February 22, 2012

Ron Wechsler Named Vice President, Original Programming, NBC Sports Network

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NEW YORK – February 9, 2012 – Ron Wechsler has been named Vice President, Original Programming & Development, NBC Sports Network, effective immediately. He is based out of the NBC Sports Group corporate offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, and will report to Jon Miller, President of Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network.

In this role, Wechsler, a former ESPN executive, will create original programming and branded entertainment for the new NBC Sports Network.

“Ron has a rich history of relationships with key marketers and brands in our business,” said Miller. “He brings a wealth of experience, creativity and innovative ideas, and we are excited to have him head our original programming division as we grow the NBC Sports Network.”

Wechsler joins the NBC Sports Group from ESPN where he was Vice President, series development & production, in the ESPN Content Development unit, and his responsibilities included ESPN’s development, acquisition and production of scripted films, scripted series, nonscripted series, feature length documentaries, branded entertainment, and digital media.

Most recently, Wechsler developed content for the ESPNU network. He oversaw the docu-series ESPNU Road Trip and The Battle, and helped oversee the SEC signature documentary series SEC: Storied. Wechsler also oversaw the branded entertainment concept The Next Round, served up by Jim Beam, creating a new paradigm for co-branded initiatives at ESPN. Prior to that, Wechsler acquired and oversaw the Emmy Award-winning series Sport Science.

In 2008, Wechsler implemented the ESPN Original Digital brand and its popular series Mayne Street, starring Kenny Mayne. Accruing 20M total hits, the series was nominated for multiple Webby Awards, and won two Cable Fax Awards.

From 2003-2008, Wechsler was the primary on-set production executive for the ESPN Original Entertainment films 3, Four Minutes, Through The Fire, Ruffian, and Code Breakers. Wechsler also served as ESPN’s on-set production executive of both scripted and unscripted Original Entertainment series. He was the primary production and acquisition executive for The Contender and Tilt, and was a member of the core development and production team for Playmakers and The Bronx Is Burning.

Before joining ESPN, Wechsler held top positions at several film production businesses including Vice President, production and development of Jersey Films and president of Panoptic Pictures from 1999-2000. Wechsler broke into the film industry as an independent producer from 1997-1999. During this time he produced Little City and The House of Yes, both by Miramax Films.

Wechsler attended graduate school at Syracuse University, where he received a Master’s Degree in radio, television and film in 1993. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Albany, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1992.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Filed Under: NBC Sports Network

Highlights From Premiere Episode Of “Costas Tonight: Live From The Super Bowl”

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Re-Airs Scheduled for 11 p.m. ET Tonight; 8 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET on Saturday night; and 10 a.m. ET on Sunday morning

“It’s important for the integrity of the sport and I think it’s important for the health of the players.” – Roger Goodell on HGH testing

“We are going to make great strides as we go forward in years to come.” – Jerry Jones on player safety

“Kicking off to Devin Hester in the Super Bowl.” – Tony Dungy on worst coaching decision he ever made

“They know how to do great events and they’re proving it to the world.” – Goodell on Indianapolis

 

Indianapolis, IN – Feb. 2, 2012 – The premiere episode of 22-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Bob Costas’ town hall series, Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl, aired this evening from the Indiana Repertory Theater in Indianapolis, Ind., and featured some of the NFL’s biggest newsmakers and stars while examining the most important issues facing the league.

Appearing on the program were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, and many more.

Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl will re-air tonight at 11 p.m. ET; at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on Saturday night; and at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday morning.

Following are highlights:

ROGER GOODELL ON NEW OVERTIME RULE: “I think people are comforted that in a big game like the Super Bowl, you’re not going to end it on some kind of a penalty and a long field goal and never see the other team get the ball. You score a touchdown, you deserve to win.”

GOODELL ON REACHING HGH TESTING AGREEMENT: “I hope so, I think we’re making progress…I’m confident that the players want to reach that. It’s important for the integrity of the sport and I think it’s important for the health of the players.”

GOODELL ON HEAD INJURIES: “We’re in a leadership position in sports. People look up to the National Football League. We do have a game that’s rough, there are inherent risks playing it. But the second-highest incident of concussions is girls’ soccer. So what we’re learning about concussions in football is helping other sports. Not just every level of football, but every other sport…Now the NFL is sharing our research with the Defense Department to help treat our military personnel in the field.”

GOODELL ON NFL TEAM IN LOS ANGELES: “Really, we want to keep our teams where they are and that’s the dilemma because not only do we have to get the stadium in L.A., then we have to find out how to get the team.”

GOODELL ON NORTHERN CITIES HOSTING SUPER BOWLS: “The biggest challenge we have putting on an event like this is it takes 25,000 hotel rooms. And that’s a heavy lift for a lot of communities to be able to do. But this community has really put out the hospitality for us. They know how to do great events and they’re proving it to the world.”

DWIGHT FREENEY ON ROB GRONKOWSKI INJURY AND HIS OWN HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN IN SUPER BOWL XLIV: “The halftime killed me…the thing stiffened up, the pain came back and I was probably 30 percent less than when I started the game.”

STRAHAN: “Only thing I’m thinking is I’m going to tell Madonna to sing two extra songs.”

PETER KING ON PEYTON MANNING’S FUTURE: “It’s almost certain that he won’t play here (in Indianapolis). I don’t think Jimmy Irsay, the owner of the team, wants to take the $28 million risk on Peyton Manning.”

JEFF SATURDAY ON REDUCING FULL PAD PRACTICES: “I heard all kinds of coaches and everybody, ‘Football is never going to be the same.’ We got the two best teams playing in the Super Bowl. We’ve got some of the greatest football we’ve ever seen played, so obviously that [previous full-pad practice regulations] didn’t make that big of a difference.”

