NBC’s Primetime Saturday Broadcast Includes Live Coverage of Ladies Free Skate

“Competing here it is an incredible opportunity to secure your place in history.” – NBC’s Hamilton

“There should be a lot of fireworks in the men’s event.” – NBC’s Hamilton

“USA dance has never been stronger ever in its history than it is now.” – NBC’s Hamilton

Live Coverage of Men’s and Dance Finals This Saturday at 3 p.m. on NBC

U.S. Champion Alissa Czisny and World Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White Headline Grand Prix of Figure Skating’s First Event

Networks Combine for More Than 60 Hours of Coverage for All Six Grand Prix Events and the Grand Prix Final

NEW YORK – December 23, 2010 – Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano stars in the “Musselman’s Apple Sauce presents Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular” this Sunday at 4 p.m. ET from the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The show is a part of the Pandora NBC Skating Series, produced by Disson Skating in conjunction with NBC.

Along with hosting the special, Boitano will also perform along with three-time U.S. champion and two-time World bronze medalist Michael Weiss, eight-time British National champion Steven Cousins, U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley, World champion Yuka Sato of Japan and two-time World professional pairs champions Elena Leonova & Andrei Khvalko among others.

Providing music for the special is legendary female rock duo Heart. Ann Wilson and her younger sister Nancy Wilson stormed the charts in the ‘70s with hits like “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” and “Even It Up.”

VISA US SNOWBOARD CROSS CUP SUNDAY, 3 PM

NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Visa US Snowboard Cross Cup this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET from Telluride, Colo.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, Maine) will take to the mountain to compete in this event. With the bar set high from last season, U.S. athletes flock to the Colorado, trying to get the early season edge over other competitors and countries.

Competing alongside Wescott is Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) and five-time X-Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.).

The mountain itself is mixed with varying terrain from backcountry to the mountainside where the snowboardcross course, built by Olympic builder Jeff Ihaksi, is located.

Todd Harris, Todd Richards and Tina Dixon provide commentary.

Olympic Medalists Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, Nancy Kerrigan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Evan Lysacek and many more perform

World Famous Cast Has Collectively Won 16 Olympic Medals

NEW YORK – December 22, 2010 – Some of the best figure skaters in U.S. history gather together to perform this Saturday, Christmas Day, at 4 p.m. ET for the “The Caesars Tribute: A Salute to the Golden Age of American Skating” from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. There are 16 Olympic medals between the cast members, nine of which are gold medals. The show is a part of the Pandora NBC Skating Series, produced by Disson Skating in conjunction with NBC.

The cast includes Olympic gold medalists Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Evan Lysacek, Sarah Hughes and Tenley Albright and Olympic silver medalists Nancy Kerrigan (and Olympic bronze in 1992), Sasha Cohen, Paul Wylie, Rosalynn Sumners and pairs skaters Kitty and Peter Carruthers; and Olympic bronze medalist Debi Thomas along with several U.S. National and World champions.

Providing the music for the show is the rock folk band America, a musical sensation during 1972, scoring No.1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist. America’s hits include “A Horse with No Name”, “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway”, “Tin Man“, “Daisy Jane”, and “Lonely People”.

Below is a list of the full cast:

Female Skaters:

Tenley Albright – Olympic Gold Medalist (1956), 2-time World Champion (1953 and 1955), & 5-time US Champion (1952–1956)

Sasha Cohen – Olympic Silver Medalist (2006) & US Champion (2006)

Caryn Kadavy – World Bronze Medalist (1987) & US National Silver Medalist (1986)

Peggy Fleming – Olympic Gold Medalist (1968), 3-time World Champion (1966-1968), & 5-time US Champion (1964-1968)

Sarah Hughes – Olympic Gold Medalist (2002)

Nancy Kerrigan – Olympic Silver (1994) and Bronze (1992) Medalist & US Champion (1993)

Kimmie Meissner – World Champion (2006) & US Champion (2007)

Rosalynn Sumners – World Champion (1983), Olympic Silver Medalist (1984), & 3-time US Champion (1982-1984)

