TBS Announces Telecast Schedule and Broadcasters for its Exclusive Coverage of the MLB Division Series

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Saturday, October 1st to feature three games on TBS and one game on TNT

Following one of the most exciting finishes in Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season history, TBS begins its exclusive coverage of the League Division Series (LDS) on Friday, September 30, with doubleheader action featuring the best of the American League (AL).  At 4:30 p.m. (ET), TBS will air the TBS MLB on Deck presented by Chrysler pre-game show featuring Matt Winer (host), Dennis Eckersley (analyst), Cal Ripken (analyst) and David Wells (analyst).  The network will also conclude the day’s action with the post-game show Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (ALL TIMES ET)

5 p.m. The Texas Rangers (AL West Division Champions) will host the Tampa Bay Rays (AL Wild Card Champions) in Game #1 at 5 p.m. (ET).  Don Orsillo (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst) will call the action with Jaime Maggio reporting.
   
8:30 p.m. The New York Yankees (AL East Division Champions) host the Detroit Tigers (AL Central Division Champions) in Game #1 at 8:30 p.m. (ET).  Brian Anderson (play-by-play) will call the game alongside Ron Darling (analyst) and John Smoltz (analyst) with Tom Verducci reporting.

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

MLB Postseason action continues on Saturday, October 1 with four LDS match-ups: three on TBS and one on sister-network TNT.  TBS MLB on Deck presented by Chrysler will preview the games with Winer, Eckersley, Ripken and Wells at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Following the final game of the day, Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan will wrap up the day’s results.

2 p.m. The Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central Division Champions) will host the Arizona Diamondbacks (NL West Division Champions) in Game #1 at 1:30 p.m. (ET).  Victor Rojas (play-by-play), Joe Simpson (analyst) and Sam Ryan (reporter) will call the action.
   
5 p.m. The Philadelphia Phillies (NL East Division Champions) host the St. Louis Cardinals (NL Wild Card Champions) in Game #1 at 5 p.m. (ET).  Dick Stockton (play-by-play) will call the game alongside Bob Brenly (analyst) with Craig Sager reporting.
   
7 p.m. GAME WILL AIR ON TNT:  Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers, Game #2

Announcers: Don Orsillo (play-by-play), Buck Martinez (analyst) and Jaime Maggio (reporter)
   
8:30 p.m. Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees, Game #2

Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Ron Darling (analyst), John Smoltz (analyst) and Tom Verducci (reporter)

  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

MLB Postseason action continues on Sunday, October 2 with a doubleheader.  TBS MLB on Deck presented by Chrysler will preview the games with Winer, Eckersley, Ripken and Wells at 4 p.m. (ET). Following the final game of the day, Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan will wrap up the day’s results.

4:30 p.m. Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers, Game #2

Announcers: Victor Rojas (play-by-play), Joe Simpson (analyst) and Sam Ryan (reporter)
   
8 p.m. St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies, Game #2

Announcers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Bob Brenly (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

 MONDAY, OCTOBER 3

MLB Postseason action continues on Monday, October 3 with another doubleheader.  TBS MLB on Deck presented by Chrysler will preview the games with Winer, Eckersley, Ripken and Wells at 4:30 p.m. (ET). Following the final game of the day, Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan will wrap up the day’s results.

5 p.m. Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays, Game #3

Announcers: Don Orsillo (play-by-play), Buck Martinez (analyst) and Jaime Maggio (reporter)
   
8:30 p.m. New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers, Game #3

Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Ron Darling (analyst), John Smoltz (analyst) and Tom Verducci (reporter)

TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s top-rated comedy network and is available in 100.8 million households.  It serves as home to such original comedy series as Are We There Yet? and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns; the late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O’Brien; hot contemporary comedies like Family Guy, The Office and Big Bang Theory, which begins later this year; special events, including star-studded comedy festivals in Chicago; blockbuster movies; hosted movie showcases; and championship sports.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports’ television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company’s digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

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Filed Under: MLB, TBS

MLB on ESPN: Most-Viewed Wednesday Night Telecast Since 1998

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

ESPN MLB Regular-Season Viewership Up; Growth Across Multimedia Platforms

Last night’s ESPN MLB telecast (7 p.m.-midnight ET) – in which Baltimore defeated Boston 4-3 to eliminate the Red Sox from the postseason in dramatic fashion – is the network’s most-viewed Wednesday night telecast since 1998 (St. Louis/Houston, Sept. 23 – 2.7 rating; 2,036,000 household impressions; 2,675,000 viewers), according to Nielsen.  The telecast (not shown in the local markets of the teams competing) averaged:

§  1.6 household coverage rating

§  1,549,000 household impressions

§  2,117,000 viewers

Immediately after the game ended, ESPN provided live coverage (12:05-12:14 a.m.) of Tampa Bay’s extra-inning, walk-off victory against the New York Yankees – securing the Rays a postseason berth – which generated:

§  2.8 rating

§  2,775,000 household impressions

§  3,841,000 viewers

ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Baseball telecast – Philadelphia’s extra-inning 4-3 win over Atlanta, eliminating the Braves from the postseason – posted:

§  0.9 rating

§  904,000 household impressions

§  1,184,000 viewers

 

On the season, ESPN’s 69 regular-season MLB telecasts were up across the board compared to last year’s 66 telecasts:

§  Viewership up five percent (1,449,000 vs. 1,386,000)

§  Households up three percent (1,125,000 vs. 1,093,000)

§  Rating even (1.1)

 

Sunday Night Baseball’s audience also grew this season:

§  Viewership up five percent (2,294,000 vs. 2,177,000)

§  Households up four percent (1,720,000 vs. 1,656,000)

§  Rating even (1.7)

Digital & Mobile Usage – Wednesday, Sept. 28

September 28 was the highest trafficked day of the 2011 regular season for MLB content on ESPN digital platforms. Highlights:

