The Smithsonian Channel will soon debut a new documentary series called Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League. While it has previously been available overseas, this will be the first time that American soccer fans can access the show.
The docuseries essentially tells the story of how the world’s top soccer league reformed in the early 1990s. Although England’s top flight has been around since the 19th century, the Premier League was formed just 30 years ago.
Soccer in England suffered during the 1980s due to hooliganism and deteriorating stadiums. Five of the biggest clubs in the country decided to make changes and spearhead a newly formed, and lucrative, league.
Produced in part by David Beckham’s Studio 99, the docuseries features interviews by some of the biggest soccer stars of the 1990s. Eric Cantona, Alan Shearer, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Merson and Beckham himself star in the show.
Along with the formation of the Premier League, Fever Pitch also explains the story of how the league gained popularity. The infamous rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal also features heavily in one of the episodes.
Fever Pitch coming to the Smithsonian Channel
Originally, this documentary aired on BBC Two in the United Kingdom. However, this is the first time American viewers have the chance to watch. Amazon Prime also previously had distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand as well.
Fever Pitch will first air on the Smithsonian Channel on Sunday, November 6th at 9PM (ET). The remaining episodes air every following Sunday of the month.
Launched in 2007, the Smithsonian Channel regularly features original non-fiction programming. As of 2015, the Paramount-owned channel was in over 33 million American households. The channel is currently available on DirecTV, Dish Network, Spectrum, Xfinity, Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV and more.
Paramount+ subscribers also have access to content broadcast on the Smithsonian Channel.