Debi Thomas – World Champion (1986), Olympic Bronze Medalist (1988), & 2-time US Champion (1986 & 1988)

Kristi Yamaguchi – Olympic Gold Medalist (1992), 2-time World Champion (1991 and 1992), & US Champion (1992) (Singles Career)

Male Skaters:

Brian Boitano – Olympic Gold Medalist (1988), 2-time World Champion (1986 and 1988), & 4-time US Champion (1985-1988)

Dick Button – 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1948 and 1952), 5-time World Champion (1948-1952), & 7-time US Champion (1946-1952)

Richard Dwyer – Popular ice skating show star from Ice Capades and Ice Follies known as “Mr Debonair”

Todd Eldredge – World Champion (1996) & 6-time US Champion (1990-1991, 1995, 1997-1998, and 2002)

Rudy Galindo – World Bronze Medalist (1996) & US Champion (1996)

Scott Hamilton – Olympic Gold Medalist (1984), 4-time World Champion (1981-1984), & 4-time US Champion (1981-1984)

Evan Lysacek – Olympic Gold Medalist (2010), World Champion (2009), & 2-time US Champion (2007 and 2008)

Michael Weiss – 3-time US Champion (1999-2000, 2003) and 2-time Olympian (1998 and 2002)

Paul Wylie – Olympic Silver Medalist (1992) & 3-time US Silver Medalist (1988, 1990, and 1992)

Pair Skaters:

Tai Babiliona & Randy Gardner – World Champions (1979) & 5-time US Champions (1976-1980)

Kitty & Peter Carruthers - Olympic Silver Medalist (1984) & 4-time US Champions (1981-1984)

Jenni Meno & Todd Sand – 3-time US Champions (1994-1996)

JoJo Starbuck & Ken Shelley – 3-time US Champions (1970-1972)

Carla Urbanski & Rocky Marvel – 2-time US Champions (1992-1993)

Dance Pairs:

Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev – 5-time US Champions (1999-2003)

Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano Performs with the Legendary Mannheim Steamroller

NEW YORK – November 24, 2010 – Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano headlines the “Pandora Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice” this Sunday at 4 p.m. ET from the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, S.D. The show is a part of the Pandora NBC Skating Series, produced by Disson Skating in conjunction with NBC. Not only is Boitano skating in the event, but also hosting alongside Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller.

Joining Boitano on the ice are two-time U.S. Champion and Olympic Team member Jeremy Abbott, who will be skating on the ice at Rockefeller Center for Sunday’s Weekend Today Show, 1988 & 1994 Olympic gold medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva, 1988 Olympic gold medalist and 1995 European champion Ilia Kulik, and two-time European Champion and 1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist Jozef Sabovcik

The show features music by Mannheim Steamroller one of the top 50 biggest selling musical artists of all time, and the biggest selling Christmas music artists. Celebrating their 26th anniversary, the group will continue to do what they do best, entertaining thousands of fans as they perform their renowned Christmas arrangements including pieces from their Grammy Award nominated album entitled “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,” which has sold over six million copies. The band’s founder and co-host of “Pandora Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice” Chip Davis, was the Country Music Writer of the Year in 1976 for the song entitled “Convoy” performed by C.W. McCall.

LINDSAY VONN SKIS AT THE ASPEN WINTERNATIONAL, SUNDAY, 1 PM

NBC Sports presents coverage of the Aspen Winternational this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from Aspen, Colo.

Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.), Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and World Cup leader, Maria Riesch of Germany, take center stage Thanksgiving weekend when the Visa Aspen Winternational kicks off the classic North American swing of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup.

Heavy early season snowfall has blanketed the Colorado Rockies providing a picture perfect landscape in the ski town of Aspen for  giant slalom and slalom competition.

Commentators for the event include Tim Ryan, Todd Brooker, Christin Cooper and Steve Porino.

Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn White Featured In World of Adventures Sports

NEW YORK- Jan. 28, 2010 – NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Silk Soy Milk Skate for the Heart this Sunday at 4 p.m. ET from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

This event is packed with skating powerhouses and current U.S. Olympic Team members including 2006 Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, reigning World Champion Evan Lysacek, three-time National Champion Johnny Weir and current U.S. silver medalist and 2008 National Champion Mirai Nagasu.

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks headlines an evening of contemporary music with Olympic and world-class skaters in a show that provides awareness for the prevention of heart disease. Also providing music is 16-year-old singing sensation Charice Pempengco and pop groups Honor Society and KSM.

WORLD OF ADVENTURE SPORTS, SATURDAY, 2 PM ET
The new season of the World of Adventure Sports will kick off this Saturday on NBC Sports with Red Bull Project X, one of the most progressive snowboard sessions in history. In preparation for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, Olympic gold medalist Shaun White teamed up with Red Bull to create a private halfpipe nestled in the backcountry of Silverton Mountain, Colo. It was there that Shaun would create a series of new tricks that would change the sport forever.

Pat Parnell hosts.

PBR, SATURDAY, 4:30 PM ET
NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the Professional Bull Riders’ Tecate Light Invitational on Saturday from Anaheim, Calif. The event will feature experienced riders including reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh (Longmont,Colo.), Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil), LJ Jenkins (Texico, N.M.), and Josh Koschel (Greely, Colo.).

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

INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, SUNDAY, 3 PM ET
NBC Sports will present a one-hour broadcast of the International Auto Show this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The show will give you a look at some of the most intriguing new vehicles that were on display at the NAIAS 2010 in Detroit. Coverage features the finest production and concept vehicles with a focus on smaller fuel efficient vehicles and automotive design, as well as technical advancements for vehicles of the future.

NBC Sports Commentators Bill Weber, Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, and Phil LeBeau will give you a close up look at some of the world’s most incredible vehicles.

Expanded Live Coverage of the Ladies Free Skate Begins Tonight on Universal Sports

“She looks great, like no time has passed.” – NBC’s Hamilton on Sasha Cohen

NEW YORK – January 21, 2010 - The remainder of U.S. Olympic figure skating team (ladies and dance) will be determined this weekend as NBC Sports and Universal Sports present live coverage of the AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, including live primetime coverage of the Ladies Free Skate on Saturday on NBC and expanded live coverage of the Ladies Short Program tonight on Universal Sports.

Coverage on NBC Sports includes the Ladies Free Skate live on Saturday in primetime (9-11 p.m. ET/PT).  Earlier in the day, NBC Sports will have live coverage of the Free Dance and taped coverage of the Ladies Short Program (3-6 p.m. ET).  Universal Sports’ coverage begins tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET with live coverage of the Ladies short program.  *Coverage on Universal Sports is expanded to four hours tonight from the two hours that was announced previously.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation’s most prestigious figure skating event, and this year’s event will go a long way in determining the U.S. team for Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, which begin Feb. 12 on NBC.

Coverage this weekend will also include the official announcement of the U.S. Olympic team on Sunday in primetime (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) along with the Exhibition of Champions and a full recap of the competition on Sunday (4-6 p.m. ET).

Event host Bob Costas and legendary figure skater and announcer Dick Button host NBC Sports’ coverage from Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.  NBC’s Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will call the action for both NBC and Universal Sports.

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
- Saturday, 3-6 p.m. ET – Free Dance (Live), Ladies Short
- Saturday, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT – Ladies Free Skate (Live)
- Sunday, 4-6 p.m. ET – Recap of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- Sunday, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT – Exhibition of Champions and announcement of U.S. Olympic Team

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE:
- Tonight, 10:30 p.m. – 2:30 a.m. ET – Ladies Short (Live)
- Tomorrow, 11 p.m. – 12 midnight ET – Original Dance (Live)
- Saturday, 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. ET – Ladies Short and Free Dance (Re-Air of NBC Show)
- Sunday, 2-4 a.m. ET (late Saturday night) – Ladies Free Skate (Re-Air NBC Show)