ALAN SCHWARZ (N.Y. TIMES) ON CONCUSSIONS: “The reason that the NFL was put under such a microscope was because of the influence that it has on children and why the statements that the league made from 2007-2008 up to the middle of 2009 were under such scrutiny was because of that influence.”

TONY GONZALEZ ON BIG HITS: “There’s no way you can tell me that these guys aren’t trying to put you out of the game.”

JONES ON PLAYER SAFETY: “We are going to make great strides as we go forward in years to come. A lot of it helped start with the labor agreement we negotiated.”

SATURDAY ON 18-GAME SEASON: “I don’t think it’s a possibility right now…from a player’s standpoint I think we give the fans exactly what they want at 16 games.”

COSTAS ON PRESEASON: “Shouldn’t the fans not have to pay for that as part of the season ticket package?”

JONES: “I agree, but that’s why we need 18 games.”

SATURDAY ON NUMBER OF PLAYERS CURRENTLY USING HGH: “Not very many.”

GONZALEZ ON PRESENCE OF HGH: “It’s there. There’s no doubt about it. It’s there.”

COSTAS ON HGH TESTING: “Will we have an agreement before next season?”

SATURDAY: “I don’t think so, still in doubt.”

GONZALEZ ON NEW BREED OF TIGHT ENDS: “It’s something you’re going to see a lot more NFL teams…they’re all going to go to it. And I think the reason, also, it’s become a glamor position because they’re seeing these guys like Antonio (Gates), guys like Shannon Sharpe that I saw. It’s becoming a position where you can score touchdowns…you can catch 85, 95 balls a year. Maybe Gronkowski, back in the day, he probably would have played defensive end.”

SATURDAY ON THE STADIUM VERSUS TV EXPERIENCE: “The greatest game I ever played, AFC Championship Game, in the RCA Dome here in Indianapolis. I can tell you this: not one person, no matter how much they paid for that ticket, would have not wanted to be at that game. That’s a fact.”

TONY DUNGY ON COACHES POST-GAME HANDSHAKE: “I think it is a great lesson to our young men, that you can go out there and compete, and at the end of the day, one team wins, one team loses, but we can still be men and handle it appropriately.”

DUNGY ON HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE: “Kicking off to Devin Hester in the Super Bowl (laughter).”

DICK VERMEIL ON WORST DECISION HE EVER MADE: “To retire from the Rams right after the Super Bowl. Yeah, that was not a good thing to do. I thought it was the right thing to do and I think most of us make decisions based on what we think is the right thing to do. I was drained. I’m an emotional, intense guy and I was tired. My family wanted me home and I felt that’s where I belonged.”

JOHN HARBAUGH ON CONTINUING PLAYER SAFETY EMPHASIS: “Let’s keep moving in that direction because the doctor is right, it filters down…everything our guys do filters through college, through high school, through pee wee. They are role models, they are great men. We talk about them being mighty men all the time. Kids look up to them.”

CRIS COLLINSWORTH ON COSTAS TONIGHT: “I say, thank God you’ve got another show because we never see enough of Bob Costas.”

AL MICHAELS AND BOB COSTAS ON RAPPERS: “I wouldn’t mind seeing Eminem performing at halftime next year since he gave me a shout out as his favorite announcer. (laughter) I can be bought.”

COSTAS: “I was once name checked by Ludacris, pal, so we’re even.” (laughter)

MICHAELS: “I have rapped with 50 cent and we’re going on tour as 49-and-a-half cent.”

–Super Bowl XLVI–

Filed Under: NBC Sports Network

“Costas Tonight: Live From The Super Bowl” Premieres Thursday 8-10 P.M. ET On NBC Sports Network

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Bob Costas Hosts Live Town Hall from Downtown Indianapolis Focusing on State of NFL and Previewing Super Bowl XLVI

Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, Philip Rivers, John Harbaugh and NBC Sports’ Super Bowl XLVI Broadcast Team Scheduled to Appear

 

INDIANAPOLIS – January 31, 2012 – NBC Sports Group presents the premier edition of 22-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Bob Costas’ live town hall series, Costas Tonight: Live From the Super Bowl, Thursday, 8-10 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. The two-hour live program features some of the NFL’s biggest newsmakers and stars while taking a comprehensive look at the NFL from the Super Bowl host city just three nights before the big game.

Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl will take place in front of a live studio audience from the Indiana Repertory Theater on, and will include a one-on-one interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Joined in a town hall setting by some of the biggest names in the sport, Costas will explore all of the headlines and critical issues facing the game, from the evolution of the NFL head coach to the all-important topic of safety on the field.

SCHEDULED TO APPEAR:

Roger Goodell – NFL Commissioner
Jerry Jones – Owner, Dallas Cowboys
Robert Kraft – Owner, New England Patriots
John Harbaugh – Head Coach, Baltimore Ravens
Tony Gonzalez – TE, Atlanta Falcons
Dwight Freeney – DE, Indianapolis Colts
Philip Rivers – QB, San Diego Chargers
Larry Fitzgerald – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Jeff Saturday – C, Indianapolis Colts

In addition, NBC Sports’ Super Bowl Commentators:

Al Michaels
Cris Collinsworth
Tony Dungy
Rodney Harrison

SEGMENTS INCLUDE:

· Costas one-on-one with Commissioner Roger Goodell;

· State of the Game – panelists will discuss important issues in today’s NFL including: player safety, performance-enhancing drugs, end zone celebrations and ticket prices;

· Coaches Panel – A look at the state of coaching in the NFL, past and present;

· Panel with NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI broadcasters looking ahead to the big game.

Additionally, there will be a “Hot Zone” in the audience of the Indiana Repertory Theater for Costas and the panelists to interact with past and present NFL players, journalists and NFL insiders Peter King of Football Night in America and Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of Football Night and ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com.

