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Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases

Archives for October 2018

*REMINDER* BREEDERS’ CUP CONFERENCE CALL TODAY AT 1 P.M. ET

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Dial 334-323-0522 to Participate in Call with Mike Tirico, Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, and Eddie Olczyk

35th Breeders’ Cup Classic This Saturday, November 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 30, 2018 – NBC Sports Group’s Breeders’ Cup team will preview coverage of the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on a media conference call today, Wednesday October 31, at 1 p.m. ET.

Participants include host Mike Tirico, analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who owns 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, including five victories in the Classic, veteran horse racing analyst Randy Moss, and analyst/handicapper Eddie Olczyk.

Dial 334-323-0522 to participate; conference call ID 7617119.

NBCSN’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships begins this Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. ET with handicapping special “Betting the Breeders’ Cup.” Live coverage begins Friday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by five live hours on Saturday, Nov. 3 – beginning at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continuing on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s Breeders’ Cup programming.

Breeders’ Cup Classic Post Positions

Gate Horse Morning Line Odds
1 Thunder Snow 12-1
2 Roaring Lion 20-1
3 Catholic Boy 8-1
4 Gunnevera 20-1
5 Lone Sailor 30-1
6 McKinzie 6-1
7 West Coast 5-1
8 Pavel 20-1
9 Mendelssohn 12-1
10 Yoshida 10-1
11 Mind Your Biscuits 6-1
12 Axelrod 30-1
13 Discreet Lover 20-1
14 Accelerate 5-2

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

X Games Aspen 2019 Reveals First Wave of Invited Athletes and Competition Schedule

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ESPN returns to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass, Colo., January 24-27, 2019, for the 18th consecutive year to showcase the world’s premier action sports competition with live coverage on ESPN and ABC. The 2019 event will again feature action sports competitions, world-class musical performances and a festival village.

The post X Games Aspen 2019 Reveals First Wave of Invited Athletes and Competition Schedule appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

STANFORD, USC (WOMEN) & ALABAMA, AUBURN (MEN) ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP AT EAST LAKE CUP

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USC vying for 3rd East Lake win; Stanford aims for first win in 4th appearance;

In-State rivals Alabama, Auburn look to claim first East Lake Cup victory

 

East Lake Cup Concludes Wednesday on Golf Channel (Live, 3-6 p.m. ET):

Championship Match – Stanford/USC (Women); Alabama/Auburn (Men)

Consolation Match – Alabama/Arizona (Women); Duke/Oklahoma State (Men)

 

ATLANTA, Oct. 30, 2018 – Tuesday’s semifinal matches at the East Lake Cup set the table for in-state and conference bragging rights for both the men’s and women’s championship matches on Wednesday afternoon. In a rematch of last year’s final, Stanford and USC once again will meet in the championship match, while the men’s side will feature an “Iron Bowl” match-up between Alabama and Auburn.

SEMIFINALS:

  • WOMEN – (1) Stanford def. (4) Alabama, 4-1; (2) USC def. (3) Arizona, 4-1
  • MEN – (4) Auburn def. (1) Duke, 4-1; (3) Alabama def. (2) Oklahoma State, 3-2

 

WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS

Dominant victories by Andrea Lee (junior, 7&5) and Ziyi Wang (junior, 8&6) left the Cardinal needing only one additional point amongst the final three matches on the course. Monday’s East Lake Cup individual stroke play champion Albane Valenzuela (junior) closed out her match on the 15th green (4&3), securing Stanford’s spot in Wednesday’s championship match. And while the Stanford women are the only program to take part in all four editions of the event, they’ve yet to depart East Lake with a trophy in-hand.

“We’re in this position every year because of the way we play in May,” said Stanford head coach Anne Walker. “So we’re doing something right that gets us to the right spot in May. I just give all the credit to my players.”

Jennifer Chang (sophomore) won USC’s first point (1up) over Arizona’s Bianca Paghanganan (senior) in a match where neither player led by more than one point throughout. Alyaa Abdulghany (sophomore) held on to defeat Yu Chun Chang (freshman) 2up on the 18th hole, despite holding a 5up lead through 12 holes. Amelia Garvey (sophomore, 4&2) and Gabi Ruffels (sophomore, 3&2) also earned points for the Trojans, putting them in position to try and win their third East Lake Cup in four years.

“We see [Stanford] a lot, so there’s a lot of familiarity in their roster,” said USC head coach Justin Silverstein. “[Our team] is a little more fired up than they normally are, so we’re jones-ing to get out there at about Noon tomorrow. We’ll just try to go about our business.”