COMPETITION PREVIEW:
LADIES: Two Olympic berths are at stake. 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen makes her much anticipated return to competitive skating in Spokane.  She made her last competitive appearance at the 2006 World Championships in Calgary.  Competing against Cohen for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team is two-time defending U.S. silver medalist Rachel Flatt.  Flatt, the 2008 World Junior Champion, and Japan’s Miki Ando are the only ladies who have beaten world champion Kim Yu-Na in a competition segment this season (no one has beaten her overall). Flatt defeated Kim in the free skate at Skate America in November.  Other competition for the Olympic spots will come from defending U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, defending U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang and 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu.  2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes makes her first appearance at nationals since 2007; she missed the past two years due to injuries. She is on a one-year break from Harvard, hoping to qualify for her second Olympics. Hughes is the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah Hughes.

NBC’S SCOTT HAMILTON BREAKS DOWN LADIES COMPETITION AFTER WATCHING PRACTICE YESTERDAY:

On Sasha Cohen: “She looks great, like no time has passed.  Some things actually look better than they did four years ago.  A lot of the people that she’s competing against have had four years to kind of up their game and get used to competing under this system, and one thing that might hold her back is the fact that she hasn’t been on competitive ice, but she looked really comfortable.  She was very happy and practiced well.  She’ll be in the mix throughout.”

On the Ladies Competition: “It’s going to be an exciting competition and there is no sure thing.  There are a lot of women this year that can rise to the challenge and with two good performances could accumulate enough points to win this thing.  You look at Alissa (Czisny), the defending champion, who’s skating very well here.  You can look at Rachael Flatt who’s turned in performance after performance and seems to be consistent enough to skate well under that kind of pressure.  Then you have to look at Ashley Wagner who has been coming on strong and then the champion of two years ago, Mirai Nagasu, who looks really good, really calm.  The U.S. has only two spots on the women’s team and we have more ladies than that poised and in shape and ready to try to claim one of those two spots.”

DANCE: Three Olympic berths are at stake. Five-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto compete for their sixth U.S. title; a win would give them the record for most U.S. dance titles. Belbin and Agosto are already the most successful U.S. dance team in history, with four world medals, three Four Continents titles, and an Olympic silver medal from Torino.  Their main competition will come from 2009 U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who are fresh off a win at the Grand Prix Final, the first-ever by an American team.  Davis & White have never defeated Belbin & Agosto in competition.  They won at Nationals last year when Belbin and Agosto did not compete.  Also competing for one of the three Olympic spots are are two-time U.S. bronze medalists Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre, defending U.S. silver medalists Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates and 2009 world junior champions Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein, who will make their senior debut in Spokane.

HAMILTON ON DANCE COMPETITION: “The U.S. has never been this well represented in a dance event going into Olympics as we are this year. Tanith and Ben and Meryl and Charlie are two of the best dance teams in the world, so they’re going at it nose to nose competing for the National Title because that would give them momentum into the Olympics.  It’s going to be interesting to see who wins there because Charlie and Meryl have been on the rise like crazy, but Tanith and Ben won a medal last Olympics and they’ve been dominant on the international stage.”

NBC SPORTS AND U.S. FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION: NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating are in the third year of a multiyear partnership under which NBC will broadcast live high-definition coverage of the AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, including Saturday night primetime coverage of the ladies free skate, as well as Skate America. The deal between NBC and the USFSA was extended last year and continues through the 2014 U.S. Championships

NEW YORK – January 14, 2010 – The U.S. Olympic figure skating team will be determined over the next two weekends as NBC Sports and Universal Sports present an unprecedented 13 hours of live coverage of the AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, including all four disciplines live from Spokane Wash.  Coverage begins on NBC Sports this Saturday (4:30-6 p.m. ET) with live coverage of the Pairs Free Skate and continues Sunday (4:30-6 p.m. ET) with live coverage of the Men’s Free Skate.  The live ladies and dance competition will take place next weekend (see schedule below).  Universal Sports’ coverage begins Friday night (early Saturday) 12:30 a.m. ET with live coverage of the Men’s and Pairs’ short programs.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation’s most prestigious figure skating event, and this year’s event will go a long way in determining the U.S. team for Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, which begin Feb. 12 on NBC.