–SUPER BOWL XLVI–

Filed Under: NBC Sports Network

NBC Sports Network Showcases Hockey’s Top Talent With 10 Hours Of NHL All-Star Weekend Coverage

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NHL Viewership on NBC and NBC Sports Network up from Last Year

NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft on Jan. 26 (8 p.m. ET); 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 (7 p.m. ET); and 2012 NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29 (4 p.m. ET)

Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET and NHL Overtime from Ottawa on Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. ET

NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 24, 2012) – NBC Sports Network will air an all-encompassing 10 hours of coverage of the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, beginning with the NHL Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft at 8 p.m. ET. The network will then air the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, showcasing the league’s top stars as they demonstrate their skating, puck-handling and shooting skills. The weekend will culminate with coverage with the 59th NHL All-Star Game on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, live from Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

The NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft will once again show the two captains, Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star Weekend host Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, and their alternate captains (New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, respectively) hand-pick their All-Star teams live on Thur., Jan. 26, on NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET. Each All-Star team will be comprised of three goalies, six defensemen and 12 forwards.

Heading into the All-Star break, viewership for NHL games on both NBC and NBC Sports Network has grown compared to last season. NHL games on NBC (excluding the Winter Classic) are averaging 1.36 million viewers, up nine percent from the same number of games last year. On NBC Sports Network, NHL telecasts overall are averaging 330,000 viewers, up 13 percent from the same number of weeks last year, while exclusive time-period games (Wednesday and Sunday nights) are averaging 467,000 viewers, up 17 percent from last year’s exclusive coverage. NBC Sports Network recorded its most-watched regular-season game ever with this season’s opening night match-up between Philadelphia and Boston on Oct. 6 (874,000 viewers), and has already set records for highest local household ratings in several markets, such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa.

Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Eddie Olczyk (analyst) will serve as the in-booth announce team for the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sat., Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. ET. They will be joined by Pierre McGuire and Jeremy Roenick on the ice for player interviews after each competition, as well as Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones from the studio at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play) and Olczyk (analyst) will anchor NBC Sports Network’s All-Star Game coverage, with McGuire stationed “inside-the-glass” and Roenick conducting player interviews. The studio show will feature host McHugh, with Milbury and Jones live from Ottawa.

Additional All-Star Weekend Programming – NBC Sports Network will offer viewers live reports from Ottawa during each of the network’s nightly shows, beginning with a special 90-minute NBC SportsTalk on Thur., Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, a special NHL Overtime will air from Ottawa on Fri., Jan. 27, at 10 p.m. ET. NHL Overtime will examine the biggest stories, surprises and disappointments of the NHL season thus far, as well as a look towards the second half of the season and playoffs.

Digital/Social Media – This week at Facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports, NHL fans will have the chance to flex their fantasy muscles in this year’s NHL on NBC Sports All-Star Fantasy Draft Master challenge. Beginning Wed., Jan. 25, through Facebook, fans will be challenged to choose the order that they think each starting position and player will be drafted in during the All-Star Fantasy Draft. This year’s Draft Master who most closely predicts the draft order will be announced during the NHL Skills Challenge on the NBC Sports Network on Jan. 28, and featured on the NHL on NBC Sports Facebook page.

–NHL All-Star Weekend–

Filed Under: NBC Sports Network, NHL

NBC Sports Group Kicks Off New MLS Partnership With Live Coverage Of 41 Regular-Season Games In 2012

January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NBC Sports Network Coverage of 38 Regular-Season Matches Starts on March 11 with New York Red Bulls vs. FC Dallas; NBC To Broadcast 3 Matches

NBC Sports Group to Present Five MLS Cup Playoff Games

NEW YORK – January 5, 2012 –The NBC Sports Group today announced its plans for the 2012 MLS season, the first under the new three-year media rights partnership, by offering live coverage of 41 regular season matches, the most of any MLS broadcast partner, in addition to five MLS Cup playoff games.

NBC begins its live MLS coverage on Sunday, March 11 when FC Dallas host the New York Red Bulls on the new NBC Sports Network, which will air a total of 38 regular-season games this year. The defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy make seven appearances on NBC Sports Network, including a rematch of MLS Cup against the Houston Dynamo on May 26. The LA Galaxy’s first appearance is March 31 as they host the New England Revolution. MLS Cup runners-up Houston Dynamo also appear seven times including the unveiling of their new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, on May 12 as they host D.C. United.

NBC will broadcast three regular-season games: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC on Sept. 15, New York vs. Chicago Fire on Oct. 6, and Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls on Oct. 27 – the first game of a tripleheader on the last Saturday of the regular season that includes Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United and Portland Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes on NBC Sports Network. The three matches this season on NBC are the most regular-season MLS games on an English-language broadcast network since 2002.

Highlights of 2012 NBC Sports Group MLS Schedule:

  • NBC Sports Group broadcasts 41 games, most of any MLS broadcast partner in 2012;
  • Three games on NBC are the most regular-season MLS games on an English-language broadcast network since 2002;
  • Rematch of MLS Cup on May 26 – Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy on NBC Sports Network;
  • Seven games featuring MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy;
  • Opening of BBVA Compass Stadium, the new home of the Houston Dynamo, on May 12 on NBC Sports Network.