ESPN.com

§  MLB section had over 2.7 million unique visitors yesterday, up 56 percent vs. average day during the 2011 season

§  MLB section logged an average minute audience of 19,000 users, up 65 percent vs. typical day this season

§  MLB GameCast generated 500,000 unique visitors, up 205 percent vs. average day in 2011

ESPN Mobile Web

§  Yankees/Rays GameCast posted 360,000 unique visitors and 1.9 million total minutes spent

§  Phillies/Braves GameCast generated 332,000 unique visitors and 2.6 million total minutes spent

§  Red Sox/Orioles GameCast netted 325,000 unique visitors and 1.7 million total minutes spent

ESPN3

  • More than 150,000 unique viewers generated nearly 9.2 million minutes with an average time spent of one hour

 

Digital & Mobile Usage – 2011 MLB Season

§  MLB content on ESPN’s mobile properties up 27 percent in total minutes and 20 percent in visits compared to 2010

§  ESPN.com’s MLB section up 25 percent in total minutes and 17 percent in visits over last year

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Filed Under: ESPN, MLB, Ratings

Hollywood Hotel Goes All-Waltrip In 2012

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

HOLLYWOOD HOTEL GOES ALL-WALTRIP IN 2012

Michael Takes Prerace Seat Next to Big Brother Darrell

Hammond Brings Crew Chief Expertise to Garage & Pit Road

 

New York – All-Waltrip, all season. Alright!

Bonded by blood and their limitless passion for NASCAR, Michael Waltrip, driver, owner and pitch-man extraordinaire joins the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace team next season, taking a seat in the famed Hollywood Hotel alongside big brother Darrell and host Chris Myers.  And in an innovative new role for NASCAR’s No. 1 prerace show, veteran analyst Jeff Hammond takes his extensive experience as a former championship-winning crew chief to where the action is, in the garages and pit road.  Both moves were announced today by FOX Sports Media Group President, Co-COO and Executive Producer, Eric Shanks.

“Michael is simply one of NASCAR’s most gregarious, genuine personalities, and we loved the dynamic between him and Darrell when we paired them up on occasion last season,” said Shanks. “Michael has also been featured in numerous television commercials over the last decade, which makes him familiar to a much broader audience.  I expect a lot of ‘gotta see’ TV coming out of an all-Waltrip Hollywood Hotel next season.”

In addition to his FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace work, the younger Michael also contributes analysis and updates in-race as time permits.

Michael Waltrip adds NASCAR on FOX to on-air positions that already include FOX’s sister network SPEED and Showtime’s “Inside NASCAR.”  He joined the broadcasting world with the launch of SPEED in 1996 as an analyst for what is now titled THIS WEEK IN NASCAR.  Additionally, Waltrip’s credits at SPEED include FAST TRACK TO FAME, TRACKSIDE, and NASCAR NATION.  He’s nationally renowned for numerous commercial appearances for major marketers including NAPA, Aarons, Best Western, Coca-Cola and Toyota.  Waltrip is a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, the first full-time three-car team to field Toyota Camrys when Toyota entered the Sprint Cup racing in 2007.  Currently, MWR features Sprint Cup drivers David Reutimann (#00) and Martin Truex Jr. (#56).  Waltrip made his NASCAR Sprint Cup series debut in 1985 at the Coca-Cola 600 and is a two-time Daytona 500 Champion (2001, 2003).  His first book, “In the Blink of an Eye,” marking the 10th anniversary of his 2001 Daytona 500 victory, was released in February 2011, and spent 11 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Shifting to Hammond, the plan is to use his extensive experience as a former NASCAR crew chief to work the pavement and mine the grease pits for the latest news and go wherever big stories develop all race-day long.  Having a former crew chief serve in this role is a first for network television’s NASCAR coverage.

“We’re excited about Jeff’s new role,” said Shanks. “It’s a first for televised NASCAR coverage, and no one knows more about cars than Jeff does.  Now he’ll be in a much better position to cover and humanize that side of the sport for viewers.”

Hammond has been a member of the NASCAR on FOX broadcast team since 2001 the network’s first covering the sport.  He’s also a frequent contributor on SPEED, nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle.  Hammond received a Sports Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst in 2006.  In 1982, he became a NASCAR Cup crew chief, working for Darrell Waltrip at the pinnacle of the legendary driver’s career. Together, they saw Victory Lane an impressive 43 times, including Waltrip’s memorable Daytona 500 victory in 1989.

Hammond, known as a methodical strategist, was Waltrip’s pit boss in two of his three NASCAR Championship seasons (1982 and 1985).  In total, he has 508 NASCAR Cup races on his crew chief resume, while his television credits also includes work for FX, ESPN, Turner and TNN.

Follow the following NASCAR on FOX personalities on Twitter: Jeff Hammond – @hollywoodjeff; Chris Myers – @the_chrismyers; Michael Waltrip – @mw55; Darrell Waltrip – @allwaltrip.

 

 

- FOX SPORTS -

Filed Under: FOX, NASCAR

INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME – WEEK 4 News Notes and Quotes

September 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

THIS WEEK’S INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME®

CLAY MATTHEWS DISCUSSES 3-0 START TO THE SEASON;

 AND IS MIKE VICK BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER QUARTERBACKS?

 

NEW YORK (Sept. 28, 2011) – Super Bowl champion Clay Matthews sits down with Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL—tonight, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME— to discuss the Green Bay Packers’ 3-0 start to the season.

James Brown, Simms, Collinsworth and Warren Sapp discuss whether or not Mike Vick is being treated differently than other quarterbacks in the league.  INSIDE THE NFL looks at how injuries are handled in the NFL by the players, teams and doctors.  Should Vick, Tony Romo and others be expected to play through injuries?