Coverage of this year’s championships will include 13 hours of live competition in the ladies and men’s singles, pairs and ice dancing, with the ladies competition airing next Saturday live in primetime and the announcement of the U.S. Olympic team next Sunday in primetime.  Universal Sports will present live coverage of the short programs and will re-air the NBC Sports broadcasts.

NBC’s Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will call the action from the Spokane Arena in Spokane Wash.  Event host Bob Costas and legendary skater and announcer Dick Button join the team for the second weekend of coverage.

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
- This Saturday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET – Pairs Free Skate (Live), Pairs Short, Men’s Short
- This Sunday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET – Men’s Free Skate (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 3-6 p.m. ET – Free Dance (Live), Ladies Short
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT – Ladies Free Skate (Live)
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m. ET – Recap of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT – Exhibition of Champions and announcement of U.S. Olympic Team

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE: Universal Sports, available in 57 million homes, will present five hours of live, original coverage and eight hours of re-airs of the NBC Sports shows starting this Friday. Coverage details below:
- This Saturday, 12:30-2:30 a.m. ET (late Friday night) – Men’s Short and Pairs Short (Live)
- This Saturday, 6:30-8 p.m. ET – Pairs Free Skate, Pairs Short, Men’s Short (Re-Air of NBC Show)
- This Sunday, 6:30-8 p.m. ET – Men’s Free Skate (Re-Air of NBC Show)
- Friday, Jan. 22, 12:30-2:30 a.m. ET (late Thursday night) – Ladies Short (Live)
- Friday, Jan. 22, 11 p.m. – 12 midnight ET – Original Dance (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. ET – Ladies Short and Free Dance (Re-Air of NBC Show)
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 2-4 a.m. ET (late Saturday night) – Ladies Free (Re-Air NBC Show)

COMPETITION PREVIEW
LADIES: Two Olympic berths are at stake. 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen makes her much anticipated return to competitive skating in Spokane.  She made her last competitive appearance at the 2006 World Championships in Calgary.  Competing against Cohen for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team is two-time defending U.S. silver medalist Rachel Flatt.  Flatt, the 2008 World Junior Champion and Japan’s Miki Ando are the only ladies who have beaten world champion Kim Yu-Na in a competition segment this season (no one has beaten her overall). Flatt defeated Kim in the free skate at Skate America in November.  Other competition for the Olympic spots will come from defending U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, defending U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang and 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu.  2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes makes her first appearance at nationals since 2007; she missed the past two years due to injuries. She is on a one-year break from Harvard, hoping to qualify for her second Olympics. Hughes is the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah Hughes.

HAMILTON ON THE LADIES COMPETITION: “Alissa Czisny is coming back to defend her title and when she’s on, she’s wonderful, but she’s going to have to turn in performances like she did last year without major errors in order to be in the top two or three.  Rachael Flatt has been very strong and recently beat Kim Yu-Na in the free skate at Skate America.  Then there is Sasha Cohen who is coming back after four years of being away. She’s a national champion and an Olympic silver medalist so you have to put her in as a factor, but she hasn’t skated competitively in four years so that’s a tall order. There’s a lot of pressure.  Ashley Wagner’s been really good this year and Mirai Nagasu, who won the title a couple years ago, kind of melted under the spotlight of being the National Champion, but now seems to be coming on strong again.  And I’m sure the press will love to talk about Emily Hughes, but I don’t really know if she’s going to be competitive.  Sasha, Alissa, Rachael, Mirai, and Ashley would be my five going for the two spots.”