 

MEN’S SEMIFINALS

Auburn had no trouble putting its subpar effort in Monday’s individual stroke play competition in the rearview mirror, taking down No. 1 seeded Duke 4-1, despite dropping the opening match. Jacob Solomon (senior, 6&5) and Jovan Rebula (junior, 4&3) gave Auburn a 2-1 lead, and sophomore Brandon Mancheno grinded out the deciding point, despite losing each of his first three holes and not holding a lead at any point of the match.

“Brandon is a big time player,” said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. “Three down through the first three holes. To have that much grit and grind, I’m just really proud of him… We’ve got a lot of work left to do tomorrow. [We need] to just be patient, come out with lot of passion, a lot of pride and have a lot of grit.”

Alabama’s 3-2 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday avenged the Crimson Tide’s (5-0) defeat to the Cowboys at the NCAA Championship in June. Wilson Furr (sophomore) earned the deciding point (2up) courtesy of making eagle on the par-5 18th hole to complement his teammates’ wins: Prescott Butler (freshman, 3&2) and Davis Riley (senior, 4&3). Wednesday’s championship match will offer bragging rights for two universities separated by only 160 miles.

“There will be a little bit more to it because of the close proximity,” said Alabama head coach Jay Seawell. “We know each other. We better be focused. We need to play really good golf and not get caught up in the other part.”

 

WEDNESDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP & CONSOLATION MATCHES:

Women’s Championship Match: (1) Stanford vs. (2) USC

Men’s Championship Match: (3) Alabama vs. (4) Auburn

Women’s Consolation Match: (3) Arizona vs. (4) Alabama

Men’s Consolation Match: (1) Duke vs. (2) Oklahoma State

 

Golf Channel’s live coverage of Wednesday’s championship and consolation matches will air from 3-6 p.m. ET. Golf Central Pre-Game (2-3 p.m. ET) will preview each of the matches, and provide updates on matches already in progress.

 

11:05 AM 1 Arizona (3) vs Alabama (4) Women’s
(Consolation)		 Haley Moore (Arizona) vs Mary Mac Trammell (Alabama)
11:15 AM 1 Duke (1) vs Oklahoma State (2) Men’s
(Consolation)		 Alex Smalley (Duke) vs Viktor Hovland (Oklahoma State)
11:25 AM 1 Arizona (3) vs Alabama (4) Women’s
(Consolation)		 Yusang Hou (Arizona) vs Carolina Caminoli (Alabama)
11:35 AM 1 Duke (1) vs Oklahoma State (2) Men’s
(Consolation)		 Adrien Pendaries (Duke) vs Matthew Wolff (Oklahoma State)
11:45 AM 1 Arizona (3) vs Alabama (4) Women’s
(Consolation)		 Ya Chun Chang (Arizona) vs Jiwon Jeon (Alabama)
11:55 AM 1 Duke (1) vs Oklahoma State (2) Men’s
(Consolation)		 Chandler Eaton (Duke) vs Austin Eckroat (Oklahoma State)
12:05 PM 1 Arizona (3) vs Alabama (4) Women’s
(Consolation)		 Bianca Pagdanganan (Arizona) vs Kenzie Wright (Alabama)
12:15 AM 1 Duke (1) vs Oklahoma State (2) Men’s
(Consolation)		 Evan Katz (Duke) vs Hayden Wood (Oklahoma State)
12:25 PM 1 Arizona (3) vs Alabama (4) Women’s
(Consolation)		 Sandra Nordaas (Arizona) vs Angelica Moresco (Alabama)
12:35 PM 1 Duke (1) vs Oklahoma State (2) Men’s
(Consolation)		 Shrish Dwivedi (Duke) vs Zach Bauchou (Oklahoma State)
12:45 PM 1 Stanford (1) vs USC (2) Women’s
(Championship)		 Albane Valenzuela (Stanford) vs Jennifer Chang (USC)
12:55 PM 1 Alabama (3) vs Auburn (4) Men’s
(Championship)		 Davis Riley (Alabama) vs Trace Crowe (Auburn)
1:05 PM 1 Stanford (1) vs USC (2) Women’s
(Championship)		 Ziyi Wang (Stanford) vs Malia Nam (USC)
1:15 PM 1 Alabama (3) vs Auburn (4) Men’s
(Championship)		 Davis Shore (Alabama) vs Jacob Solomon (Auburn)
1:25 PM 1 Stanford (1) vs USC (2) Women’s
(Championship)		 Mika Liu (Stanford) vs Amelia Garvey (USC)
1:35 PM 1 Alabama (3) vs Auburn (4) Men’s
(Championship)		 Prescott Butler (Alabama) vs Brandon Mancheno (Auburn)
1:45 PM 1 Stanford (1) vs USC (2) Women’s
(Championship)		 Aline Krauter (Stanford) vs Alyaa Abdulghany (USC)
1:55 PM 1 Alabama (3) vs Auburn (4) Men’s
(Championship)		 Wilson Furr (Alabama) vs Jovan Rebula (Auburn)
2:05 PM 1 Stanford (1) vs USC (2) Women’s
(Championship)		 Andrea Lee (Stanford) vs Gabi Ruffels (USC)
2:15 PM 1 Alabama (3) vs Auburn (4) Men’s
(Championship)		 Frankie Capan (Alabama) vs Wells Padgett (Auburn)

