Most Winter Olympics Coverage in History: More than 835 Hours on NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC, Universal HD & NBCOlympics.com

First All-HD Winter Olympics

NEW YORK – Jan. 14, 2010 – NBC Universal will present more than 835 hours of Vancouver Olympic Winter Games coverage – representing the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, more than the last two Winter Olympics combined, and the most live hours ever for a Winter Games. The Vancouver Games, which will be the first Winter Olympics to be presented entirely in high definition, commence with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 12. The announcement was made today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics and executive producer of NBC Universal’s Olympic coverage.

The more than 835 total hours of coverage on six NBC Universal platforms –  NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as well as NBCOlympics.com – nearly doubles the coverage from Torino (419) and is more than Torino and Salt Lake City (375.5) combined (794.5).

Following is a breakdown of the Vancouver Olympics coverage on the NBC Universal networks:

• The six NBC Universal platforms – NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as well as NBCOlympics.com –  will offer the most in-depth coverage in history for a Winter Olympics. The more than 835 hours is nearly double Torino (419) and is more than Torino and Salt Lake City (375.5) combined (794.5).
• Over the 17 days of the Vancouver Games (Feb.12-28), NBCU’s coverage will average nearly 50 hours per day – that’s more coverage in one day than all of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics (43.5) on ABC.
• The networks of NBCU will provide coverage of every one of the 15 Winter Olympic sports.
• Vancouver will be the first Winter Olympics broadcast 100-percent in high definition, including the first-ever online HD.
• The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games represent the 12th Olympics broadcast by NBC, the most Olympic broadcasts by any U.S. network (ABC is second with 10).

A breakdown of coverage platform-by-platform follows:

NBC

The NBC network schedule is divided into three dayparts – afternoon, primetime and late night – for a total of 193.5 hours of coverage over 17 days beginning with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage will heavily consist of men’s and women’s figure skating and alpine skiing. Other sports to be featured in primetime will include freestyle skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, and short track.

Ebersol: “What’s unique about Vancouver is that more than any time in winter sports history, the United States over the last two years has emerged as the dominant international winter sports power. I remember the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics when the U.S. team won one gold medal in each. This U.S. team should have potential medal winners almost every single day of the Vancouver Olympics.”

Kicking off the first night of primetime is the men’s 1500m gold medal final in short track speed skating. Team USA is particularly strong this year, led by Apolo Ohno, a five-time Olympic medalist who needs two medals in Vancouver to pass Bonnie Blair and become the most decorated Winter Olympic athlete in U.S. history. Ohno, the 2007 Dancing With the Stars champion, remains one of the most recognizable U.S. Olympic athletes. He will again be one of the favorites competing in his third Games, this one practically in the Seattle native’s backyard. He competes in four gold medal events across five nights with his biggest competition coming from South Korean and Canadian athletes.

In alpine skiing, Team USA should also be a strong contender for Olympic gold with World Champion Lindsey Vonn, who is the first American woman in history to win back-to-back overall World Cup titles. She heads into the Olympic season with two World Championship titles and 28 World Cup victories (as of Jan. 14, 2010), tops among U.S. female alpine skiers. She currently leads this season’s World Cup standings and has won the past five World Cup downhill races dating back to last season (as of Jan. 14, 2010). The only medal Vonn is missing is an Olympic gold.

In speed skating, Shani Davis of Chicago, who four years ago in Torino became the first African-American athlete to win a Winter Games gold medal in an individual event, will be featured on multiple nights in primetime. Davis, one of the sport’s dominant stars, plans to skate in five individual events, making him the first U.S. Winter Olympian to do so since Eric Heiden 30 years ago in Lake Placid.

Shaun White won gold in his first Olympics four years ago. His Torino Olympic gold medal and unique style led to the rare feat of gracing the covers of both Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone in the same week. The redheaded action sports icon is the headliner of the deep-as-ever U.S. snowboarding team. With his style and new “double cork” trick, he is the frontrunner to repeat his gold medal performance in the men’s halfpipe competition.

USA Network

USA Network, available in 98.5 million homes, is the cable home of the U.S. Olympic Team for the Vancouver Games. The USA men’s and women’s curling and ice hockey teams will be the staples of USA Network’s Olympic coverage from Vancouver. All Team USA hockey games, both men’s and women’s, will be seen live, the majority on USA Network. USA Network will also feature a live curling match nine of the 12 days of the Olympic curling tournament. USA’s 41 hours of coverage begins on Sunday, Feb. 14.