The following are excerpts from the discussion on Mike Vick, following his post-game comments on Sunday:

BROWN: We want to talk about Michael Vick.  It seems like every week he is a focal point of conversations around the country.  A unique player, a unique set of skills and certainly even what he does off the field is critiqued. My question is, is Michael Vick being treated any differently?  Post-game comments last week, he was frustrated saying how he was getting hit.  He wasn’t getting the calls that other quarterbacks in the league were getting.

SIMMS: Well, let’s start.  There’s a lot to say there.  Yes, he is a lightning rod because he’s a star.  He is a star in the NFL.  I don’t even care about his post-game comments.  It doesn’t bother me that he was criticizing the officials…Let it go.  But he was hurt. He thought his hand was broken so he’s upset about that and he played bad. I think that was a big part of it too… Yeah, he takes some hits.  But the first thing I’m going to say is, what, do you think there is a conspiracy with all the referees in the NFL?  ‘Oh, this is Mike Vick today. I’m going to let it go.’  Mike Carey’s going, ‘Nope, not today. That’s Mike. I’m going to let him take that extra leg [hit].’  So, that is preposterous. But the biggest thing of all is the media.  How everybody’s attacked it.  And they’re taking it to different levels and creating an issue. And of course, the issue is what?  Well, he’s a black quarterback so he’s being treated differently.  And that’s what it’s all about.  That’s what they think.

BROWN: He was quick to say absolutely he feels he’s not getting the calls that other quarterbacks get.  But why is it that folks would take the racial slant when they said that it’s a black quarterback.  Does that make any difference at all?

SAPP: Let’s put it simple.  When you ask him the reasons why, he sits there and says, ‘You see it.’ And I don’t want to get into a long dissertation; you’ve got to give us something big boy. It’s you taking the hits.   It’s you in the pocket.  So tell us why you feel this way because you brought this to America’s attention.  You said it in training camp the way it was supposed to be said to the referee, quietly.  Let’s see if they do something about it.  If not, go to Andy Reid.  He’s been bitching since he’s been in this league as a head coach.  So, he went about it the wrong way.  That’s all I’ll say. 

COLLINSWORTH: Well, I’m not going to get into the racial aspect of that.  I disagree with that part of it. I think it is part of why it’s an issue.  I don’t think that that’s a factor because look right across the state at Ben Roethliesberger.  They’ve been complaining in the same way, that he never gets any calls. In the first week of the season he got a roughing the passer call and it was like national news that he finally got a roughing the passer call.  And the reason those guys aren’t getting the calls is they’re so hard to tackle.  When you have a mobile quarterback that’s hard to tackle, that makes plays, that escapes and makes plays, that’s always a tougher call in that situation.  You know when Tom Brady is standing there like a statue and somebody hits him in the head it’s easy to see, or hits him in the knee, that’s easy to see.  It’s tougher to make those calls on the other guys.  And I think to some extent both of those guys now are going to have this whole conspiracy theory surrounding them because of what’s happened to both of them off the field.  I think it has nothing to do with race.  I think we should drop that conversation.

BROWN: That’s a very good point that you make Cris.  But why is it that folks seemingly are so quick to ascribe a racial component to it, simply because it’s a black quarterback making that comment?

COLLINSWORTH: Because of past injustices in this country—I’m sure has something to do with it.  But in this case, I can’t follow the league any closer then what I do.  I see other guys and there are missed calls and there are borderline calls and generally it’s around mobile quarterbacks. And I think that’s the issue, not race.

SIMMS: Here’s the rule.  It’s a one-step rule in the pocket.  Yes, Michael Vick, that hit might have been illegal but it was borderline. Everybody gets illegal hits.  Get over it.  You know that happens every week.  But when you break the pocket the rules change.  Everybody’s got to know that. When you run, even when you throw it on the run, you are subjected to more liberal rules.  You are going to get hit.  Now, you watch the games and you’ve done a Philadelphia Eagles game.  He invites the hits.  He never gives a play up until he’s exhausted every avenue.  He was running out of bounds against the Giants.  It’s clear he was going to get about 10-to-12 yards. He tried to get an extra yard and I’m telling you it was close.  You know, he got knocked down or whatever.  So, it’s his style of play that’s going to invite more hits than any other quarterback. 

INSIDE THE NFL, now in its 33rd season, will air every Wednesday night through the NFL season on SHOWTIME for a total of 23 episodes, with multiple replays each week on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME® and availability on SHOWTIME On Demand.                          

INSIDE THE NFL is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films. The executive producers are Sean McManus and NFL Films President Steve Sabol.  Pete Radovich Jr., the EMMY Award winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™  XTRA.  SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®.  SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution.  All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.


Filed Under: NFL, ShowTime

CBS’s Simms on Orton-Tebow; Dierdorf on Texans game: “…they have to win…”

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

THE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 4 (SUNDAY, OCT. 2)

AUDIBLES WITH “NFL ON CBS” LEAD ANALYST PHIL SIMMS, DAN DIERDORF, STEVE TASKER AND

LEAD COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST GARY DANIELSON

 

The CBS Television Network continues its 52nd year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Sunday, Oct. 2 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s one-hour studio show (12:00 NOON-1:00 PM, ET), live from THE NFL TODAY studio in New York City.

THE NFL ON CBS lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the action from the Denver Broncos-Green Bay Packers game live from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc.  Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.