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP 2012 MLS SCHEDULE:

Date Away Home Network

Sun. Mar. 11 New York, Dallas 3:00 PM NBCSN

Sun. Mar. 18 Colorado, Philadelphia 4:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Mar. 23 Houston, Seattle 10:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Mar. 30 Dallas D.C., United 7:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 31 New England, LA Galaxy 11:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 14 Columbus, Philadelphia 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 21 Chicago, Toronto 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 28 New England, New York 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. May 5 Philadelphia, Seattle 4:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. May 12 D.C. United, Houston 4:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. May 26 LA Galaxy, Houston 2:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. May 27 San Jose, Sporting KC 4:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. June 17 New York, Chicago 5:00 PM NBCSN

Sun. June 24 D.C. United, New York 7:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. June 29 Chicago, Sporting KC 8:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 7 Colorado, Seattle 11:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 14 LA Galaxy, Portland 11:00 PM NBCSN

Wed. July 18 Real Salt Lake, Seattle 11:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 28 LA Galaxy, Dallas 8:00 PM NBCSN

Sun. July 29 New England, Philadelphia 7:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 3 New York, Houston 8:00 PM NBCSN

Sun. Aug. 5 Dallas, Portland 7:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 10 Houston, New York 8:00 PM NBCSN

Wed. Aug. 15 LA Galaxy, Columbus 7:00 PM NBCSN

Sun. Aug. 19 Philadelphia, D.C. United 5:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 24 Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia 7:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. Aug. 26 Dallas, LA Galaxy 7:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 31 Colorado, Portland 10:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. Sept. 2 Chivas USA, San Jose 9:00 PM NBCSN

Wed. Sept. 5 Portland, Colorado 9:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 14 Houston, Sporting KC 8:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 15 Seattle, Portland 3:30 PM NBC

Sat. Sept. 22 Portland, Real Salt Lake 8:00 PM NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 28 Chicago, Sporting KC 8:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 29 Seattle, Vancouver 9:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 6 Chicago, New York 3:30 PM NBC

Sat. Oct. 6 Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy 9:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 20 Philadelphia, Houston 7:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 27 New York, Philadelphia 1:30 PM NBC

Sat. Oct. 27 D.C. United, Chicago 4:00 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 27 San Jose, Portland 6:30 PM NBCSN

All games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of pre-game and post-game coverage. The NBC Sports Group will expand upon the successful NBC SportsTalk platform with a Pro SoccerTalk blog that will start with MLS season.

Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five Comcast SportsNets (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), this new media rights partnership provides the league with coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital.

– NBC Sports Group –

Filed Under: MLS, NBC, NBC Sports Network

“Cold War On Ice: Summit Series ’72” Airs On NBC Sports Network Debut Day On January 2

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

90-minute film presented by Lexus with limited commercial interruption focuses on historic 1972 hockey series between Canadian NHL All-Stars and U.S.S.R National Team

Interviews Include: Team Canada Coach Harry Sinden; Players Phil Esposito, Tony Esposito, Rod Gilbert, Bobby Clarke, Paul Henderson; Soviet players Boris Mikhailov, Vladislov Tretiak, Alexander Yakushev

Film Produced by 51-time Emmy Award-winner Ross Greenburg

Part of NBC Sports Network’s DAY 1 Schedule

“I really thought it was going to be an all star game. We were going to have some laughs and some fun.” – Phil Esposito on the series

“I don’t know what I was thinking at all. It was an awful thing to do. It sure felt good.” – Bobby Clarke on slashing Russian Star Valeri Kharlamov, breaking his ankle.

“It’s the closest I’ve ever come to kissing a man.” – Phil Esposito on Henderson’s game-winning goal in Game 8

“COLD WAR ON ICE: SUMMIT SERIES ’72” IS AN NBC SPORTS GROUP ORIGINAL PRODUCTION

 

NEW YORK – December 28, 2011 – Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72 presented by Lexus, a 90-minute documentary with limited commercial interruption, will be a featured component in the launch of the NBC Sports Network as it debuts at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the same day the channel is re-branded from VERSUS.

 

Click here for a promo of Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/45804134#45804134

 

Cold War on Ice, produced by 51-time Emmy Award-winner Ross Greenburg, chronicles the historic 27-day Summit Series in September of 1972 between a team of NHL All-Stars from Canada and the Soviet National Team during the height of the Cold War.

“It is an honor to present this unique story as the first original program on the new NBC Sports Network,” said Greenburg. “This historic confrontation between the Canadian National Team and the Soviet Union was a battle of two cultures both on and off the ice. This was a defining moment in hockey and NHL history. It is exciting to give this story the platform it deserves.”

Team Canada was composed of the National Hockey League’s greatest stars, expected to easily defeat the Soviet team. In fact, on the eve of the ‘good will’ eight-game series, the Montreal Gazette published predictions from people inside the hockey world. The great majority of those polled shared the opinion of all-star goalie Jacques Plante and New York Times Hockey writer Gerald Eskenazi, who both claimed that the NHL squad “will slaughter them in 8 straight.”

The event left its stamp on the national psyche of Canada and the entire National Hockey League. Hockey is not a sport in Canada; it is a matter of national pride, and what started as a friendly exhibition series turned into a microcosm of the Cold War. It was a dramatic confrontation that jumped the Iron Curtain to pit the east against the west, communism against capitalism, and good vs. evil.

Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins scored past Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak just 30 seconds into Game 1 (at the Montreal Forum). Team Canada went up 2-0 five minutes later. Team Canada’s predicted rout was on as the entire nation watched.

The country’s mood would quickly change as the Soviet’s went on to completely dominate the rest of the game. They mesmerized the NHL squad with their precision playmaking, effortless skating, and intricate offensive attack, and stunned Team Canada by charging back to win Game 1, 7-3.

The Soviets were disciplined and relentless and their three third-period goals signified their superior conditioning. The NHL squad was rested, coming off a summer off-season, and they were completely outworked and dominated by the Soviets, who competed at the highest level, all year round. The pre-series predictions were thrown out the window and the war was on.

Team Canada bounced back to take Game 2 of the series, 4-1 (Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto), and led Game 3 (Winnipeg Arena) by two goals late in the third period, until the Soviets scored two late goals to end Game 3 in a 4-4 tie.

Team Canada played poorly in Game 4 in Vancouver, losing 5-3.