MSNBC

MSNBC, available in 91.6 million homes in the U.S., will provide 100 hours of Olympic coverage from Vancouver highlighted by live quarterfinal, semifinal and medal round hockey competition. MSNBC’s hockey coverage also features the much-anticipated USA vs. Canada men’s hockey game. MSNBC will also provide extensive live curling coverage, including medal round games, in addition to live speed skating and figure skating. MSNBC begins coverage on Saturday, Feb. 13.

CNBC

CNBC, available in 95 million households in the U.S, will carry 100.5 hours of Olympic programming over 14 days, beginning Saturday, Feb.13. On most days beginning at 5 p.m. ET, CNBC will feature live long-form coverage of Olympic curling. CNBC will also have expanded, live long-form coverage of numerous Olympic sports, including ice hockey and biathlon.

UNIVERSAL HD

Universal HD, currently available in approximately 17 million homes, will re-air USA Network’s coverage.

NBCOlympics.com, Mobile, and VOD

NBCOlympics.com will provide more than 400 hours of live event competition from Vancouver. In addition, the site will offer more than 1,000 hours of on-demand access to full-event replays from broadcast and host-feed coverage of all 15 sports on the Winter Games program, as well as extensive highlights such as event recaps, best-of montages, commentator analysis and athlete-specific clips.

Powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, the video player will present video in stunning high-definition quality and offer DVR-style controls (allowing users to pause and rewind live Olympic video), enhanced navigation and more. By comparison, in Torino, NBC streamed two hours of live action of the men’s gold medal hockey game, mostly as a back-end test.

NBCOlympics mobile will provide up-to-the-minute results, breaking news, as well as video highlights of every event, while Olympics video highlights and event replays will be available on set-top boxes for on-demand viewing.

STANDARD MONDAY-FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Times may vary
(Check NBCOlympics.com or local listings)
(*ET; **ET/PT)

By Network:
NBC: 3 p.m.-  5 p.m.**
8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. **
12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.**
2 a.m. – 5 a.m.**
CNBC: 5 p.m.- 5 a.m.*
MSNBC: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.*
3 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.*
USA: Noon – 5:30 p.m.*
Universal HD – 9 a.m. – Noon*

Chronological:
Universal HD:  9 a.m. – Noon
USA: Noon – 5:30 p.m.
NBC: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
CNBC: 5 p.m. – 5 a.m.
MSNBC: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
NBC: 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
NBC: 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.
NBC: 2 a.m. – 5 a.m.
MSNBC: 3 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.

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Professional Bull Riding Rounds Out NBC Sports’ Weekend Coverage

NEW YORK – January 14, 2010 - NBC Sports presents live coverage of the Winter Dew Tour from Snowbasin in Ogden, Utah, the second of three stops of the Winter Dew Tour’s sophomore season. The three-stop tour features over 100 of the best winter action sports athletes competing for their sport’s only regular season crown – the Winter Dew Cup – and a $1.5 million prize purse. NBC Sports’ live coverage of Freestyle Skiing Superpipe airs this Saturday 1-3 p.m. ET, and Snowboard Slopestyle airs 3-4:30 p.m. ET this Sunday. USA Network will air late-night coverage of Snowboard Superpipe Saturday at midnight ET/PT and Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle Sunday, at 2 a.m. ET/PT.

The competition features the best athletes in the world of snowboard and freeskiing, including Freeski icon Simon Dumont who will be vying for the Wendy’s Invitational title in both slopestyle and superpipe, and Olympic snowboard hopefuls Danny Davis, Mason Aguirre and Steve Fisher will also compete.

NBC’s Pat Parnell (play-by-play), Todd Richards (analyst), Luke Van Valin (freeskiing analyst) and Tiffany Simons (reporter) call the action from Snowbasin.

Upcoming Winter Dew Tour Events on NBC Sports:
Toyota Championship, Mount Snow, West Dover, Vt., Feb. 6, 2010 (12-3 p.m., ET)

PBR, Saturday, 3 PM ET
NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Professional Bull Riders’ Sacramento Classic from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

This event features rides by top athletes including 2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) and 2007 and 2009 NYC champion J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.). Lostroh is the reigning 2009 World Champion and Mauney is currently ranked No. 1 in the 2010 world standings. Both believe the two bulls selected for the challenge give them a chance at $10,000 in bonus money.