Sean McManus is Chairman, CBS Sports, and serves as Executive Producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS.  Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

* * * * *

PHIL SIMMS

(On Kyle Orton vs. Tim Tebow Debate in Denver): When you’re a hater, you’re a hater.  If you are against Kyle Orton there’s nothing he can do to get you on his side. It’s a very common thing in the NFL, especially when the guy you draft in the first round is popular and has a famous name. They want to see him play and they don’t care if the Broncos are 3-0 right now and went 6-0.  There still would be, ‘Well big deal. It should be better.’  When you’re a quarterback in the situation that Kyle Orton is in, it’s a tough one to win. You have to do two things. The team has to win, and you have to play – not just well – very well. I don’t know who has ever won this battle.  Drew Brees went to the Pro Bowl as a San Diego Charger.  He’s in New Orleans.   There are a couple factors that are always part of this: it’s media and fan-driven, of course, and the organization makes these No. 1 draft picks and don’t like being wrong.  Tim Tebow is a second year, first-round quarterback.  This week we are going to see arguably the most talented quarterback in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers, who basically did not play for three years.

 (On Denver Broncos-Green Bay Packers): If Denver can keep the game in the mid-20s against the Packers, they will have done a good job. So the big question is can you score in the mid-20s? With all their injuries, that is a concern for the Denver Broncos. It is at Lambeau Field and Green Bay is a fast team.  That is a tremendous challenge for Denver. For Green Bay, getting Jermichael Finley back is a big deal. He can do anything.  He is maybe the only one who can be a tight end, block like a tight end, help your run game, split out wide like a wide receiver and catch footballs. He is a special talent. He creates incredible dilemmas for the defense. And, Greg Jennings is a superstar. Then you have a mobile quarterback like Aaron Rodgers.  There are just not enough guys to cover everybody.

(On Green Bay Defense): They have four good run-stoppers, big guys who rotate that can really help stop the run. But the biggest thing the Packers have on the defensive side is speed. The linebackers can all run. Even their down lineman, B.J. Raji, who is a big guy, is very mobile and can run. What do you get with speed? You get forced defensive stops.  And the biggest thing speed creates is turnovers because you get hit when you’re not expecting it.  You can move the ball.  You can do some things against their defense. But they are a very good red-zone defense because they can cover a smaller area of the field because of how fast everybody is. Charles Woodson is a unique player who has a coach smart enough to create a role for him.   To say it’s worked out well is an understatement.  It looks like he has such freedom, mentally, and enjoys what he does so much.  It really shows in his play.

DAN DIERDORF

(On Houston proving itself in Week 4): This is such a huge game for the Texans this week.  They were an underdog in that game last week, and yet they had it to win.  They had the lead.  But New Orleans was expected to win that game.  So, last week wasn’t a catastrophe.  This week they are playing a good football team, and yet they do need to learn how to win.  They do need to learn how to finish games.  If they stumble at home this week against Pittsburgh, the critics are going to say, ‘You can’t be a good football team.’  If the Texans are to announce their arrival as a playoff contender, this is a game that they have to win.  It will be very interesting to see how the Texans respond after their loss last week.  If they beat Pittsburgh, they’re 3-1 and no one even remembers what happened in New Orleans.  If they lose, they fall to 2-2 and questions arise about how they struggle every time they play against a good team.

(On Pittsburgh): They have real problems on the offensive line.  Their back-ups are now filling in for back-ups.  It’s not the old Steelers team that could run the ball at will.  This Steelers team has struggled to run the football.  And, they’ve struggled to hold on to the football.  I’ve never seen a football team that has a winning record that was -9 in the turnover differential.  They have to get back to playing Steelers football.  That’s easier said than done with a banged-up offensive line.  The old Steelers could take the football and jam it down your throat.  This team has shown an inability to do that because of the line upfront.  There is no continuity at all.

(On Pittsburgh-Houston): This game is just a great match-up all-around.  Mike Wallace of the Steelers is lighting up the league with his big-play potential.  Andre Johnson is on the other side.  He couldn’t be having a better start to a season.  Both Wallace and Johnson each have 21 receptions.  The Steelers’ corner, Ike Taylor, usually locks up with the other team’s best receiver.  It will be interesting to watch him go against Johnson.  The Texans secondary is still a work in progress.  Wade Phillips doesn’t have that whole system in yet.  They’re still working on it.  After what Drew Brees did to them last week, one has to wonder if they’re going to be able to keep Mike Wallace from getting behind them.   

STEVE TASKER (@SteveTasker89)

(On Bills-Bengals): The Bills certainly have confidence that they can score. They have to do what they can to take away one of three things from the Bengals: Cedric Benson, A.J. Green, or Andy Dalton. Pick their poison and try to force Andrew Daulton to beat them, or they’ll be in for a long day trying to tackle Cedric Benson.  Those are the keys for Buffalo.  Offensively they need to get off to a faster start.  Defensively they just need to get some stops early on to get some momentum.

(On Bills’ being able to continue offensive production): As long as they stay healthy, there is no question they can.  If their offensive line starts to get nicked up, that may be a problem. If something happens to Ryan Fitzpatrick or Fred Jackson they’re going to be in deep trouble.  As long as they stay healthy, the guys they’ve got are going to be very good and very difficult to defend. So yes, I’d say they can continue to do it unless something unforeseen happens, like injuries.

(On Buffalo’s defense giving up so many points): They need better pass rushing. They’re getting injured in the secondary and that is a huge concern. Their pass rush hasn’t been everything they wanted it to be.  Until that changes, they’re going to need all hands on deck in their secondary.

GARY DANIELSON (@DanielsonCBS)

(On 3-0 Detroit – the last time the Lions were 3-0 was in 1980 when Danielson was the quarterback): Detroit is called the “Motor City,” “Hockey Town” and the Tigers are hot now.  I grew up in Detroit. I’ve personally witnessed consecutive Saturdays and Sundays where crowds of 100,000; 80,000 and 80,000 attended Michigan, Michigan State and Lions games.  Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson are as good as there is in the league.  If this Lions team continues winning and makes a run for the Super Bowl, the country will confirm what I’ve always known – football is still king in Michigan!

Congratulations to our NFL ON CBS colleagues Phil Simms, Bill Cowher and Steve Tasker on their nominations for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

 

* * * * *

 

Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 4, Week 5 and Week 6 (subject to change).