 

SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

Women’s Division

(1) Stanford def. (4) Alabama, 4-1

(2) USC def. (3) Arizona, 4-1

 

Stanford (1)                             vs.                             Alabama (4)

Andrea Lee (7&5)                                                     Mary Mac Trammell

Aline Krauter                                                              Kenzie Wright (19 holes)

Ziyi Wang (8&6)                                                       Carolina Caminoli

Mika Liu (1up)                                                          Jiwon Jeon

Albane Valenzuela (4&3)                                         Angelica Moresco

 

USC (2)                                     vs.                             Arizona (3)

Jennifer Chang (1up)                                               Bianca Pagdanganan

Alyaa Abdulghany (2up)                                          Ya Chun Chang

Malia Nam                                                                  Yu Sang Hou (3&2)

Amelia Garvey (4&2)                                               Sandra Nordaas

Gabi Ruffels (3&2)                                                   Haley Moore

 

Men’s Division

(4) Auburn def. (1) Duke, 4-1

(3) Alabama def. (2) Oklahoma State, 3-2

 

Duke (1)                                    vs.                             Auburn (4)

Adrien Pendaries (7&6)                                           Trace Crowe

Shrish Dwivedi                                                           Jacob Solomon (6&5)

Evan Katz                                                                   Jovan Rebula (4&3)

Chandler Eaton                                                           Brandon Mancheno (1up)

Alex Smalley                                                              Wells Padgett (1up)

 

Oklahoma State (2)                   vs.                           Alabama (3)

Viktor Hovland (2&1)                                              Frankie Capan

Matthew Wolff (4&3)                                              Davis Shore

Hayden Wood                                                             Prescott Butler (3&2)

Austin Eckroat                                                            Wilson Furr (2up)

Zach Bauchou                                                             Davis Riley (4&3)

 

The East Lake Cup is being contested over three days, following the format from the final three days of the NCAA men’s and women’s golf national championships. Day 1 consists of an individual stroke play competition to determine the individual champion and to seed for two days of match-play competition. The final two days of the competition feature two match-play tournaments hosted simultaneously for the men’s and women’s divisions, with the semifinals taking place on Tuesday and the finals and consolation matches on Wednesday.

Teams for the East Lake Cup are competing on the championship golf course at East Lake Golf Club, home of the TOUR Championship, the season-ending event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The East Lake Cup benefits the East Lake Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to helping families build better lives and children reach their highest potential through its holistic approach to community revitalization incorporating mixed-income housing, cradle-to-college education and community wellness. Mercedes-Benz, CSX, Bridgestone Golf and ZipRecruiter are sponsors for the 2018 East Lake Cup.

 For more information about the East Lake Cup please visit the tournament website www.golfchannel.com/eastlakecup. Stay connected with the championship using the hashtag #EastLakeCup.

 

-NBC Sports Group-

 

MNF’s Patriots-Bills Telecast Delivers 11 Million Viewers – Up Four Percent vs. Week 8 in 2017

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The Monday Night Football game (8:15-11:30 p.m. ET) last night – a New England Patriots’ 25-6 road victory over the Buffalo Bills – averaged 11 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen. This is an increase of four percent vs. last year’s Broncos-Chiefs game in week 8, which averaged 10.6 million viewers across the three ESPN networks.

