Archives for August 2017

Final Three Events of the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Season Exclusively on Golf Channel and NBC

 ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 29, 2017) – Following Sunday’s dramatic conclusion at The Northern Trust with World. No. 1 Dustin Johnson defeating Jordan Spieth in a one-hole playoff, the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs continue this week outside of Boston with the Dell Technologies Championship, Friday-Monday, Sept. 1-4. Golf Channel and NBC will carry exclusive coverage of the final three events of the FedExCup Playoffs, culminating with the season-ending TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Taking place at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass., the Dell Technologies Championship will feature the top-100 players in the FedExCup standings who advanced from last week’s Northern Trust. Golf Channel will air live coverage of the first two rounds Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2, with Golf Channel and NBC combining for live coverage of the final two rounds Sunday and Monday, Sept. 3-4. In total, NBC Sports Group will air nearly 20 hours of live tournament coverage of the event.

The top-70 players then will advance to Conway Farms Golf Club outside of Chicago for the BMW Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 14-17. From there, the top-30 will advance to the season-culminating TOUR Championship, where the season-long FedExCup champion will be crowned and the $10 million first-place prize will be awarded

BROADCAST TEAMS: Golf Channel will carry live coverage of the opening two rounds and weekend lead-in coverage at each of the final three playoff events, with NBC also carrying third and final round coverage at each stop. Terry Gannon/Frank Nobilo (Dell Technologies Championship, TOUR Championship) and Rich Lerner/Nobilo (BMW Championship) will handle play-by-play and analyst duties for Golf Channel’s early round and lead-in coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs. Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller will anchor NBC’s weekend coverage of the final three events. Tower analysts Gary Koch and Peter Jacobsen; on-course reporters David Feherty, Jim “Bones” Mackay, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing and Notah Begay, and reporter Steve Sands will contribute to coverage on both Golf Channel and NBC. Jimmy Roberts will serve as an essayist at the BMW Championship and the TOUR Championship.

NEWS COVERAGE: Golf Channel’s news programs, Golf Central and Morning Drive, will provide comprehensive wraparound news coverage throughout the remainder of the FedExCup Playoffs with interviews, highlights, on-site reports and features. At the BMW Championship, Matt Ginella and Charlie Rymer will host Morning Drive on-location from Conway Farms, Tuesday-Sunday. The network’s team of analysts, including Begay, Brandel Chamblee, John Cook, David Duval, Tripp Isenhour, Billy Kratzert and Arron Oberholser, all will contribute to Golf Central’s coverage during the Playoffs.

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Golf Channel Digital will have comprehensive editorial coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs with columns and daily blogs. Senior writer Rex Hoggard will report on-site for the Dell Technologies Championship and TOUR Championship; and staff writer Will Gray will report onsite for the BMW Championship.

Golf Channel’s social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – will provide expanded social coverage surrounding the final stretch of the season. Also, for the first time at the FedExCup Playoffs, both Golf Channel and NBC will integrate social media throughout its live tournament telecasts, incorporating social media posts from players and fans.

News and tournament action surrounding the FedExCup Playoffs can be accessed at any time on any mobile device and online via Golf Channel Digital. Fans also can stream NBC Sports’ coverage of live golf via NBC Sports.com and the NBC Sports App.

NBC Sports Group FedExCup Playoffs Tournament Coverage (all times ET):

Dell Technologies Championship (Sept. 1-4)
Friday, Sept. 1	First Round	2:30-6:30 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 2	Second Round	3-6:30 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 3	Third Round	1-3 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 3	Third Round	3-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC
Monday, Sept. 4	Final Round	11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Monday, Sept. 4	Final Round	1:30-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC
BMW Championship (Sept. 14-17)
Wednesday, Sept. 13	Pro-Am Show	5-6 p.m.	Golf Channel
Thursday, Sept. 14	First Round	3-7 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Friday, Sept. 15	Second Round	3-7 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 16	Third Round	1-3 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 16	Third Round	3-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC
Sunday, Sept. 17	Final Round	Noon-2 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 17	Final Round	2-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC
TOUR Championship (Sept. 21-24)
Thursday, Sept. 21	First Round	1-6 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Friday, Sept. 22	Second Round	1-6 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 23	Third Round	12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 23	Third Round	2:30-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC
Sunday, Sept. 24	Final Round	Noon-1:30 p.m. (Live)	Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 24	Final Round	1:30-6 p.m. (Live)	NBC

 

-NBC Sports Group-

Lead F1 and IndyCar Play-by-Play Voice Leigh Diffey, Formula One Analyst David Hobbs, IndyCar Analyst Paul Tracy, and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton to Preview Sunday’s Motorsports Coverage on NBCSN

Sunday on NBCSN – F1 Italian Grand Prix at 7:30 a.m. ET, IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen at 1:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Cup Series Race at Darlington at 6 p.m. ET

Diffey to Call F1/IndyCar Doubleheader on Sunday

Dial 719-325-2140 to Participate

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 29, 2017 – NBC Sports Group’s lead Formula One and IndyCar play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey, F1 analyst David Hobbs, IndyCar analyst Paul Tracy, and NASCAR analyst Jeff Burton will preview Sunday’s motorsports tripleheader on NBCSN – featuring live coverage of the F1 Italian Grand Prix, IndyCar Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, and NASCAR Cup Series race from Darlington Raceway – on a media conference call Thursday, August 31, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Media interested in participating should call 719-325-2140; passcode 7604813.