 

WEEK 4 – Oct. 2 – CBS DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:

·Buffalo @ Cincinnati                Andrew Catalon/Steve Tasker              Victor Frank/Andy Goldberg

·Tennessee @ Cleveland           Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Mark Grant

·Pittsburgh @ Houston              Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

·Denver @ Green Bay             Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·New England @ Oakland        Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·Miami @ San Diego                Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

 

WEEK 5 – October 9 – CBS DOUBLEHEADER

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Tennessee @ Pittsburgh           Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

·Oakland @ Houston               Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

·Kansas City @ Indianapolis     Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·Cincinnati @ Jacksonville         Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker                    Victor Frank/Andy Goldberg

 

4:15 PM, ET starts:

·N.Y. Jets @ New England      Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·San Diego @ Denver               Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Mark Grant

 

 

WEEK 6 – Oct. 16

 

GAME                                    PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST             PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

1:00 PM, ET starts:              

·Buffalo @ N.Y. Giants            Jim Nantz/Phil Simms                            Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold

·Indianapolis @ Cincinnati         Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots             Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley

·Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh        Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts                             Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith

 

4:00 PM, ET starts:

·Cleveland @ Oakland             Marv Albert/Rich Gannon                     Ross Schneiderman/Mark Grant

·Houston @ Baltimore              Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf                   Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman

 

* * * * *

 

Follow CBS Sports on Twitter: @CBSSportsGang

“THE NFL TODAY’s” DAN MARINO TALKS WITH GREEN BAY QUARTERBACK AARON RODGERS TO PREVIEW

DENVER BRONCOS-PACKERS GAME FOR WEEK 4 OF “THE NFL TODAY” ON SUNDAY, OCT. 2

 

THE NFL ON CBS, broadcasting its 52nd year of the NFL, continues its 2011 NFL season on Sunday, Oct. 2 (1:00-4:00 PM, ET) with THE NFL TODAY (12:00 Noon-1:00 PM, ET).

As the Packers prepare to face the Denver Broncos in Week 4, THE NFL TODAY’s Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino sits down with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to preview the game, talk about the explosion of offense this year and if his team can win back-to-back Super Bowl championships after last year’s win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

After three years sitting behind Brett Favre, Rodgers has become one of the top players in the NFL.  So far this season he has thrown for over 300 yards-a-game with eight touchdowns and only one interception in leading the Packers to a 3-0 start.  Jeff St. Arromand is the producer.

James Brown hosts THE NFL TODAY along with analysts Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher, NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly, as well as Lesley Visser reporting.

Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE NFL TODAY.

Sean McManus is Chairman, CBS Sports and serves as the Executive Producer for THE NFL ON CBS.  Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

 

* * * * *

 

 

Filed Under: CBS, NFL

Ravens Host Rex Ryan And The New York Jets In Heated AFC Showdown On Sunday Night Football

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

COVERAGE BEGINS WITH FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA AT 7 PM ET

NFL Turning Point Featuring Bills-Patriots, Michael Vick & Rex Ryan Airs Tomorrow on VERSUS at 10 p.m. ET

NBC SportsTalk Focuses NFL Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m. ET on VERSUS

NFL Celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month

NEW YORK – Sept. 28, 2011 – Rex Ryan goes back to Baltimore for the first time as head coach of the New York Jets to face the Ravens, where he served as a defensive coach for 10 years, the last five as defensive coordinator. This Sunday Night Football matchup of the two AFC Wild Card teams from last season features two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks in the Jets’ Mark Sanchez and the Ravens’ Joe Flacco.

Calling Jets-Ravens will be six-time Emmy Award-winner Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his 26th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 12-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth, who won the Emmy for outstanding event analyst in both of his seasons in the Sunday Night Football booth; and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, in her first season on SNF.

Coverage begins Sunday with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET with 22-time Emmy Award-winner Bob Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. Costas is joined on site by Michaels and Collinsworth for reaction to the afternoon games.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from O.co Coliseum in Oakland on the Patriots-Raiders game.

DUNGY ON EMOTION OF THIS GAME: “The Ravens had an emotional letdown going to Tennessee. That won’t be a problem this week. They are going to have plenty of emotion with Rex Ryan coming into town. Rex is going to have his guys pumped up, but John Harbaugh is also a very emotional guy. This is a big game for both teams because someone is going to come out of this game at 2-2.”

HARRISON ON JETS GAMEPLAN: “If I am the Jets, I’m attacking the Ravens secondary, in particular the cornerback position. They have some young corners; they take a lot of chances. They’re not very disciplined, a lot of pass interference calls. That would be a good opportunity for Mark Sanchez to attack these guys.”

# # #

“A CRUCIAL CATCH”

For Jets-Ravens, Sunday Night Football will capture in-stadium efforts supporting “A Crucial Catch.” The National Football League and NFL Players Association will support October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with their third-annual national breast cancer screening-reminder and fundraising campaign. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the initiative, called “A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives,” reminds women 40 and older about the importance of having an annual mammogram. Beginning on October 2 and continuing throughout the month, NFL breast cancer awareness games will feature:

· Game balls with pink ribbon decals used for every down

· Pink equipment for players including: cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains’ patches, chin straps, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals and quarterback towels

· Pink coins used for the coin toss

· Pink sideline caps for coaches and sideline personnel and pink ribbon pins for coaches and team executives

· Pink caps, wristbands, whistles and pins for game officials

· On-field pink ribbon stencils and A Crucial Catch wall banners

· Pink goal post padding in end zones

· Breast cancer awareness track jackets for cheerleaders

Many of these items will be auctioned off at www.nfl.com/auction to raise money for American Cancer Society.