The post <em>MNF</em>’s Patriots-Bills Telecast Delivers 11 Million Viewers – Up Four Percent vs. Week 8 in 2017 appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

College Football Week 9: ESPN Grows Audience by 50% Year-Over-Year on Saturday, Sets Season High for Late Afternoon Cable Viewership

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College Football Week 9: ESPN Grows Audience by 50% Year-Over-Year on Saturday, Sets Season High for Late Afternoon Cable Viewership

The post College Football Week 9: ESPN Grows Audience by 50% Year-Over-Year on Saturday, Sets Season High for Late Afternoon Cable Viewership appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

RODGERS VS. BRADY II: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW, WED., OCT. 31 AT 2:30 P.M. ET

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Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Fred Gaudelli to Preview Packers-Patriots Showdown

Dial 334-323-0522 to Participate

Coverage Begins on NBC with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET and a New Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET Kickoff Time

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 30, 2018 – The Sunday Night Football broadcast team of play-by-play voice Al Michaels, analyst Cris Collinsworth, and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya will join Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli on a media conference call tomorrow, Wednesday, October 31, at 2:30 p.m. ET to preview this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup, when two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (3-3-1) visit three-time MVP Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (6-2) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Coverage begins with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Sunday marks only the second time the two quarterbacks have played against each other.

Media interested in participating should call 334-323-0522; conference ID 9388229.

PYEONGCHANG OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS YUZURU HANYU & ALINA ZAGITOVA HEADLINE LIVE 2018 GRAND PRIX FINLAND COVERAGE THIS WEEKEND ON NBC SPORTS GOLD

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All Events Available Live and Commercial Free with NBC Sports Gold’s “Figure Skating Pass” Beginning This Friday at 9 a.m. ET with Pairs’ and Ladies’ Short Programs

Encore Coverage of Ladies’ and Men’s Free Skates This Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC

Tanith White Calls the Action on NBC, Joined by Tara Lipinski & Johnny Weir

Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA Presents Encore Coverage of all Events Monday, Nov. 5 – Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 30, 2018 – The 2018 Grand Prix of Figure Skating series continues with Grand Prix Finland from Helsinki, with live, commercial free coverage of each event on NBC Sports Gold’s “Figure Skating Pass,” beginning this Friday, Nov. 2 at 9 a.m. ET with the pairs’ short and ladies’ short programs. Grand Prix Finland will feature two reigning Olympic champions: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu and Russia’s Alina Zagitova. At the PyeongChang Olympics, Hanyu became the first man to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals since Dick Button‘s titles in 1948 and 1952, and Zagitova performed the most technically difficult program in the history of ladies Olympic gold medalists.

NBC presents coverage of the ladies’ and men’s free skates this Sunday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. ET. Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will present daily encore coverage of all programs at 8 p.m. ET Monday, Nov. 5 – Thursday, Nov. 8.

2006 Olympic ice dance silver medalist Tanith White handles play-by-play for the men’s and ladies’ free skates on NBC and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA joined by 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir. Andrea Joyce will call the remaining competitions on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, joined by 2014 Olympic ice dance gold medalist Charlie White.

The Grand Prix Series, now in its 24th season, consists of six international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. This is the first year Finland is hosting a Grand Prix, taking the place of what was Grand Prix China as preparations are underway for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Each athlete is eligible to score points in up to two of the six scheduled events. The top six point-earners in each discipline qualify for the 2018 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, set for Dec. 6-9 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

NBC Sports Gold will stream coverage live and on-demand, to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TV devices. “Figure Skating Pass” can be purchased for $59.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

“Figure Skating Pass” features content previously offered to subscribers on icenetwork.com, including live coverage of the U.S. Championships (junior and senior), ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, ISU World Championships, ISU Four Continents Championships, ISU European Championships and the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. Live offerings will also include the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships (senior, junior and collegiate levels) and the U.S. Sectional Figure Skating Championships for both figure skating (senior and junior levels) and synchronized skating (senior, junior and collegiate levels). All live events, as well as the U.S. Regional Championships (junior and senior levels) and U.S. Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships (senior, junior and collegiate levels) will be available on-demand. Click here for more information.

The NBC Sports Gold app is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV V4, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, and online at 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.

Coverage on NBC and NBCSN is live streamed on NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Coverage on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA is available on OlympicChannel.com, the Olympic Channel app, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.

The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.