The crowd of 16,000 booed Team Canada off the ice in Vancouver. Feelings of frustration had turned to anger as the Canadian faithful felt that the poor play of Team Canada was both embarrassing and shameful. In response to the overwhelming negative public and media reaction, Phil Esposito called out the fans for their conduct.

“We are absolutely giving it our all and we are really disappointed in you (fans),” said Esposito, the captain of Team Canada after Game 4. “We cannot believe…were trying like hell. Canada is our home and it is just not fair. It is totally ridiculous that we are being booed.”

The series shifted to the Soviet Union for the remaining four games of the series as Team Canada contemplated the end to its perceived dominance in the sport they so dearly love, but not before a two-week European hiatus in which Team Canada played two exhibition games against the Swedish national team in Stockholm.

The second game against Sweden featured many fights. Team Canada was criticized by the Swedes for their ‘goonish’ style of play, but these two games along with Esposito’s impassioned speech, helped galvanize the NHL team. The Canadian squad was made up of players from different NHL teams, many of who hated each other, but now were coming together because of a common enemy, the Soviets.

While the final four games of the Summit Series were hosted by the Soviets, more than 3,000 Canadian fans accompanied the NHL squad. Team Canada got out to a 4-1 lead in Game 5, but the Soviets scored four unanswered goals to win that game, 5-4, and take a 3-1-1 lead in the series.

Team Canada would now have to win all three remaining games to win the series. Despite the backbreaking loss, and the apparent stranglehold they had on their game, all 3,000 fans sang “Oh Canada” as Team Canada left the ice after Game 5.

Prior to Game 6, the Canadian team became upset over a shipment of beer they believed that the Soviets had deliberately “lost” at the airport. They took any additional incentives they could get and Team Canada held on for a 3-2 win. Unheralded Paul Henderson scored what turned out to be the game-winner late in the second period. This game also featured the most controversial play of the series. Philadelphia Flyers Bobby Clarke was instructed by Team Canada’s bench to stop the high-flying Soviet star and captain, Valeri Kharlamov. During his next shift Clarke deliberately slashed Kharlomov and broke his ankle.

“He was killing us and somebody had to do it. This is war. It is us versus them and the guy was killing us.” said Clarke after the game.

Team Canada would capture Game 7, 4-3, with Paul Henderson once again scoring the game-winning tally late in the 3rd period. The game also featured a controversial rebuttal by the Soviets, as Boris Mikhailov used his skate as a weapon and kicked Team Canada’s Gary Bergman twice during an on-ice altercation.

GAME 8, WITH SERIES TIED 3-3-1

Team Canada was down by two goals heading into the third period of the decisive Game 8, and the Soviets were on the verge of laying claim to Canada’s national sport.

Team Canada however came out roaring in the third period and tied the score at 5-5 with the series tied 3-3-1.

In the final minute of play Esposito got off a good shot and Henderson, the journeyman turned hero, who later said he knew he was going to score, put the rebound past Tretiak in perhaps the single most-famous moment in Canadian sports history. The “Goal Heard Round the World” became one the countries most endearing images, one that is as fresh and vivid to the entire nation 40 years after that late September day in 1972.

In the end, the Summit Series proved that the gap between the best Canadian NHL players and the top players in Europe was much narrower than most observers on both sides realized. The success of the series led to the Super Series, where Soviet clubs played NHL clubs on numerous occasions throughout the 1970’s and eventually the immersion of many Soviet players to the National Hockey League in the 1980’s.

INTERVIEWS FOR “COLD WAR ON ICE”

Subjects include – Team Canada Coach Harry Sinden; Players Phil Esposito, Tony Esposito, Rod Gilbert, Bobby Clarke, Paul Henderson, Peter Mahovlich, JP Parise; Soviet players Boris Mikhailov, Vladislov Tretiak, Alexander Yakushev.

ON PLAYING FOR TEAM CANADA:

Clarke: “It was certainly an honor to wear the Canadian jersey, but it was also supposed to be a vacation almost. It was supposed to be a cakewalk for Canada”

Phil Esposito: “I really thought it was going to be an all star game. We were going to have some laughs and some fun.”

Henderson: “It was going to be a wonderful experience to be able to play with the Espositos, Cournoyer, Savard, Lapointe, and get to enjoy their ability and be on the same ice with them. The other side of the coin is, anyone who kept you from winning the Stanley Cup you didn’t like them, and you had to bump heads with them.”

Tony Esposito: “They were your rivals and a few of the guys you really didn’t like. We weren’t a team; we were just a bunch of guys thrown together. So when we went over there (to Russia for games four through eight), that’s when we really gelled.”

ON THE RUSSIANS STEALING THE CANADIAN’S BEER:

Phil Esposito: “They stole our beer. We had to drink vodka. Homemade vodka. You ever taste homemade vodka? Go into your garage and get turpentine and drink it. Holy cripe it is bad.”

ON BOBBY CLARKE SLASHING RUSSIAN VALERI KHARLAMOV IN GAME 6, BREAKING HIS ANKLE:

Clarke: “I don’t know what I was thinking at all. Obviously I wasn’t. I chased him down the ice and wacked him.”

Henderson: “That’s the way Clarkie played the game. Probably on that team he was the only guy that would go out there and do something like that. But he would’ve done that for the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s who he was. He wasn’t out of character. He was so competitive that he would push his grandmother down a flight of stairs to win a hockey game.”

Phil Esposito: “The only thing I regret about that is he didn’t do it in the first game. Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING me? That’s part of the game and I have no problem with it. None, you understand? This is war.”

Clarke: “As I said often, it was an awful thing to do. It sure felt good.”

ON PLAYING RUSSIA DURING THE COLD WAR:

Henderson: “They were challenging us as a people, and certainly as a hockey empire.”

Mahovlich: “The Cold War. The us-against-them attitude was certainly what this turned out to be.”

Phil Esposito: “I would’ve killed those son of a bitches to win. It scares me every time I think about it.”