# # #

NFL TURNING POINT AIRS TOMORROW ON VERSUS, 10 P.M. ET

NFL Turning Point, VERSUS’ new weekly show co-produced by NFL Films and the NBC Sports Group, continues this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET. The hour-long program, hosted by Football Night in America’s Dan Patrick, will air throughout the NFL regular season and will focus on the crucial ‘turning point’ moment in several games for football fans each week in a more in-depth way than ever before by utilizing NFL Films’ unmatched cinematography and sideline and on-field audio.

This week’s episode features:

  • The 3-0 Bills incredible comeback win over the Patriots, as they overcome a 21-0 deficit to remain unbeaten.
  • Eagles QB Michael Vick’s injury, as well as the Eagles short-yardage problems against the Giants, may signal an early-season Turning Point in the NFC East power struggle.
  • An in-depth look at the Texans-Saints shootout.
  • A look at Jets head coach Rex Ryan as he prepares to face his former team, the Ravens, on Sunday Night Football.

# # #

NBC SPORTSTALK ON VERSUS FOCUSES ON FOOTBALL ON MONDAY AND FRIDAY, 6 p.m. ET

Hosted by Russ Thaler, NBC SportsTalk, the new daily studio show on VERSUS, previews the NFL weekend on Friday at 6 p.m. ET with two of the most knowledgeable and respected NFL insiders, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Football Night in America and Mike Florio of PreFootballTalk on NBCSports.com and Football Night. Additionally, Gregg Rosenthal of Rotoworld and ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com will contribute a fantasy segment each Friday.

Monday’s NBC SportsTalk program hosted by Thaler and Florio (6 p.m. ET) will recap the week in the NFL.

Click here for more details about NBC SportsTalk: http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/sports

# # #

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL EXPANDS DIGITAL COVERAGE

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ALL-ACCESS. ALL SEASON LONG: For the second straight season, NBCSports.com is providing a destination for fans dedicated to behind-the-scenes content of Sunday Night Football. SNF All-Access includes exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the Sunday Night Football production, look-ins on SNF production meetings, Michele Tafoya interviews and conversations with SNF talent.

Visit SNF All-Access at: http://snfallaccess.nbcsports.com/

SNF EXTRA: For the fourth consecutive season, the entire Sunday Night Football schedule is streamed live on NBCSports.com, which comes from NBC Sports’ broadcast of Sunday Night Football, plus four additional camera angles and several new interactive features. Sunday Night Football Extra features the broadcast from NBC’s Sunday Night Football team: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya.

Sunday Night Football Extra employs a full HD-quality player, which includes a draggable picture-in-picture feature for any of the online-only cameras, plus full DVR functionality allowing the user to pause and scroll back-and-forth – even review plays in “slo-mo.”

New for the 2011 season, Sunday Night Football Extra will feature online-only sideline updates and tweets from Tafoya, plus behind-the-scenes notes and images thanks to Sunday Night Football All-Access. Users can also share direct links to any play in the game via Twitter and Facebook, and participate in a Twitter Tug of War with fans of the opposing team.

Sunday Night Football Extra includes expert analysis, including fantasy tips from Rotoworld fantasy experts as well as in-game chats and analysis from ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. Additionally Sunday Night Football Extra employs online-only in-game analysis from the Sunday Night Football and Football Night in America teams.

SNF ON FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/SNFonNBC – The Sunday Night Football Facebook page provides links, photos and videos exclusive to behind-the-scenes at SNF every week. The page aggregates all SNF-related content found within the NBC Sports digital network, including NBCSports.com, SNF Extra, ProFootballTalk.com, and Rotoworld.com.

This season, Sunday Night Football on Facebook is looking for the Ultimate Sunday Night Football fan. Facebook fans of SNF can enter for a chance to win a VIP trip to Super Bowl XLVI by telling why they are the Ultimate Sunday Night Football fan. Each week, 14 winners will be chosen to receive a SNF Prize Pack. During Wild Card Saturday, the weekly winner with the most votes will be announced and awarded a VIP trip and tickets to Super Bowl XLVI. The contest begins on September 8.

SNF ON TWITTER: twitter.com/SNFonNBC – At @SNFonNBC this year, Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Michele Tafoya will tweet from the sideline giving her perspective on injury reports to exclusive real-time game updates. Using tweets, twitpics and twitvids @SNFonNBC, will also continue to provide unique content with SNF talent, production crew and NFL players. It will also alert followers about upcoming interviews and features that will appear on Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football broadcasts.

SOCIAL CHECK-INS: Sunday Night Football is new this season on GetGlue and foursquare. Fans watching Sunday Night Football at home will have the opportunity to win weekly SNF themed stickers and chances at real-world prizes by checking into SNF on GetGlue every Sunday night. Through foursquare, fans can check-in to stadiums and venues around the country and receive tips and tune-in information from SNF as Sunday Night Football rolls into their town.

# # #

“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” VIEWERSHIP NOTES

SNF STARTS STRONG: NBC’s four-game average viewership of 24.2 million is up four percent over last year’s 23.3 million for NBC’s opening three weeks of the NFL season, the best start in the six-year history of Sunday Night Football.

· The four-game average household rating of 14.5/23 is up four percent from last year (14.0/23).

· The critically acclaimed Football Night in America is averaging 10.0 million viewers and a household rating of 6.1/10 (7:30-8:15 p.m. ET) through the first three weeks, both up 13 percent from last year’s first three weeks.

SNF 4-FOR-4: With 20.4 million viewers for Steelers-Colts, Sunday Night Football starts the season four-for-four versus its competition. This continues a trend for SNF dominating Sunday nights. Last season, “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 show all 18 nights (100 percent) vs. its competition (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday).