NBCSN’s motorsports tripleheader begins this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET with the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, followed by the Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix at the Glen at 1:30 p.m. ET, and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from Darlington at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Diffey will perform a rare broadcasting feat this weekend, handling live play-by-play duties of the F1 race from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., on Sunday morning, followed by a flight to Watkins Glen to handle play-by-play duties of the IndyCar race on-site on Sunday afternoon.

• WHAT: NBC Sports Sunday Motorsports Tripleheader Conference Call
• WHO: Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Paul Tracy, and Jeff Burton
• WHEN: Thursday, August 31, at 3:30 p.m. ET
• NUMBER: 719-325-2140
• PASSCODE: 7604813

– NBC SPORTS GROUP –

August 29, 2017

 

THE MODERATOR: Just nine days out from the kickoff of the 2017 season with the Chiefs-Patriots on NBC. We’re joined today by the on-air team of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya, and the executive producer of Sunday Night Football, Fred Gaudelli. We’ll start with an opening comment from each, and then we’ll take your questions.

FRED GAUDELLI: Thanks, good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining. Thursday night will mark the 200th game of the Sunday Night Football package. Obviously one of the most successful packages in television sports history. As I’m sure you’ve heard a number of times, we finished our sixth year as the No. 1 television show in prime time. We kick off with the Super Bowl champions on Thursday night, as we’ve done traditionally now through this thing, the 12th season of the package, and it ends in the best way possible with Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.

So we’re excited for another season, and I will turn it over to Al Michaels.

AL MICHAELS: It’s an exciting time of year for all of us because we get to break the seal on a new season once again. It was mentioned that this is the 200th Sunday night game. I’ve done every season with Fred Gaudelli and Drew Esocoff, and more than half now with Cris, and the other percentage with John Madden before that.

So got a great team, and we all feed off each other and we push each other and we treat every Sunday night like a mini Super Bowl. Of course the great thing about this season is that we do get to end it with the real Super Bowl, Minnesota, on the 4th of February.

And every year we say we love our schedule, and the league helps make it so for us. I look down the list here and down the line, we open the Atlanta stadium in Week 2. We have games down the line including Atlanta at New England. We have that game — I think it’s Week 7 or 8 at the end of October. I think there are a couple of storylines for that one. New England at Denver, Green Bay at Pittsburgh, Philly at Dallas, Dallas at Oakland. Who knows if that’s a Super Bowl preview or not in late December.

So the games are fantastic. We were in Canton, Ohio, opening up the preseason earlier in the month, and we were honored to have a Sunday Night Football display, which they unveiled in Canton, and it was fantastic. As people stood there and looked at some of the artifacts, there is a loop, a tape that runs, and it’s about five minutes. I sat there and watched it, as did a lot of people who were surrounding that display at that point, and I can’t believe some of the incredible things that have happened in the 11 years of this package. Some amazing moments, and some of the most iconic moments in football history.

So once again, off we go in nine days. And once again, nine years now with my partner, Cris Collinsworth. Cris?

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: Thank you. I think all of us are genuinely excited. It just dawned on me that this is my 36th year of doing something with the National Football League, and it’s a little daunting when you start thinking back at all the different things you’ve been a part of. But to do the preseason game in Minnesota the other night and to be sitting in the seats where we’re going to be at the end of this season, it’s just exciting.

I think Al and I are going to have to cut back a little bit on our trip to Manny’s so that we don’t come out of there about 350.

But it’s an exciting time. It’s amazing, after 36 years I still feel that same surge of excitement when we come to this point in the season. And for all that people want to do with the National Football League and complain about this and this controversy and whatever, it really is an interesting time in America that people sort of have a united interest. No matter where I go, I’m sure no matter where Al goes, and no matter who the great company is that you keep, it seems more often than not the first questions at the dinner table revolve around the National Football League. So we’re very excited to be a big part of that.

Michele…

MICHELE TAFOYA: Thanks, Cris. Yeah, it’s been fun here in Minnesota because it’s my hometown. To be ramping up to a Super Bowl where I live is really exciting and fun, although it can be a double-edged sword because everyone thinks you can get them tickets, which is just far from the case. But other than that, like Al said, our schedule looks terrific. I think anytime we have a Super Bowl season, it feels really special, actually you go into the season knowing you’re going to cap it off with the ultimate game, and that just makes the whole thing really, really a lot more exciting.

So I’m fired up about it, too. I want Al and Cris to know that Manny’s is not the only restaurant worth visiting in Minneapolis, and I’ll educate them before February.