NBC’s Craig Hummer, Justin McKee, Ty Murray, Donna Brothers and Justin McBride call the action.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES TO COMPLEMENT NBC UNIVERSAL’S MULTI-NETWORK COVERAGE OF THE VANCOUVER OLYMPIC GAMES

Universal Sports to air more than 80 hours of daily Olympic news and information during the 2010 Games; Plus, nightly Olympic news studio show now airing as COUNTDOWN TO VANCOUVER

NEW YORK and WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., January 4, 2010: In a network first, Universal Sports will present Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games, delivering five hours of live daily news and information through five newly-created studio shows, as well as continuous news and results updates throughout the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games begins Friday, February 12, the first day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and continues until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28.  The shows will originate from sets in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, as well as from Universal Sports’ network facilities in Westlake Village, California.

Throughout the Vancouver Games, the daily five-hour news and information block begins at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.  Programming elements also include continuous studio news updates every 30 minutes, as well as a live, up-to-date Olympic results ticker.  The format is geared to supplying viewers with an in-depth, daily dose of Olympic news and information, including interviews, results and analysis, as well as constant information and direction on where to view NBC’s multiplatform coverage of the Games, whether on broadcast, cable, video-on-demand, the internet or wireless platforms.

“Bringing Universal Sports to the Olympics enables us to open up a new dimension in how we cover the Games,” said Gary Zenkel, President of NBC Olympics. “For the first time we will have a platform that allows us to pause from coverage and focus attention on the evolving stories and excitement of the Olympic Games.”

“Universal Sports will offer ongoing, daily Winter Olympics news to help an already savvy audience stay on top of what is happening in Vancouver, and direct fans to more of their favorite Olympic events on each NBCU sister network and nbcolympics.com,” Universal Sports Chairman & CEO Claude Ruibal said. “This is incredibly valuable to our affiliates, our advertisers and, most importantly, the fans and our viewers.”

Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games Daily Programming Block (times and programming elements subject to change):

10-11:30 a.m. ET: Vancouver Olympic News Center – This studio show reviews action from the previous day, with extended highlights, results, interviews and analysis, as well as previews of that day’s upcoming action. This show includes roundtable sessions with guests, newsmakers, athletes and analysts.

11:30-12 noon ET: “Medals & Music” – Special presentation of the medal ceremonies and musical concerts from the Olympics plus highlights and interviews with the Olympic medalists.

12-12:30 p.m. ET: “Meet the Olympic Press” – This show includes a cast of rotating U.S. and Olympic beat reporters as they discuss the developing stories and hot topics from the Winter Games.

12:30-1:30 p.m. ET: Reprise of Vancouver Olympic News Center

1:30-2 p.m. ET: “Olympic Review/Preview” – This show focuses on the Games’ individual sports, with in-depth analysis of each, plus results, previews and key statistics and information from each venue. Guests include NBC Sports and Universal Sports Olympic commentators, plus athlete interviews from on-location venue reporters.

2-3 p.m. ET: “The Vancouver Figure Skating Hour” – A look back on and ahead to primetime figure skating, detailing key athletes, competitions and storylines. Includes continuing news updates and live results ticker.

10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET): Live Updates – During the five-hour block, there will be Live Olympic news updates starting at 10:30 a.m. ET and then continuing at the top of ever hour until 4 p.m. ET, with a news ticker providing round-the-clock results.

With only weeks remaining until the Vancouver Games, serious Olympic fans looking for a timely daily dose of pre-Games news and information are tuning in nightly to Countdown to Vancouver.  Countdown to Vancouver, airing nightly at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. ET can run as long as 30 minutes, and includes the latest updates from around the world, as Olympic-caliber athletes enter the crucial, final days of training and competition, with many still battling to qualify for Olympic team berths.

Countdown to Vancouver is anchored by Olympians such as freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom. Nightly content includes breaking news, competition highlights, and vignettes, as Universal Sports tracks the fortunes of 2010 Olympic prospects, including Alpine ski racer and reigning World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn; short track speed skater and five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno; and reigning halfpipe gold medalist Shaun White.

The evening Countdown shows in January and into early February will build drama and awareness toward the Feb. 12 debut of Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games.

Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games will also include an outstanding Olympic Winter Games announcing roster, to be announced soon, with expertise that will serve as the foundation of this unprecedented daytime Olympic television news destination for NBCU’s fast-growing, all-sports network. As the drama of Vancouver unfolds, viewers can rely on daily analysis by celebrated U.S. Olympians, analysts, renowned commentators, and seasoned journalists, as they follow the athletes, the competition and the scene in and around Vancouver and Whistler.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online. Universal Sports, available in more than 57 million homes, is in nine of the top 10 DMAs including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Houston, plus Seattle and Denver. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, as well as interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.tv.