  • 2011 – 4 of 4 (Three Sundays, one Thursday – 100 percent)
  • 2010 – 18 of 18 (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday – 100 percent)
  • 2009 – 15 of 16 Sundays (94 percent)
  • 2008 – 13 of 16 Sundays (81 percent)
  • 2007 – 11 of 16 Sundays (69 percent)
  • 2006 – nine of 16 Sundays (56 percent)

# # #

REMAINING 2011 “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SCHEDULE

Sun. Oct. 2 Week 4 New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens

Sun. Oct. 9 Week 5 Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons

Sun. Oct. 16 Week 6 Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Sun. Oct. 23 Week 7 Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints

Sun. Oct. 30 Week 8 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

Sun. Nov. 6 Week 9 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sun. Nov. 13 Week 10 New England Patriots at New York Jets

Sun. Nov. 20 *Week 11 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

Sun. Nov. 27 *Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

Sun. Dec. 4 *Week 13 Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

Sun. Dec. 11 *Week 14 New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Sun. Dec. 18 *Week 15 Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

Sun. Dec. 25 *Week 16 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Sun. Jan. 1 *Week 17 TBA

*Flex Week

Follow NBC Sports PR on Twitter @NBCSportsPR

Follow “Sunday Night Football” on Twitter @SNFonNBC

Follow NBC SportsTalk on Twitter @NBCSportsTalk

Become a fan of “Sunday Night Football” on Facebook at: facebook.com/snfonnbc

Visit SNF All-Access at: http://snfallaccess.nbcsports.com/

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Filed Under: NBC, NFL

Postseason.TV Returns as TBS and MLBAM Team Up Throughout the 2011 Division Series and National League Championship Series

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Online companion product to feature 10 live camera angles to give fans unique perspectives to Division Series and NLCS action

TBS and MLB Advanced Media are collaborating to bring fans additional access to this year’s Division Series (LDS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS) beginning Friday, September 30, with the return of Postseason.TV, a digital product that complements TBS’ exclusive presentation of each series. The subscription-based Postseason.TV package will once again stream alternate camera angles live for every LDS and NLCS game, allowing fans to customize their own online viewing experiences. Postseason.TV will be available on MLB.com and its mobile app platforms.

Postseason.TV will complement TBS’ coverage with up to 10 different camera angles available throughout each game, which viewers can navigate for different vantage points from their computers or handheld devices. Subscribers can watch one camera angle or view up to four different cameras simultaneously through a multi-screen option. Fans also will be granted access to live batting practice coverage from multiple camera angles, in-progress box scores, video highlights and streaming Tweets from MLB, TBS and fans.

“Postseason.TV gives baseball fans the opportunity to enhance their television viewing experience on TBS with extensive interactive live video on their laptops, tablets and smart phones,” said Matthew Hong, Turner Sports senior vice president and general manager of sports operations. “As more and more fans watch baseball using multiple screens at once, TBS and Postseason.TV combine to provide an immersive and all-access experience which is second to none.”

Postseason.TV is live and blackout-free and available to residents in the U.S. and Canada only. Subscriptions to Postseason.TV are available for a one-time fee of $5.99 for the complete package of LDS and NLCS games or individually for the Division Series ($3.99) and NLCS ($2.99). In addition to the web-based product, Postseason.TV also is available on mobile devices via MLB.com At Bat 11 for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android.

“These offerings embody our collective efforts to ensure baseball fans have access across a variety of distribution points to those emotionally-charged moments that define our Postseason,” said Kenny Gersh, senior vice president, business development, MLBAM. “As enhancements to Turner’s broadcasts, these products will continue to deliver October baseball is a unique way, leveraging the power of interactive media to drive fan engagement.”

TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s top-rated comedy network and is available in 100.8 million households. It serves as home to the Emmy-nominated late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O’Brien; original primetime comedy series like Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns; and upcoming series like The Wedding Band and Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. TBS also features an outstanding slate of contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy and The Office, as well as blockbuster movies and championship sports. In addition, TBS produces special live comedy events, including the star-studded comedy festival held each year in Chicago.

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports’ television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company’s digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

-30-

Filed Under: MLB, Turner

NFL Games Rank As 8 Of 9 Most-Watched Sporting Events Since Super Bowl

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

NFL Games Top Local Ratings in 25 Markets

After three weeks of the season, NFL games rank as eight of the nine most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLV.

A pair of Week 3 telecasts topped sports viewership last week (Sept. 19-25) with the FOX national telecast (mostly Packers-Bears) drawing 24.0 million average viewers and the Steelers-Colts Sunday night game on NBC drawing 20.4 million viewers.

Following are the most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLV:

Program Viewers
1. NBC Thursday Night Kickoff Game (Saints-Packers), 9/8 27.2 million
2. FOX Sunday National (mostly Giants-Redskins), 9/11 25.8 million
3. NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Jets), 9/11 25.8 million
4. FOX Sunday National (mostly Packers-Bears), 9/25 24.0 million
5. NBA Finals Game 6 (Dallas-Miami), 6/12 23.9 million
6. NBC Sunday Night Football (Eagles-Falcons),9/18 23.4 million
7. CBS Sunday National (mostly Chargers-Patriots), 9/18 22.7 million
8. FOX Sunday Single (mostly Chi-NO & Dal-SF), 9/18 22.5 million
9. NBC Sunday Night Football (Steelers-Colts), 9/25 20.4 million
10. NCAA Basketball Championship (UConn-Butler), 4/4 20.1 million

 

Locally, NFL games topped the ratings in 25 NFL markets. Following is the list of the NFL markets where football was the top-rated program for the week of Sept. 19-25:

Week of 9/19–9/25  

 