Following is NBC Sports’ Schedule for 2018 Grand Prix Finland:

Date Time (ET) Event Platform
Fri., Nov. 2 9 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Pairs’ Short (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Fri., Nov. 2 10:45 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Ladies’ Short (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Fri., Nov. 2 12:45 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Rhythm Dance (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sat., Nov. 3 6:30 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Men’s Short (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sat., Nov. 3 8:30 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Pairs’ Free (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sat., Nov. 3 11:30 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Ladies’ Free (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sat., Nov. 3 1:30 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Free Dance (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sun., Nov. 4 7 a.m. Grand Prix Finland: Men’s Free (LIVE) NBC Sports Gold
Sun., Nov. 4 1 p.m. Grand Prix Finland NBC
Mon., Nov. 5 8 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Rhythm Dance, Free Dance Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
Tues., Nov. 6 8 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Ladies’ Short, Ladies’ Free Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
Wed., Nov. 7 8 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Men’s Short, Men’s Free Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
Thurs., Nov. 8 8 p.m. Grand Prix Finland: Pairs’ Short, Pairs’ Free Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA

 

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

 

 

MIKE TIRICO, JERRY BAILEY, RANDY MOSS & EDDIE OLCZYK PREVIEW NBC SPORTS’ BREEDERS’ CUP COVERAGE ON CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW, OCTOBER 31 AT 1 P.M. ET

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Dial 334-323-0522 to Participate

35th Breeders’ Cup Classic This Saturday, November 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 30, 2018 – NBC Sports Group’s Breeders’ Cup team will preview coverage of the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on a media conference call tomorrow, Wednesday October 31, at 1 p.m. ET.

Participants include host Mike Tirico, analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who owns 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, including five victories in the Classic, veteran horse racing analyst Randy Moss, and analyst/handicapper Eddie Olczyk.

Dial 334-323-0522 to participate; conference call ID 7617119.

NBCSN’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships begins this Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. ET with handicapping special “Betting the Breeders’ Cup.” Live coverage begins Friday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by five live hours on Saturday, Nov. 3 – beginning at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continuing on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

SEC Network to Debut Saturdays in the South: A History of SEC Football as Key Component in ESPN’s College Football 150 Initiative

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As part of the ESPN Films’ SEC Storied series and ESPN’s College Football 150 initiative, SEC Network will debut Saturdays in the South: A History of SEC Football over the course of eight consecutive Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, beginning September 3, 2019.

The post SEC Network to Debut Saturdays in the South: A History of SEC Football as Key Component in ESPN’s College Football 150 Initiative appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

IT’S THE RICHEST TWO DAYS IN HORSE RACING, FEATURING THE BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC FROM CHURCHILL DOWNS THIS SAT, NOV. 3, LIVE AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

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Mike Tirico Hosts Breeders’ Cup Classic This Saturday on NBC

NBC Sports Group to Utilize ‘Rail Bird’ Camera on the Front Stretch for First Time, Providing New Perspective for Race Finish

‘Jockey Cam’ Returns to Provide Unique On-Track Perspective

Coverage Streamed Live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 30, 2018 – This weekend, NBC Sports presents the richest two days in horse racing, with $30 million in prize money and awards at stake, highlighted by the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic this Saturday, Nov. 3, live at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships return to Churchill Downs in Louisville for the first time since 2011, as expected favorite Accelerate vies for Horse of the Year accolades with his run in the Classic.

The running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic culminates nine hours of Breeders’ Cup World Championships coverage this week on NBC and NBCSN from Louisville, including live coverage of 11 races.

NBCSN’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships begins this Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. ET with handicapping special “Betting the Breeders’ Cup.” Live coverage begins Friday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET, followed by five live hours on Saturday, Nov. 3 – beginning at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continuing on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Accelerate won his fourth Grade 1 race this year in the Awesome Again Stakes in September, beating West Coast, one of Triple Crown-winning trainer and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert’s two horses racing in the Classic this weekend. Baffert took home the sport’s top prize for the second time this year when Justify won the Triple Crown before being retired from racing in July. The Classic field also includes the Baffert-trained McKinzie, as well as the richest New York-bred horse in history Mind Your Biscuits.

2018 BREEDERS’ CUP TELEVISION SCHEDULE:

Date Time (ET)   Program Network
Thurs., Nov. 1 7 p.m. Betting the Breeders’ Cup NBCSN
Fri., Nov. 2 3 p.m. Breeders’ Cup World Championships NBCSN
Sat., Nov. 3 1 p.m. Breeders’ Cup Classic NBCSN
Sat., Nov. 3 3:30 p.m. Breeders’ Cup Classic NBC

COMMENTATORS: Mike Tirico hosts coverage, joined by analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who owns 15 Breeders’ Cup wins, including five victories in the Classic, analyst Randy Moss; host/reporters Laffit Pincay III and Nick Luck; analyst/handicapper Eddie Olczyk and reporters Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, and Britney Eurton. NBC’s Triple Crown race caller Larry Collmus will call all of the Breeders’ Cup races. In addition, Daily Racing Form’s Matt Bernier will serve as a handicapper. Thursday night’s “Betting the Breeders’ Cup” special features Laffit Pincay III, Nick Luck, Eddie Olczyk, Britney Eurton, and Matt Bernier.