ON HENDERSON SCORING THE GAME-WINNING GOAL IN GAME 8 GIVING TEAM CANADA THE SERIES WIN:

Parise: “We went nuts.”

Clarke: “Ecstatic, but there was also a real…whew…relief.”

Phil Esposito: “It’s the closest I’ve ever come to kissing a man. Really kissing him. I loved that man that moment. I did.”

CREDITS:
Producers: Ross Greenburg, George Roy, Steve Stern
Director and Editor: George Roy
Writer: Steve Stern
Narrator: Peter Coyote

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Filed Under: Hockey, NBC Sports Network

NBC Sports Group Broadcasts 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® & Launches NBC Sports Network On Jan. 2

December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fifth NHL Winter Classic Presented Live on NBC at 1 p.m. ET

“A holiday tradition.” — Newsday

NBC Sports Group to Air 26 Hours of Hockey Programming Surrounding the Winter Classic Beginning with NHL Alumni Game on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. ET on VERSUS

VERSUS Becomes NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. ET on Jan. 2 with Special NHL Live Winter Classic Post-Game Show Hosted by Bob Costas from Philadelphia

NEW YORK – December 27, 2011 – January 2 is an important day for the NBC Sports Group as it broadcasts the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and launches the NBC Sports Network, currently VERSUS, immediately following the game at 4 p.m. ET with a special NHL Live post-game show hosted by Bob Costas from Philadelphia.

NHL WINTER CLASSIC: This year’s game features an intense rivalry between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers battle outdoors at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, home of the Phillies. This is the fifth iteration of the NHL Winter Classic, an event created by both NBC Sports and the NHL, and that has already been described as “a holiday tradition” by Newsday.

NBC’s coverage of the Winter Classic will be hosted by Costas, a 22-time Emmy Award-winner. He will be joined by NBC Sports Group studio analysts Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick for coverage on NBC and post-game coverage on NBC Sports Network. NBC’s game coverage will be led by Emmy Award-winner Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play) Eddie Olczyk (analyst), and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter).

Last year’s Winter Classic was the most-watched NHL regular-season game in 36 years. Played between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and broadcast on New Year’s Day in primetime due to a weather delay, the game was watched by 4.5 million viewers.

Click here for a time-lapse video of the rink being built at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=14&id=137090

FROM VERSUS TO NBC SPORTS NETWORK: As part of a new strategy to bring all four tiers of NBC Sports Group’s assets (broadcast network, two national cable networks, 11 regional sports networks and digital) into a consistent framework of branding, VERSUS will be re-named the NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. ET. The NBC Sports Network will serve as a 24/7 cable platform for NBC Sports’ rich heritage of unmatched storytelling, best-in-class production and broad promotional power. Following are highlights of Dec. 31-Jan. 2 programming:

  • Prior to being re-branded, VERSUS will kick-off the weekend with the 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game featuring former Philadelphia Flyers against former New York Rangers in a New Year’s Eve showdown on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. ET. The Alumni Game will showcase six members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, recent retirees and Stanley Cup winners, including Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Eric Lindros and NBC Sports’ Jeremy Roenick. NBC Sports Network guest analyst and former Rangers coach Mike Keenan, who won the Stanley Cup in 1994 while coaching the team, will lead the Rangers alumni team.
  • Continuing the transition to the NBC Sports Network, VERSUS will premiere the hour-long special, NBC Sports: A Storied History, on Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. ET following the NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game, chronicling the last seven decades of Emmy Award-winning event coverage on NBC Sports.
  • On Jan. 1, VERSUS will air the 2008 and 2009 NHL Winter Classics at 7 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, respectively.
  • Jan. 2 will begin on VERSUS and end on the NBC Sports Network. VERSUS will air the 2010 and 2011 Winter Classic games back-to-back at 7:30 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. ET, respectively. At 3 p.m. ET, it will air an encore presentation of NBC Sports: A Storied History. At 4 p.m. ET, the switch will be flipped and the NBC Sports Network officially launches with a special NHL Live Winter Classic Post-Game show hosted by Costas and featuring all the highlights from the outdoor game.
  • The new NBC Sports Network will continue with hockey-themed programming at 4:30 p.m. ET with the premiere of Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72 produced by Ross Greenburg. The documentary focuses on the hockey series played in 1972 between a team of Canadian NHL all-stars and the Soviet Union national team during the height of the Cold War.
  • Cold War on Ice will be followed by a special 90-minute edition of NBC SportsTalk at 6 p.m. ET, NHL Live at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Vancouver Canucks hosting the San Jose Sharks at 8 p.m. ET. NHL Live post-game and NHL Overtime will end the NBC Sports Network’s first day.

Highlights of the NBC Sports Group’s Jan. 2 Schedule (all times ET, subject to change):

TIME NETWORK PROGRAM

7:30 a.m. VERSUS Replay of 2010 NHL Winter Classic

10 a.m. VERSUS Replay of 2011 NHL Winter Classic

1 p.m. NBC 2012 NHL Winter Classic

3 p.m. VERSUS NBC Sports: A Storied History

4 p.m. NBC Sports Network NHL Live Post-Game (from Philadelphia)

4:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network Cold War on Ice: 1972 Summit Series

6 p.m. NBC Sports Network NBC SportsTalk

7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network NHL Live Pre-Game

8 p.m. NBC Sports Network NHL: San Jose at Vancouver

10:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network NHL Live Post-Game

11 p.m. NBC Sports Network Replay of NBC SportsTalk

12:30 a.m. NBC Sports Network NHL Overtime

***

PRESS EVENT: Below are highlights of a NBC Sports Group and NHL press event held on Dec. 21 in 30 Rock’s famed Studio 8H with the following participants:

  • Bob Costas – NBC Sports Winter Classic host
  • Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick – NBC Sports NHL lead play-by-play commentator
  • Sam Flood – Executive Producer, NBC Sports & NBC Sports Network
  • Jon Miller – President, Programming, NBC Sports & NBC Sports Network
  • John Collins – NHL Chief Operating Officer
  • Peter Luukko – Comcast-Spectacor, President & COO
  • Adam Graves – Former New York Ranger and the team’s current Special Assistant for Prospect Development and Community Relations

Click here for an NBCU Direct video of Emrick, Flood and Miller speaking at the event: http://www.nbcudirect.com/nhlwinterclassic122711/

COSTAS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WINTER CLASSIC: “All of us at NBC, everybody in the stands and most importantly all the players understood, even as it began, that this was something not just out of the ordinary. This was something that was going to be tremendously successful.”

