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Coronavirus causes postponement of NBC’s Premier League fan fest in Philadelphia from April to autumn

NBC made the decision as a report said that Mayor Kenney will announce a ban on all public gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

The NBC Sports Premier League studio crew of (from left) Kyle Martino, Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe at the network's fan fest broadcast in Austin, Texas in October 2019.
The NBC Sports Premier League studio crew of (from left) Kyle Martino, Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe at the network's fan fest broadcast in Austin, Texas in October 2019.Read moreNBC Sports (custom credit)

NBC announced Thursday that because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Premier League fan fest scheduled for April 4-5 at Dilworth Park outside City Hall has been postponed to the autumn.

A statement from NBC said the decision was made “given the recommendation on public gatherings issued by the City of Philadelphia and with public safety our foremost concern."

The Inquirer reported that Mayor Kenney is expected to announce a citywide ban on all gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The NBC event was expected to draw a few thousand fans on each day.

“The re-scheduled event will continue to be held in Philadelphia and further updates will be communicated in due course,” NBC’s statement said.

If the Premier League does not suspend the current season, the weekend of April 4-5 has the potential to be when Liverpool clinches its first English league championship since 1990, two years before the old First Division transformed into the Premier League. As of now, the league is planning to play games behind closed doors.

In the United States, Major League Soccer and the second-tier USL have halted games for 30 days, and the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams have canceled games in March and April.