from now,” Neville said. “If something lasts, it's the ultimate test. Longevity is underrated.”