Q. I know you’ve debuted in several stadiums in recent years on Sunday nights. Could you talk about, even though I’m sure the focus is on the field, just how prominently you intend to showcase the stadium when you have a new stadium, and how you might do that with Mercedes-Benz on the 17th?

FRED GAUDELLI: We’ll definitely feature prominently. One of the things we try to do is create that balance. I was in Mercedes-Benz Stadium a couple weeks ago when they unveiled it for the media. It’s spectacular. There are some really iconic features like halo and the tower, and some of the cool things Mr. Blank has done with the food service.

So we will definitely be showcasing as much as possible of the stadium, and just balance it out with the game coverage. When the game is on the field and there’s action, that takes precedent. But going in and out of break, and taking some downtime to talk about it, that will certainly happen.

Q. Anything strike you as unusual or interesting there in terms of camera positions or shots you’ll be able to get? Obviously big difference from the Dome, you can see the city from there. Just wondered if any of that thing kind of struck you?

FRED GAUDELLI: The thing that strikes you more than anything else is the halo. That is really unique. Obviously the roof is unique too. Unfortunately it won’t be open for the first game. But I think as much as we can do showing off that halo, and I know it will be up in the catwalk just to look down at it a little bit and just show you what it looks like in perspective to the field, and perspective to where people also sit, to me that is one of the really cool and distinguishing features about this place.

When the roof does open, that will be a very distinguishing aspect of the stadium as well. They opened it up this past Sunday for us to get some shots for us to use in the promotion of the game, and obviously during the game on September 17th. Those are the two things that really strike me more than anything else.

Q. Al, how do you feel about the whole way the Thursday night part of the schedule worked out? Last year there was a perception you weren’t necessarily thrilled with doing both. Now this year you’re not. Mike’s doing it. Do you like how this played out and how you can just concentrate on the Sundays again?

AL MICHAELS: Oh, definitely. One of the reasons we were able to bring Mike over was the opportunity for him to do NFL games. I’m excited for him. This is going to work out great for all of us. For me, just doing the Sunday Night games, you do two preseason, there are 19 regular seasons counting the Thursday night opener and Thanksgiving night. Between three playoff games this year, that’s a pretty full-sized plate for me. So I’m happy for Mike, and it’s going to work out great for everybody.

Q. Fred, any changes to the number of cameras or kinds of cameras you guys plan to use this season? Any new production tools on the docket?

FRED GAUDELLI: Really not much of a change to the number. We have a pretty prodigious complement as we speak. But we are going to convert two of our regular Sony 4300 cameras to X-Mos, so now we’ll have a total of seven of those high-speed replay cameras, which I think are just spectacular. And in a sport like football where literally every frame can be the difference between a touchdown or not or winning or not. I think it helps in the totality of the coverage of providing the feeds.

We did experiment with a dual Sky Cam system in Minneapolis this past Sunday night where one flew at the normal height that people are used to seeing and one flew much higher, about 50 feet above, where we did some offensive line and pass patterns and things of that nature. I thought it was pretty effective. Won’t be something we use on an every-week basis, but I can see it coming back for a handful of games during the season and the postseason.

Q. Speaking of Minneapolis, any possibility of a sneak peak into some of those preparations for Super Bowl LII?

FRED GAUDELLI: It’s still early. We had a survey there yesterday. I think it was our fourth survey with the league, going over the camera positions. I think it’s one of the most spectacular stadiums from an architectural standpoint. It’s really cool with the transparent roof and the way the reflections of the city in the glass on the sides of the stadium, so we’re pretty excited about doing the game there.

Q. Al and Cris, the Carolina Panthers had one of the biggest Super Bowl hangovers ever last year. You guys saw the first game. Wondering in addition, Julius Peppers and McCaffrey and players like that, do you think the Panthers can bounce back and challenge Atlanta for a conference championship this year?

AL MICHAELS: Briefly, I’ll say yes, because two years ago they were great. I mean, almost ran the table. Again, and I don’t know, I don’t have to tell you because you’re down there in Langston, but how healthy is Cam? Is he 100%? Can Cam be Cam? McCaffrey’s going to be very exciting to watch, obviously. They’re a terrifically coached team as well. Have a great deal of respect for Ron Rivera and his staff. So, yeah. I think there is little doubt that they should be right in the mix.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: I agree with you. I thought that was a pretty big fall. Now they’re bringing in some new offensive linemen. I really kind of can’t wait to see what this is going to look like with McCaffrey in there. What does it mean for Cam? Is it a little bit more of the quick passing game? Are we going to see the same sort of number of runs? He’s been such a force down on the goal line for a number of years. Will he continue to be that or is he going to be now coming out of the shoulder stuff, more of a guy that’s going to try to fit in the pocket where you’ve seen other quarterbacks try and evolve and become that? And we’ll have to see if this defense can be dominant again. I mean, that was a major changeover in the secondary a season ago, and bringing back in Julius Peppers, that will be kind of fun to watch this season.