HH

HH

RTG
Market Game

Date

RTG

SHR

Rank
Milwaukee Packers at Bears

9/25/11

50.4

76

1
Pittsburgh Steelers at Colts

9/25/11

48.5

67

1
New Orleans Texans at Saints

9/25/11

47.7

69

1
Indianapolis Steelers at Colts

9/25/11

40.7

56

1
Baltimore Ravens at Rams

9/25/11

35.3

57

1
Buffalo Patriots at Bills

9/25/11

35.3

65

1
Chicago Packers at Bears

9/25/11

33.2

58

1
Minneapolis Lions at Vikings

9/25/11

32.4

68

1
Kansas City Chiefs at Chargers

9/25/11

29.9

51

1
Nashville Titans at Broncos

9/25/11

28.2

48

1
Philadelphia Giants at Eagles

9/25/11

28.1

52

1
Cleveland Dolphins at Browns

9/25/11

27.5

54

1
Boston Patriots at Bills

9/25/11

27.4

60

1
San Diego Chiefs at Chargers

9/25/11

27.1

52

1
Detroit Lions at Vikings

9/25/11

25.8

49

1
Houston Texans at Saints

9/25/11

25.3

47

1
St. Louis Rams at Giants

9/19/11

23.4

34

1
Atlanta Falcons at Bucs

9/25/11

23.1

41

1
Jacksonville Jaguars at Panthers

9/25/11

23.1

40

1
Carolina Jaguars at Panthers

9/25/11

22.6

45

1
Denver Titans at Broncos

9/25/11

22.6

52

1
Seattle Cardinals at Seahawks

9/25/11

22.2

51

1
Phoenix Cardinals at Seahawks

9/25/11

21.0

39

1
Washington, DC Steelers at Colts

9/25/11

17.4

29

1
San Fran-Oakland 49ers at Bengals

9/25/11

14.9

40

1

 

Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company

Filed Under: NFL, Ratings

NBC Sports Group To Provide More Than 50 Total Hours Of The Presidents Cup 2011

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

All Four Rounds from Australia to be Shown Live on Golf Channel

23 Hours of Golf Channel’s Live From News Coverage to Surround Play

NEW YORK – Sept. 26, 2011 – The NBC Sports Group will provide 50 ½ total hours of coverage of The Presidents Cup 2011 from the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, from Wednesday, Nov. 16, through Sunday, Nov. 20, on both Golf Channel and NBC.

Despite Melbourne’s 16-hour difference from the Eastern Time zone, Golf Channel will provide 27 ½ hours of live coverage of all four rounds, much of it in primetime, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 16 (see schedule below). It will mark the first time that all four rounds of a Presidents Cup competition played outside of North America will be presented live. Golf Channel (Thursday and Friday) and NBC (Saturday and Sunday) will also combine to show 23 hours of re-packaged coverage for replay.

“The Presidents Cup is one of golf’s preeminent events and I’m pleased that we’re able to service the golf fan by utilizing multiple assets in our portfolio — Golf Channel for live coverage and NBC for comprehensive coverage on the weekend,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.

Golf Channel will also televise 23 live hours of news coverage surrounding live play in the form of Live From The Presidents Cup, originating both from Melbourne and the network’s Orlando studios.

The Presidents Cup, which will be played in 2011 for the ninth time, was developed to give the world’s best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition against a team from the United States. For more information on The Presidents Cup 2011, click here: http://www.presidentscup.com

NBC Sports Group’s The President’s Cup 2011 Programming Schedule:
LIVE
Wednesday, Nov 16

Foursome Golf Channel 9 pm – 2 am
Thursday, Nov. 17

Four Ball Golf Channel 7:30 pm – 2 am
Friday, Nov. 18

Foursome Golf Channel 4 pm – 2 am
Saturday, Nov. 19

Singles Golf Channel 6:30 pm – 12:30 am

RE-AIR
Thursday, Nov. 17

Foursome Golf Channel 9 am – 1:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 18

Four Ball Golf Channel 9 am – 1:30 pm
Saturday, Nov. 19

Foursome NBC 8 am – 4 pm
Sunday, Nov. 20

Singles NBC Noon – 6 pm

LIVE FROM THE PRESIDENTS CUP (on Golf Channel)
Tuesday, Nov. 15

1-3 pm News Conferences

6-8 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 16

1-3 pm News Conferences

6-9 pm
Thursday, Nov. 17

2-4 am

6-7:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 18

2-4 am
Saturday, Nov. 19

2-4 am

4-6:30 pm
Sunday, Nov. 20

12:30-2:30 am

6-8 pm

–NBC Sports Group–

Filed Under: Golf, NBC

TBS To Air Potential Wild Card Tiebreaker Games, Announces Friday’s ALDS Schedule Of Games

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

TBS, the exclusive home for the four Division Series and National League Championship Series, is scheduled to air both potential wild card tiebreaker games on Thursday, Sept. 29.

If a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays is necessary to determine the American League Wild Card, then Thursday’s first pitch at Tropicana Field will be scheduled for 4:07 p.m. (ET) on TBS.

If a game between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals is necessary to determine the National League Wild Card, then Thursday’s first pitch at Busch Stadium will be scheduled for 8:07 p.m. (ET)/7:07 p.m. (CT) on TBS.

Friday’s ALDS Game Ones are set to open up on TBS with the first pitch times of 5:07 p.m. (ET) and 8:37 p.m. (ET). The 5:07 p.m. (ET) game will feature either Boston or Tampa Bay playing at either Texas or Detroit. The 8:37 p.m. (ET) game will feature either the Rangers or the Tigers playing the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

The complete Division Series schedule will be released when it is available.

Thursday, September 29th

4:07 p.m. (ET) A.L. Wild Card Tiebreaker, BOS @ TB*

8:07 p.m. (ET)/7:07 p.m. (CT) N.L. Wild Card Tiebreaker, ATL @ STL*

* if necessary

Friday, September 30th

5:07 p.m. (ET)/4:07 p.m. (CT) ALDS Game 1, BOS/TB @ TEX or DET

8:37 p.m. (ET)/7:37 p.m. (CT) ALDS Game 1, DET or TEX @ NYY

# # #

Filed Under: MLB, TBS
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