EMRICK ON THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH CALLING AN OUTDOOR GAME: “I try to look at it as a player, and how they play regardless what happens. I also take the wisdom of our producer before we start. Sam always says, remember, a lot of people that don’t normally watch hockey are going to watch this. I think those two things together are the thing that I focus on, and you try to not get in the way and just let the celebration begin with the opening face-off and go from there.”

FLOOD ON PRODUCTION: “We treat it as an event. This is not a hockey game, it’s an event. We want to make it bigger because of the field it’s being played on. It’s not in a confined building; it’s outdoors. So we have an airplane. I was so proud in Buffalo when we played the first replay of a goal from an airplane. We knew we were the first people ever do that because no one had ever covered a game with an airplane before, so we thought that was a neat trick. We’re also using a CableCam for the second time. We’ve figured out cool ways to use that CableCam that we see in every NFL game, but you can’t do it in a hockey game, but it works here. We’ve figured out how to make it special and unique.”

“We have all the bells and whistles, 30 cameras for a hockey game we have more cameras than players on each team which is a nice treat to have for a production team to go have some fun with it. The goal is to make people fall in love with a hockey game the way it first began, which is outdoors, under the open sky, which is how I played as a kid in the Boston area.”

LUUKKO ON WHAT HOSTING THE EVENT MEANTS TO PHILADELPHIA: “When you can be showcased in an event like this. I think a lot of the reason that people look at us as an original six type team is we’ve only had one face. We’ve been consistent in our play.”

“This game propels your organization. In our case, selling out the Alumni Game, selling out, obviously, the Winter Classic.”

GRAVES ON RANGERS-FLYERS MATCH-UP: “The best part for me with this year’s game is that both teams are firing on all cylinders and they’re both at the top of the conference. Whenever you get these teams together, they’re both fast teams, they’re good on specialty teams, and they’re both very, very intense.”

MILLER ON THE LAUNCH OF NBC SPORTS NETWORK: “Clearly there’s been a lot of work going on with the rebranding and the re-launch. The idea to flip it on Jan. 2 gave us the window of using a high-profile event that is big to NBC and to the NHL. What better place to re-launch and tell the world about what your new brand is going to be than around this event.”

MILLER ON WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK: “We have three tranches of programming that we’re looking to put on NBC Sports Network starting with live events, live games, and big-league relationships. The second tranche is original news, talk and conversation. The third tranche is the original programming we’ve developed with the NHL around shows like NHL 36 with the NFL, with NFL Turning Point, the Bob Costas Show that will be breaking this year, Costas Tonight, as well as the Costas Town Halls. We’ll embrace the brands that are already associated with NBC Sports like the Triple Crown. We’ve added the MLS to our portfolio. We have a strong, robust relationship with the Tour de France, and then we will obviously have an extensive Olympic presence come June, July and August with the Olympic trials, then actually live Olympic programming throughout the game.”

–NBC Sports Group–

Filed Under: NBC, NBC Sports Network, NHL

NHL Original Production To Premiere “NHL 36″ With Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane As First Star

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Documentary Series’ Debut Episode To Air Wednesday on VERSUS at 6:30 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (Dec. 12, 2011) – The National Hockey League (NHL®) and NHL Original Productions today announced the debut of the day-in-the-life series “NHL 36.” Premiering Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. on VERSUS, the first installment of this unprecedented documentary series will train its cameras upon Chicago Blackhawks® forward Patrick Kane.

Providing the ultimate behind-the-scenes peek into the life of this NHL superstar, NHL 36 takes viewers into Kane’s world for 36 straight hours as he lives the life of a not-so-average 23-year-old. Through an array of microphones and isolated cameras, the 30-minute documentary will offer unique insight into Kane’s game on the ice. The show also will feature
interviews with Kane’s family.

“We are excited about the opportunity to create individual player portraits with unprecedented depth — at home with family, out with friends and in the workplace,” said Ross Greenburg, executive producer, NHL 36. “Wherever they go, whatever they do, our cameras are there, capturing what a day in the life is like for some of the biggest names in the NHL.”

“NHL 36 is a great new series that is part of the high-quality storytelling and production values of NBC Sports,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer for NBC Sports and VERSUS. “It’s an example of programming that dives deeper into the sport and its players, and one that viewers can expect to see more of from the new NBC Sports Network.”

“This series provides an opportunity to showcase our players in a new and compelling way, revealing their personalities and parts of their daily routine not usually seen by fans,” said John Collins, NHL chief operating officer. “There are no better storytellers than Ross Greenburg and the team at NBC Sports, so we know NHL 36 will appeal to a broad audience. The Patrick Kane episode is a great way to launch our new venture, NHL Original Productions.”

Joining Greenburg in crafting NHL 36 are notable actor and Emmy-Award winning narrator Peter Coyote and accomplished composer Ferdinand J. Smith.