But do I think they’re going to catch Atlanta? My gut is no. Atlanta, for all the talk of domination of what we saw about the New England Patriots in this off-season, it sure didn’t feel that way when it was 28-3 and we’re all sitting around going, ‘Oh, my goodness. What is this? Is Atlanta one of the truly super teams? Is this a possible dynasty watching them destroy the Patriots and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in this way?’ So it’s hard to not think that the Atlanta Falcons are going to bounce back with what they’ve got on that team.

Of course, said the same thing about Carolina the year before.

Q. One follow-up, Cris, on Cam, given what you’ve seen of him, do you think he can make the transition and improve his mechanics and be able to make the check-down throws and extend his career? Because he can’t continue to take the punches he’s been taking.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: Yeah, I would agree with that. It’s a big transition. Instead of running, now he has to hit that throw consistently in the flat. He has to hit that swing pass consistently to keep those drives alive. Clearly that’s what they’re trying to get done. And they have to protect him. Matt Kalil has a big job this year. They’re going to have to be better on the outside. Hopefully they’re healthy again on the outside with some of those receivers.

But it’s not an automatic, yeah, for sure, it’s going to happen. And Cam is such a force running the ball, it’s almost hard to believe that when the game is on the line, that instinct is not going to take over.

Q. Al and Cris, I believe this is the 11th Giants-Cowboys game on a Sunday Night Football package and the 18th overall for Al. What is it about this rivalry that maintains that kind of juice for a prime time audience and makes it special?

AL MICHAELS: Well, you start with the two markets. New York is the center of the universe in a lot of areas, including sports. So anytime you have a game featuring a New York team, obviously, you’ve got the great Metropolitan area, the population, all of that, you know there is a tremendous amount of interest. Dallas, of course, not that they’re America’s Team or whatever, but they were. There is a certain patina with that team. There is no doubt about it. When you look at the ratings through the years, we can’t get enough Cowboy games. You’ve seen that through the decades now.

So the Giants and the Cowboys, great rivals, same division. Terrific way to open up the season. It’s just exciting. When they get together, it sings. When people say to me on the street or airport or whatever, ‘What is the game next week,’ and I say, ‘Giants-Cowboys,’ they go, ‘Yeah.’ It’s a lot different than talking about some of the other match-ups.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: Yeah, from my standpoint, the star power just continues to grow. Al covered the Cowboys and why they’re always of interest, and of course the Ezekiel Elliott story and saga now will continue, I’m sure, right into game day with the Cowboys, [with] some sort of appeal where he could actually play in this game? I could make the argument this may be the most important game on the schedule for either one of these teams. It’s hard to create a scenario where it doesn’t at least as a pre-season prognostication feel like the Giants and Cowboys are the two teams to beat in this division.

Then you add in Brandon Marshall and, of course, Odell Beckham and Eli Manning, and the star power is back on the defensive side. Watching Jason Pierre-Paul the other day was spectacular. We saw Janoris Jenkins in the Cowboys game last year play as well as any corner I saw during the course of the season. Olivier Vernon has added a great player on that side. And they were the No. 2 overall defense or something like that a season ago.

So, I mean, you have greatness on the field. So you have all of this stuff that Al is talking about, but it’s backed up by great players on the field.

Q. Is there more of a buzz on the sideline for Giants-Cowboys?

MICHELE TAFOYA: Oh, it’s fantastic. It’s palpable. The Dallas fans love having it. Just love it. It’s a ‘throw down the gauntlet’ kind of game. The fans are pretty much always fired up in Dallas, but there is extra juice when the Giants are there. The fans are rabid. And they get a sprinkling of Giants fans in there, too, but the home team is in rare form when their division rival comes to down. It’s a terrific scene.

Q. Cris, do you think the Giants might have a window and they’ve got to take advantage of it before it closes since they’ve got a 36-year-old quarterback?

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: Yes. I mean, just look around the league right now. There just aren’t many of those guys. Every year I kind of take a count as to how many guys playing in the quarterback position that I think will actually win the Super Bowl. Of course there is always a year, right, like the Ravens or whatever the case may be.

But for the most part it’s the same seven, eight quarterbacks that are rotating through the championship game every year, and what we’ve seen out of Eli is that now that he has the weapons — I mean, this team is absolutely loaded with weapons. This Evan Engram is going to be fantastic. Odell Beckham, for all the greatness that he is. I still think a guy like Brandon Marshall down in the red zone that could go up and make some plays down there is going to take even more pressure off of him.

I don’t have to tell you, Sterling Shepard, assuming he’s okay with the ankle and all of that, is a great player. But it’s going to come down to Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart, and it’s amazing whether or not the Giants can get back to the Super Bowl comes down to probably two of the guys that most people couldn’t name, right? But that’s actually what this team is about right now.

Q. Michele, you mentioned earlier that the Super Bowl is coming back to your hometown of Minneapolis. Can you explain how much you’re looking forward to it?