MEN’S: Three Olympic berths are at stake and three U.S. champions in the field are the favorites to claim them. 2009 world champion Evan Lysacek is not only the favorite in Spokane but also a contender for gold in Vancouver.  Challenging Lysacek will be defending U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott, who unseated Lysacek at last year’s Nationals in Cleveland; three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, who won bronze at the Grand Prix Final in December; two-time world junior champion Adam Rippon, who won his first Grand Prix medal in Paris in October; 2009 U.S. silver medalist Brandon Mroz; and 2007 U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley.

HAMILTON ON THE MEN’S COMPETITION: “The three men with the most experience and have the most international success would be Evan Lysacek, Jeremy Abbott, and Johnny Weir.  Those would be the three that most people would expect to be on the Olympics team, but with this scoring system and the nature of how it all works, you never know.  Ryan Bradley was on the podium at the Nationals in Spokane a couple of years ago so he’s going back to a very familiar rink where he’s had success, don’t count him out. You’ve got a young skater, Adam Rippon, who’s coming on strong and we can’t forget Brandon Mroz, who was second last year at the National Championships.  So the men’s event is going to be very exciting.”
PAIRS: Two spots on the U.S. Olympic Team are at stake.  Two-time and reigning champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker are the frontrunners, looking for their third consecutive senior title.  Competing against them will be two-time U.S. champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, 2007 U.S. champions Brooke Castile & Ben Okolski and last year’s surprise silver medalists, Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett.

HAMILTON ON THE PAIRS COMPETITION: “Denney and Barrett and McLaughlin and Brubaker would probably be the favorites going into this competition.  The two-time defending champions, Brubaker and McLaughlin, had a coaching switch this year so it’ll be real interesting to see how that’s changed not only their look but their technical consistency because that’s something that was an issue last year.  I expect great things from them.  You’ve also got Inoue and Baldwin who’ve won this championship a couple times and have been top five in the world. They could mount a comeback as well and get on the podium because they’ve got all the experience and they’re much older and a seasoned pair team.  So a lot of things can happen in the pairs but I’d say the two to look for would be Denney and Barrett and McLaughlin and Brubaker.”

DANCE: Three Olympic berths are at stake. Five-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto compete for their sixth U.S. title; a win would give them the record for most U.S. dance titles. Belbin and Agosto are already the most successful U.S. dance team in history, with four world medals, three Four Continents titles, and an Olympic silver medal from Torino.  Their main competition will come from 2009 U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who are fresh off a win at the Grand Prix Final, the first-ever by an American team.  Davis & White have never defeated Belbin & Agosto in competition.  They won at Nationals last year when Belbin and Agosto did not compete.  Also competing for one of the three Olympic spots are are two-time U.S. bronze medalists Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre, defending U.S. silver medalists Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates and 2009 world junior champions Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein, who will make their senior debut in Spokane.

HAMILTON ON DANCE COMPETITION: “The U.S. has never been this well represented in a dance event going into Olympics as we are this year. Tanith and Ben and Meryl and Charlie are two of the best dance teams in the world, so they’re going at it nose to nose competing for the National Title because that would give them momentum into the Olympics.  It’s going to be interesting to see who wins there because Charlie and Meryl have been on the rise like crazy, but Tanith and Ben won a medal last Olympics and they’ve been dominant on the international stage.”

NBC SPORTS AND U.S. FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION: NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating are in the third year of a multiyear partnership under which NBC will broadcast live high-definition coverage of the AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, including Saturday night primetime coverage of the ladies free skate, as well as Skate America. The deal between NBC and the USFSA was extended last year and continues through the 2014 U.S. Championships

- Multi-year agreement guarantees figure skating will be broadcast through 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia -

Colorado Springs, Colo. and New York (August 27, 2009) – U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports announced today the continuation of their multi-year partnership to extend through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The agreement will ensure live primetime and afternoon coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships as well as live afternoon coverage of the annual international Skate America competition for the next four years.

“The partnership with NBC has allowed figure skating fans to view numerous hours of live competition over the course of the last two years,” said Patricia St. Peter, president of U.S. Figure Skating. “The extension of this partnership again shows the dedication of both U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports to showcase this popular sport not just in an Olympic year but for the next four years.”