BAILEY & MOSS ON BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

Jerry Bailey: “Accelerate has been the leader in the Classic division most of the year, yet he will have his hoofs full when the gates open November 3. Even though trainer Bob Baffert has retired Triple Crown-winner Justify, he will bring a formidable challenger in West Coast, who was third in this race last year but was most recently second to Accelerate in their match-up a month ago (in the Awesome Again Stakes). It should be an exciting rematch that will put a bow on a talent-laden Breeders’ Cup program.”

Randy Moss: “Horse racing is similar to the NFL in that horses are constantly having to prove themselves, and the narrative is always changing.  Accelerate looked invincible this summer and would have been an overwhelming Classic favorite a month ago.  But even though he won his most recent race, he made mistakes and suddenly seemed vulnerable.  Now the prevailing storyline is whether Accelerate is in peak form.  And right or wrong, that’s why owners and trainers are lining up to run against him.”

***

“RAIL BIRD” CAMERA MOVES TO FRONT STRETCH, COVERS FINISH LINE FOR FIRST TIME

For the first time ever at the Breeders’ Cup, NBC Sports will be using the “rail bird” camera to cover 2,000 feet on the front stretch, providing a new perspective for the finish of a horse race. The “rail bird” camera debuted on the backstretch at Churchill Downs for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and was used throughout Justify’s Triple Crown run.

NBC Sports will showcase the return of the ‘Jockey Cam’ mounted on the helmet of jockey Mike Smith in the Classic. Debuted in the U.S. for the first time at the 2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Smith, the helmet-mounted camera will provide a first-person, on-track view of the races for fans. Footage from the Jockey Cam powered by Aston-Martin will be incorporated into Breeders’ Cup coverage on NBC and NBCSN this Friday and Saturday from Churchill Downs, and will be live streamed on the Breeders’ Cup official website and social channels, on the Breeders’ Cup mobile app, as well as on NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.

The 74-gram (2.6 ounces) camera, which was produced by the U.K.-based Equine Productions and delivers full HD pictures and live broadcast-ready streaming at 1080I, will be mounted on the helmets of Smith and jockey Julien Leparoux during select races.

NEW BREEDERS’ CUP-DESIGNED PEACOCK PADDOCK DEBUTS

A new Breeders’ Cup-designed version of the Peacock Paddock has been custom built for this year’s event. The newest innovation on the Purple Carpet at Churchill Downs, the Peacock Paddock will be the centerpiece in coverage of celebrities, fashion trends, and all things social media. As each celebrity begins the journey down the purple carpet, they will make their pick for the Classic, pose for the Phantom Camera to showcase their Breeders’ Cup weekend fashion, and stop to chat with Britney Eurton and Nick Luck for broadcast and digital interviews.

NBC’s Breeders’ Cup coverage will be produced by Billy Matthews and Pierre Moossa. NBCSN coverage will be produced by Jack Felling and directed by Kaare Numme.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will stream coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.

A LOOK AT 45-TO-1 SHOT BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC QUALIFIER DISCREET LOVER & HIS CONNECTIONS

Mike Tirico narrates a feature on unlikely Breeders’ Cup Classic entrant Discreet Lover — Uriah St. Lewis’s $10,000 horse, who secured an automatic berth into the Classic with his first Grade 1 victory (as a 45-to-1 long shot) at the Jockey Club Gold Cup in September.

2018 BREEDERS’ CUP BETTING CHALLENGE: Fans can also follow Eddie Olczyk as he competes in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money handicapping tournament. If Olczyk, who won the 2018 Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship earlier this year, wins the 2018 BCBC, one lucky sweepstakes entrant will also win $1 million, and Breeders’ Cup Charities will award another $1 million to charity. For more information, click here.

BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Breeders’ Cup, thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global racing event, consists of 14 races (13 Grade 1 events) held over two days with $30 million in purses and awards at stake.  The culminating event of the Breeders’ Cup, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is contested at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, for 3-year-olds and older.

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships.  The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when the NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-