MICHELE TAFOYA: You know, I’ve lived here now for close to 25 years, and what I know about Minnesota is they love to throw a party. They love to show off the best side of the state and the cities, the Twin Cities, when there is going to be something big here. They take a real pride in it.

And that is not to suggest that any other Super Bowl city doesn’t, but I think Minnesota’s a pretty provincial place. They love boasting about what’s here and what they’ve developed that’s great. If Prince were still alive, it would stun me if he wouldn’t have been the halftime act. That’s the kind of place this is. They love to show off.

I think, too, they know how to embrace the cold, and they’ve got some really cool stuff that’s going to be set up for fans to check out in downtown Minneapolis. That’s really going to be the center of the activity leading up to the game.

You know, selfishly for me, it’s just fun to be able to think about driving everywhere and meeting the crew and doing stuff like that. It’s fun for me, too, to let people know about the Twin Cities. So often I’m on the road and people ask me where I live. They know Al lives in L.A., and they associate Cris with the Cincinnati area because of his playing career. But when I say Minneapolis, they kind of look at me like, why? You could live anywhere. Why would you live in Minneapolis? And while the winters aren’t easy, I think this is an opportunity to showcase why I do live here and why I love it so much. So it’s a source of pride for a lot of us.

Q. Al and Cris, can you guys talk about Year 2 of the Carson Wentz-Doug Pederson era here in Philadelphia?

AL MICHAELS: I’m excited to see what it brings. Obviously the team got off to a pretty good start last year and pretty much came back to real life. But we’ve got these guys twice. We talked about Giants-Cowboys. We also have Eagles-Cowboys. We’ve got a whole bunch of those games, and they’re terrific. We’ll have that again this year. Then we have Philadelphia going into Seattle as well.

So, you know, it’s year two for the coach and the quarterback, and obviously they’ve upgraded several positions along the way here. I look for a pretty good bounceback year for the Eagles.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH: Yeah, I’ve watched quite a bit of Carson Wentz. He fits the mold for me. He’s a big, strong, powerful guy, large, who understands what he’s doing. You know, I think he’s only going to develop. I know there were quite a few things that they wanted to kind of work with his footwork and his release and different things in the off-season. Frank Reich and Doug Pedersen, and so now with Alshon and Torrey Smith, and, you know, LeGarrette Blount, it may be a bigger role for Darren Sproles. I don’t know exactly how this is all going to play out. But with Lane Johnson back in there playing the tackle position from the beginning, this is an interesting team. I don’t know where they are exactly on the back end with their secondary. That was the big question in my mind coming into this season.

But I’m excited to see 2.0. So far this season Dak Prescott 2.0 has been very impressive. We’ll see if Carson Wentz can make that kind of jump, because that’s what it’s all about, right? I already talked about those eight quarterbacks; the Eagles are trying to make it to nine that can win a Super Bowl.

Q. Follow-up question, can you guys talk about doing the Eagles-Cowboys game every year? Because I know, Al, you’ve done several of those games?

AL MICHAELS: Oh, yeah, and this year it comes late in the season. I think it might be the Sunday before Thanksgiving. So by that time we’re going to know, you know, what each team is. And the race, I expect, to the NFC East should be tight all the way down to the finish.

But we talked about that Giants-Cowboys buzz, there is that same kind of buzz with Philadelphia and Dallas. That is the great thing about the NFC East. No matter what you do in terms of those match-ups, the rivalries are great, no matter which way you want to go, you throw the Redskins into the mix, you throw in the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles. So any of those combinations is going to be terrific. We look forward to a great game, as it was last year when we had Philly and Dallas going into overtime.

International “Notre Dame Football Season Pass” Includes Access to All Seven Home Games Live and On-Demand for $49.99

Pass Available for Purchase in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK

Both Full Season and Single Game Passes Available

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 29, 2017 – NBC Sports Gold — NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product — is launching an international “Notre Dame Football Season Pass,” giving fans in 13 international countries access to every home game during the 2017 season. The direct-to-consumer pass, powered by NBC Sports’ Playmaker Media, will offer fans abroad coverage of Notre Dame Football home games live and on-demand, available online, as well as on mobile devices and tablets.

NBC Sports Gold’s “Notre Dame Football Season Pass” is available for purchase now for $49.99, and features all seven home games in the 2017 season, beginning Saturday, Sept. 2, with Temple vs. Notre Dame. The pass is available in 13 countries: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK. USD or local currency pricing is available. “Notre Dame Football Season Pass” is not available to customers in the U.S.

In addition, fans in these countries can purchase “Notre Dame Football Game Pass,” which will give them access to individual games of their choosing, for $9.99 per game. The “Notre Dame Football Season Pass” and all seven “Notre Dame Football Game Passes” can be purchased in advance now by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

“We’re happy to bring Notre Dame Football fans around the world access to their team through this new offering from NBC Sports Gold,” said Portia Archer, Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer Services, NBC Sports Group. “In addition, with the per-game purchase option, international fans of Notre Dame’s opponents can also watch their team take on the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium.”