The partnership includes 12 hours of live event coverage on NBC Sports during the 2009-10 season, including live primetime coverage of the ladies free skate at the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 14-24, 2010, in Spokane, Wash. The 2010 U.S. Winter Olympic Figure Skating Team will be determined at the conclusion of this event. Universal Sports, available in more than 56 million homes, will once again offer additional coverage and re-airs of Skate America and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

“We’re pleased to continue the great relationship with NBC,” said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating. “We appreciate the support of Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, as well as Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC Sports, for making figure skating a broadcast priority.”

“We are proud to extend our partnership with U.S. Figure Skating and to broadcast expanded live coverage of their marquee events,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “Figure skating is the most popular sport in the Winter Olympics, and the U.S. Championships is always compelling programming especially in Olympic years when the event will help determine which men and women will represent our country at the Vancouver Games this February and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.”

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
· Sun., Nov. 15, 2009 – Skate America – Ladies final – 2-4 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 16, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Pairs final – 4:30-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sun., Jan. 17, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Men’s final – 4:30-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Ice Dancing final – 3-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Ladies final – 9–11 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sun., Jan. 24, 2010 – Skating Spectacular – 4-6 p.m. ET (Live)

This is the third year of a multi-year agreement between NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating. The 10 hours of coverage of the 2010 U.S Championships on NBC Sports is the most network coverage of this event since 1998. In the first year of this agreement, the U.S. Championships on NBC Sports drew nearly 12.5 million viewers, up 164 percent over the previous year on ABC and ESPN2 (4.7 million). It was the most-watched U.S. Championships since 2003 when the event benefited from the lift that figure skating received from the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

ICENETWORK.COM COVERAGE: Icenetwork.com, a joint partnership between U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media, will provide exclusive online video coverage of competition in addition to backstage photos, interviews with former champions, video diaries and much more. Icenetwork.com’s coverage of Skate America and the U.S. Championships will once again include the “AT&T Ice Desk,” which will feature interviews with alumni from past U.S. Championships and current competitors as well as other backstage and special features.

About U.S. Figure Skating – U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 700 member clubs, collegiate clubs, and school-affiliated clubs and more than 900 registered Basic Skills skating schools representing approximately 170,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.

About icenetwork.com – Ice Network, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Figure Skating, has the exclusive rights to U.S. Figure Skating’s interactive media properties and is a partnership between U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media. Icenetwork.com is the premier destination for fans of ice skating, delivering exclusive live and on-demand coverage of domestic and international competitions, while offering fans the opportunity to interact with top athletes and stay updated with news and information from the world of ice skating year round. Icenetwork.com is dedicated to providing year-round, in-depth coverage of the all things ice skating to millions of fans around the world. Icenetwork.com is committed to expanding the audience by delivering compelling programming that fans won’t get a chance to see anyplace else, including exclusive back-stage interviews with top skaters, special programming featuring figure skating stars and additional video coverage from around the globe.

About NBC Sports – NBC Sports, known for amassing large audiences while presenting the most prestigious properties in sports, represents superior production that elevates sport, broad promotion and mutually-beneficial partnerships. As evidence of NBC Sports’ ability to amass large audiences, over the past year, NBC Sports broadcast two record-breaking television events: the Beijing Olympic Games, the most-watched event in U.S. television history with 215 million viewers and Super Bowl XLIII, which achieved the largest single audience in U.S. television history with a record 152 million viewers. NBC Sports is now home to eight of the top ten most-watched events in U.S. television history.

NBC Sports partners with many of the most powerful brands in sports. NBC Sports has broadcast 16 Super Bowls, tied with CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by a single network. As America’s Olympic Network, NBC has broadcast more Olympics than any other network and owns the rights to the Olympic Games through 2012. NBC is also home to “NBC Sunday Night Football,” the premier primetime NFL game of the week. Other prestigious NBC Sports properties include Notre Dame football, the U.S. Open Championship, The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Wimbledon, French Open, the Stanley Cup Final and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.