Some U.S. movie theaters, including three in the Chicago area, hope to tap some of the soccer mania stirred by the 2014 World Cup.
Fathom Events and NBC Sports Group have lined up 33 theaters to show live English soccer games on their big screens on Saturday mornings.
The simulcasts will start with the opening of the Premier League season Aug. 16. Theaters in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington are scheduled to take part.
Three Chicago-area theaters are listed on the website as having tickets for the Aug. 16 match: Lincolnshire 21, Evanston 18 and River East 21.
The deal was announced Wednesday by Fathom Events and NBC Sports Group, which broadcasts the Premier League in the U.S.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