NBC Sports Group and the University of Notre Dame began their landmark Notre Dame Football relationship in 1991, and have renewed the partnership numerous times. NBC Sports Group and Notre Dame will kick off the 27th season of one of the most successful partnerships in sports when the Fighting Irish host the Temple Owls on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC SPORTS GOLD NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:

Date	Time (ET)	Game
Sat., Sept. 2	3:30 p.m.	Temple vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Sept. 9	7:30 p.m.	Georgia vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Sept. 30	5 p.m.	Miami (OH) vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Oct. 21	7:30 p.m.	USC vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Oct. 28	3:30 p.m.	NC State vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Nov. 4	3:30 p.m.	Wake Forest vs. Notre Dame
Sat., Nov. 18	3:30 p.m.	Navy vs. Notre Dame

 

International coverage will be available on Apple iOS and Android devices, and online on NBCSportsGold.com. NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions.

NBC SPORTS GOLD

NBC Sports Gold — NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product — launched in 2016 with a “Cycling Pass,” which included the 2016 Tour de France, Vuelta a España, Monument Classics such as the Paris Roubaix, and more. In addition to its “Cycling Pass,” which this season includes more than 25 races, earlier this year NBC Sports Gold expanded its offerings to include a “Track and Field Pass,” offering access to more than 25 major events; a “Rugby Pass,” including every Premiership Rugby match, select Women’s Rugby World Cup matches, and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens; a “Pro Motocross Pass,” featuring the entire 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season; and a “Premier League Pass” giving fans in the U.S. exclusive access to 130 live Premier League matches plus the most robust offering of Premier League shoulder programming ever available in the U.S. Click here for more information.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

NBC, the Only Network with 2 NFL Primetime Packages, Opens 2017 NFL Season With the NFL Kickoff Game on Thurs., Sept. 7

NBC’s Sunday Night Football Debuts on Sun., Sept. 10

Cowboys, Giants & Steelers Rank 1-2-3 in SNF Appearances; Peyton Manning Tops SNF in Wins by Starting QB

23 Games in NBC’s SNF Package Have Averaged 25 Million Viewers – More Than Triple All of Primetime TV’s Regular Shows Combined in Same Span (Since ’10)

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 29, 2017 – When NBC Sports presents the AFC West-champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Super Bowl-champion New England Patriots in the NFL Kickoff game next Thursday, Sept. 7, it will mark the 200^th regular-season game in the NBC Sunday Night Football package (includes Thanksgiving night and NFL Kickoff games).

The 2006 NFL Kickoff game (Pittsburgh’s 28-17 win over Miami on Sept. 7, 2006) was the first NBC regular-season primetime telecast in the SNF package, while Green Bay’s division title-clinching 31-24 victory over Detroit on Jan. 1, 2017 was Game #199.

The last six years of NBC’s Sunday Night Football have been history-making, as SNF has been primetime TV’s No. 1 show for a record six consecutive seasons – tying American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by The Nielsen Company. Prior to 2011, a sports series had never been primetime television’s top show for a full season.

Twenty three (23) games in the NBC SNF package have topped 25 million viewers (all since 2010) – more than triple the rest of regularly-scheduled primetime TV shows (six) in that span (since Sept. 9, 2010).

Following is a year-by-year and statistical look back at the first 199 games of NBC’s Sunday Night Football:

NBC’s Sunday Night Football – A Timeline of the First 199 Games

Sept. 7, 2006 – NFL Kickoff 2006: Miami at Pittsburgh – NBC’s first regular-season game since 1997 season.

Sept. 10, 2006 – NBC Sunday Night Football opener – Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants in first-ever meeting between Peyton and Eli Manning, a 26-21 Colts victory.

Nov. 19, 2006 – First ever NFL “flex scheduling” – Chargers at Broncos moves to primetime in Week 11 of NBC’s SNF.

Dec. 9, 2007 – Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning throws 300^th career TD pass in the Colts’ Week 14 SNF win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Sept. 4, 2008 – NFL Kickoff game on NBC (Redskins-Giants) begins at 7 p.m. ET – 90 minutes earlier than the start time of the traditional season opener due to the Republican National Convention, which NBC News covers following the conclusion of the game.

Oct. 19, 2008 – Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth work their first game together – Seahawks at Bucs on SNF, giving John Madden a week off from cross-country travel.

Nov. 16, 2009 – Colts remain unbeaten at 9-0 after coming back from 17 points behind to defeat Patriots 35-34 in a game known for New England’s decision to go for a first down on 4^th & 2 from its own 28-yard line with 2:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. Patriots came up short. Four plays later, Peyton Manning throws the game-winning TD pass to Reggie Wayne.

Oct. 31, 2010 – NBC televises its first SNF game on same night as World Series game.  Steelers-Saints averages 18.1 million viewers on NBC, while Giants-Rangers WS Game 4 averages 15.5 million viewers on FOX. It was the first time that a primetime NFL regular-season game topped a World Series game on the same night.