Immediately after the premiere of NHL 36, VERSUS will air NHL LIVE at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by Kane and the Blackhawks traveling to Minnesota to take on the Wild (7:30 p.m. VERSUS/TSN). NHL 36: Patrick Kane will re-air on VERSUS on Dec. 29 at 9:30 a.m., Jan. 1 at 5:00 p.m. and on the newly rebranded NBC Sports Network on Jan. 6 at 9:00 a.m. It will also air in the United States and Canada on the NHL Network™ on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 4:00 p.m. and again on Dec.18 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

NHL 36: Patrick Kane is the first in a series of 10 episodes that will shadow NHL players for 36 consecutive hours. The next player to be featured and the air date will be announced at a later date.

NHL Original Productions is the latest collaboration between the NHL and renowned executive producer Ross Greenburg – an alliance that produced two critically-acclaimed programs on HBO: Broad Street Bullies and the Emmy Award-winning 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic®. Through the year, NHL Original Productions will develop long- and short-form hockey programming for use by the League’s media platforms (NHL Network and NHL.com) as well as national and regional rights-holders.

### (12/12/11)

Filed Under: NBC Sports Network, NHL

NBC Sports Group Wraps Up 28-Game College Football Schedule With UNLV at #18 TCU at 2:30 P.M. on VERSUS

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Pre- and Post-Game Show and Halftime Reports from 30 Rock Studio Surrounding Game

NEW YORK (December 1, 2011) –The NBC Sports Group will air its final college football game of the year this Saturday when the No. 18 TCU Horned Frogs host the UNLV Rebels at 2:30 p.m. ET. UNLV looks to end its season strong, while TCU is on a seven-game winning streak and trying to improve its bowl position.

VERSUS will surround its college football game coverage this weekend with pre- and post-game coverage as well as halftime reports from NBC’s Football Night in America studio (Studio 8G) at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The coverage will be hosted by Liam McHugh with 1984 Heisman Trophy-winner Doug Flutie and Super Bowl champion and former NFL tight end Roland Williams serving as studio analysts.

COMMENTATORS: Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) helms VERSUS’s Mountain West coverage. The former University of Iowa quarterback and host for NFL Network will be joined by former NFL quarterback Shaun King as analyst with Anthony Herron as the sideline analyst.

WILLIAMS ON THE GAME: “TCU has won a league-record 23 straight Mountain West games and this is its final game ever in the conference. UNLV has their work cut out for them. To create some magic, the team will look to senior linebacker Nate Carter and senior defensive lineman James Dunlap to lead their defense versus the successful Horned Frogs.”

ADDITIONAL ONLINE FEATURES – NBCSports.com’s college football coverage features video highlights and features from all of VERSUS’ Mountain West, Pac-12 and Ivy League games. In addition, NBCSports.com features online-only analysis from all of the VERSUS’ college football experts.

Filed Under: NBC, NBC Sports Network, NCAA Football

Arlo White To Be The Voice Of NBC Sports Group’s Major League Soccer Broadcasts

November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment


Former Seattle Sounders FC Play-By-Play Voice to Call MLS and Team USA Games on NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network Beginning in 2012

NBC & NBC Sports Network to Televise 50 Games per Season, Including Four by U.S. National Team, As Part of New Media Rights Agreement with Major League Soccer Beginning in March 11, 2012

 

NEW YORK – November 30, 2011 – Arlo White will serve as the play-by-play voice for NBC Sports Group’s coverage of Major League Soccer (MLS), starting with the first broadcast on NBC Sports Network on March 11, 2012, it was announced today.

“Arlo is one of the top voices calling soccer today in the U.S., and we are very excited to have him be the lead play-by-play announcer to launch our new agreement with Major League Soccer,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “I also want to sincerely thank the Seattle Sounders FC ownership for making Arlo available, so he can be the MLS voice for the NBC Sports Group to a national audience.”

White, who spent the last two years as the play-by-play voice for the Seattle Sounders FC of MLS on television and radio, is a native of England. He previously spent nine years with BBC Radio Sport in England where he was part of the BBC Radio 5-Live announcing team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. White also served as a host on BBC Radio 5 Live and hosted the station’s flagship Premier League Football show, Saturday 5 Live Sport, as well as the Monday Night Club alongside BBC football commentator John Motson.

“It is a tremendous honor for me to join the NBC Sports Group, an organization that I have revered from afar for many years,” said White. “I am extremely passionate about the future of Major League Soccer, and this partnership with NBC will provide a huge boost for the sport in the United States. I am very proud to have been called up to play a major role in it.

“I am indebted to the Seattle Sounders FC and the club’s wonderful fans,” White added. “Joe Roth and Adrian Hanauer provided me with an opportunity for which I will always be grateful. It was a privilege to serve as the voice of the Sounders, and I thank the supporters for giving me such a warm welcome.”

From 2002 to 2005, White was part of the 5 Live Breakfast program on the BBC, where he covered, among other events, the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and various Champions League football matches.

The remainder of the NBC Sports Group’s MLS broadcasters will be announced at a later date.

# # #

In August, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the NBC Sports Group announced a three-year media rights agreement that commences at the start of the 2012 MLS season. The partnership calls for 46 MLS games and four U.S. National Team contests to be televised live across both NBC and NBC Sports Network each season and live-streamed on NBCSports.com. This agreement was the first rights deal for the NBC Sports Network, which will be re-branded from VERSUS on January 2, 2012.

Each season, NBC will broadcast three regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two appearances by the U.S. National Team, marking the first time four MLS matches will be broadcast on network television since 2002. The NBC Sports Network will televise 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. National Team matches. All telecasts on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of pre-game and post-game coverage. NBCSports.com will live stream all NBC Sports Group matches and will add bonus features similar to its NFL and NHL streams.

Along with MLS telecasts on five Comcast SportsNets (Philadelphia, New England, Bay Area, Mid-Atlantic and Chicago), this agreement provides the league with coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital platforms.

– NBC Sports Group –

Filed Under: MLS, NBC, NBC Sports Network
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