Dec. 28, 2010 – NBC televises Vikings-Eagles SNF game on Tuesday, Dec. 28, due to a blizzard in Philadelphia on Sunday, Dec. 26. It was the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1946 (New York Giants vs. Boston Yanks, 10/1/46). Vikings-Eagles averaged 23.7 million viewers.

Sept. 8, 2011 – Four NBCUniversal networks – VERSUS, USA, Syfy and G4 – carry opening hour of NFL Kickoff 2011 pregame show (leading into Saints-Packers) in place of NBC, which covers speech by President Barack Obama.

Sept. 5, 2012 – NBC televises NFL Kickoff game (Cowboys-Giants) on a Wednesday night, avoiding the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where President Barack Obama accepts party’s nomination in a Thursday night speech. It was the first NFL game played on a Wednesday since 1948 (L.A. Rams-Detroit Lions, 9/22/48).

Sept. 9, 2012 – In his first game with the Denver Broncos (in the SNF season opener), QB Peyton Manning throws his 400^th career TD pass (vs. Pittsburgh).

Oct. 7, 2012 – New Orleans QB Drew Brees throws TD pass in NFL-record 48^th consecutive game, breaking Johnny Unitas’ 52-year old mark (47) in a Week 5 Chargers-Saints SNF game.

Nov. 22, 2012 – A new tradition begins with NBC’s first-ever NFL primetime game on Thanksgiving (New England at N.Y. Jets). This game is also known for the Jets’ second quarter “butt fumble” which the Patriots returned for a TD.

Dec. 30, 2012 – The Week 17 NFC East championship “win-and-in” game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins is the most-watched regular-season Sunday night game in NFL history (30.3 million viewers).

Sept. 5, 2013 – In the NFL Kickoff game, Denver’s Peyton Manning throws 7 TD passes vs. Baltimore, tying an NFL record which had last been matched in 1969.

Sept. 15, 2013 – Despite a 60-minute, first-quarter weather delay, the Week 2 San Francisco-Seattle SNF matchup was the most-watched primetime NFL game between West Coast teams in 18 years (20.5 million viewers).

Oct. 20, 2013 – Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s (Week 7 SNF) return to Indianapolis, where he played 13 seasons for the Colts, averaged 26.9 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched October NFL primetime telecast in 21 years.

Nov. 24, 2013 – It was Brady-Manning XIV on SNF in Week 12, as Tom Brady led the Patriots’ biggest comeback victory ever (from 24 points behind) in defeating Peyton Manning and the Broncos, 34-31, in overtime.

Oct. 19, 2014 – Broncos QB Peyton Manning throws 509^th TD pass in a win over the 49ers on SNF in Week 7, breaking Brett Favre’s NFL career record.

Sept. 10, 2015 – Tom Brady sets the NFL record for most regular-season wins by a QB with one team (161) in Patriots’ NFL Kickoff game win over Steelers.

Oct. 4, 2015 – Saints QB Drew Brees throws 400^th career touchdown pass in Week 4 SNF victory over Cowboys. Brees’ milestone TD pass is an 80-yarder to win the game 13 seconds into OT – the quickest regular-season overtime victory in NFL history.

Nov. 1, 2015 – The 6-0 Green Bay Packers visit the 6-0 Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football in the first-ever primetime game featuring opponents with records of 6-0 or better.

Nov. 26, 2015 – The most-watched Thanksgiving primetime game in NFL history (27.8 million viewers for Bears-Packers) features Brett Favre’s “Ring of Honor” halftime ceremony, with a special appearance from Packers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr.

Nov. 27, 2016 – Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill scores three touchdowns in Week 12 SNF victory over Denver – becoming the first player since Hall of Famer Gale Sayers in 1965 to score by reception, return and rush in a game.

Jan. 1, 2017 – Lions QB Matthew Stafford reaches 30,000 career passing yards faster than any player in NFL history (109 games) in a Week 17 SNF loss to Green Bay. Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Kurt Warner held the prior mark (114 games).

ON-AIR TEAM (by NFL season)

In the Sunday Night Football booth

Al Michaels & John Madden	2006-2008
Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth	2009-present

On the sidelines for Sunday Night Football

Andrea Kremer	2006-2010
Michele Tafoya	2011-present

Sunday Night Football show open – performers

Pink	2006
Faith Hill	2007-12
Carrie Underwood	2013-present

VIEWERSHIP

SNF RANKS #1 IN PRIMETIME FOR RECORD 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2016-17 TV season as primetime’s #1 show in all key metrics for a record sixth consecutive year – tying American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by The Nielsen Company. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the seventh consecutive TV season.

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950

6 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2016-17)

6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)

5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90

5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)

4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

• Since the beginning of the 2011-12 TV season, only nine primetime shows have averaged 20+ million viewers, all on NBC – Sunday Night Football six times, the 2012 London Summer Games, the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, and the 2016 Rio Summer Games.

ON THE FIELD

NBC has televised 199 regular-season primetime NFL games since NBC’s Sunday Night Football debuted on September 7, 2006. Among the notable facts and figures:

New Stadiums Debuting on NBC’s Sunday Night Football

Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts)	2008
AT&T Stadium (Cowboys)	2009
Levi’s Stadium (49ers)	2014
U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings)	2016
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons)	2017*

*Week 2 this season

Most NBC SNF Games since 2006, Team

Dallas Cowboys	38
New York Giants	30
Pittsburgh Steelers	28
Philadelphia Eagles	27
Indianapolis Colts	26
Green Bay Packers	25
New England Patriots	25
Denver Broncos	22
Chicago Bears	21
New Orleans Saints	15
Seattle Seahawks	15

Most Played Matchups on NBC SNF, Since 2006

Cowboys-Giants	10
Cowboys-Eagles	10
Eagles-Giants	7
Ravens-Steelers	6
Bears-Packers	6
Cowboys-Redskins	6
Colts-Patriots	5
Packers-Vikings	4
Cowboys-Saints	4
Broncos-Chiefs	4
Bengals-Steelers	4

Most Games by Stadium on NBC SNF, Since 2006

Sports Authority Field at Mile High	14
AT&T Stadium	13
Heinz Field	13
Lambeau Field	13
Lincoln Financial Field	11
MetLife Stadium	11
Gillette Stadium	10
Lucas Oil Stadium	10
Giants Stadium	9
Mercedes-Benz Superdome	9

 

Most Points by Team in a Game on NBC SNF, since 2006

Saints (vs. Colts), 10/23/11	62
Packers (vs. Bears), 11/9/14	55
Eagles (vs. Bears), 12/22/12	54
Chargers (vs. Broncos), 12/28/08	52
Broncos (vs. Ravens), 9/5/13	49
Saints (vs. Cowboys), 11/10/13	49
Vikings (vs. Giants), 12/27/15	49

Most NBC SNF Games by a Player, since 2006

L.P. LaDouceur	38
Jason Witten	38
DeMarcus Ware	37
Eli Manning	30
Tony Romo	29
Greg Warren	28
Doug Free	28
Zak DeOssie	27
Peyton Manning	27
Miles Austin	27

Most Wins as Starting QB on NBC SNF

Peyton Manning	21-6
Tony Romo	17-11
Ben Roethlisberger	16-9
Tom Brady	15-7
Aaron Rodgers	13-9

Most TD passes on NBC Sunday Night Football

Peyton Manning

65

Most rushing TDs on NBC Sunday Night Football

Brandon Jacobs

13

Most receiving TDs on NBC Sunday Night Football

Antonio Brown	15
Dez Bryant	15
Rob Gronkowski	15

– SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL –

Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and SNF/TNF Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli to Preview 2017 NFL Season

Dial 719-325-4856 to Participate

Special Football Night in America Conference Call Added with Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Executive Producer Sam Flood on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 29, 2017 – The Sunday Night Football broadcast team of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya join Sunday Night Football/Thursday Night Football executive producer Fred Gaudelli to preview the 2017 NFL season on a media conference call today, Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. ET.

Dial 719-325-4856 to participate, conference ID 1238196.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison will join NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood to preview the 2017 NFL season on a media conference call at 2 p.m. ET. Media interested in participating should dial 719-325-4773; passcode: 4689454.

NBC’s schedule opens with a blockbuster Kickoff Weekend featuring four 2016 playoff teams. First, in NFL Kickoff 2017 on Thursday, Sept. 7, Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots host the AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Coverage begins on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET. Then, on Sept. 10, the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants in the opening Sunday Night Football game of the season.

Football Night in America is NBC’s NFL primetime studio show, and the most watched pre-game show in sports. FNIA kicks off NBC’s NFL coverage each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, leading into Sunday Night Football – America’s No. 1 primetime television show for five consecutive seasons.

SNF HONORED BY PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Earlier this month, NBC’s Sunday Night Football was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for its record six consecutive TV seasons as primetime television’s #1 show. NBC Sunday Night Football is tied with American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by The Nielsen Company. NBC Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the seventh consecutive TV season.

2017 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 7	NFL Kickoff	Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
Sun. Sept. 10	Week 1	New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 17	Week 2	Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Sept. 24	Week 3	Oakland Raiders at Washington Redskins
Sun. Oct. 1	Week 4	Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Oct. 8	Week 5	Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans
*Sun. Oct. 15	Week 6	New York Giants at Denver Broncos
*Sun. Oct. 22	Week 7	Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots
*Sun. Oct. 29	Week 8	Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions
*Sun. Nov. 5	Week 9	Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins
*Sun. Nov. 12	Week 10	New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
*Sun. Nov. 19	Week 11	Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
**Thurs. Nov. 23	Week 12	New York Giants at Washington Redskins
*Sun. Nov. 26	Week 12	Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Dec. 3	Week 13	Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Dec. 10	Week 14	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Dec. 17	Week 15	Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders
Sat. Dec. 23	Week 16	Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 31	Week 17	TBD

 *Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–