Tonight, the NBC Sports Group steps into the NHL Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals. It will have total exclusivity in the United States and no local regional sports network blackouts to worry about. So you’ll see the national broadcasts from now into the Stanley Cup Final.
Coverage starts tonight with a doubleheader, Games 1 of Ottawa-Pittsburgh and San Jose-Los Angeles on NBC Sports Network.
The NBC Mothership will air weekend coverage of games on May 18 and 19. It has slated a primetime game for Saturday, May 25. Possible candidates would be New York Rangers-Boston or Chicago-Detroit. We’ll see.
Here’s what NBC is saying about the Conference Semifinals. This is a long press release. Get ready to scroll for a few minutes.
2013 NHL STANLEY CUP CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS ON NBC, NBC SPORTS NETWORK AND CNBC
NBC Sports Group Begins Stanley Cup Playoff Exclusivity
NBC Sports Live Extra to Live Stream All Games Airing on NBC, Plus All Games Airing on NBC Sports Network and CNBC via “TV Everywhere”
Coverage Begins Tonight With NBC Sports Network Doubleheader Featuring Ottawa at Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m. ET and San Jose at Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ETNEW YORK, N.Y. – May 14, 2013 – NBC Sports Group’s presentation of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins (1) – Ottawa Senators (7), Boston Bruins (4)– New York Rangers (6), Chicago Blackhawks (1)– Detroit Red Wings (7), and Los Angeles Kings (5) – San Jose Sharks (6). NBC Sports Group’s Stanley Cup Playoff exclusivity begins this round and continues through the Stanley Cup Final, with all games airing on either NBC, NBC Sports Network or CNBC. Coverage begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET when the Senators travel to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. to take on the Penguins on NBC Sports Network, and continues at 10 p.m. ET when the Sharks take the ice against the Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
NBC Sports Network will serve as the primary home for Conference Semifinal coverage, offering one or two games virtually every night. When necessary, CNBC will also provide live coverage in primetime. NBC will present exclusive afternoon coverage during the weekend of May 18-19, and a primetime game on Saturday, May 25, if necessary.
NBC Sports Regional Networks will continue to surround the Blackhawks (Comcast SportsNet Chicago), Bruins (Comcast SportsNet New England), and Sharks (Comcast SportsNet California) with in-depth live-event and/or news coverage. NBCSports.com will provide comprehensive online coverage of the playoffs with online-only video, contributions from Comcast SportsNet insiders, and constant news updates from ProHockeyTalk.
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE
NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream all Stanley Cup Playoff games that air on NBC, NBC Sports Network, and CNBC, including the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. The vast majority of games will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Games airing on:
- NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
- NBC Sports Network will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs;
- CNBC will live stream exclusively through NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere.”
See below for a complete Conference Semifinal schedule.
STUDIO COVERAGE
Robust pre-game, post-game and intermission studio programming throughout the 2013 NHL postseason continues in the second round. It will originate from NBC Sports Group’s new, state-of-the-art International Broadcast Center located in Stamford, Conn., except during the Stanley Cup Final, when the studio will be live from the game sites.
When applicable, fans can expect NHL studio programming for games airing on both NBC Sports Network and CNBC, sometimes simultaneously. NHL Live will usually begin one hour prior to game time, with post-game coverage airing immediately after the final game of the night.
On most days, the NHL Live team of Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, and Keith Jones will man the studio for games airing on NBC and NBC Sports Network, with Bill Patrick and Jeremy Roenick working the studio for CNBC games. Host Russ Thaler and analysts Mike Keenan and Anson Carter form an additional team of studio commentators during the NHL playoffs.
ENCORES
Continuing nearly every morning throughout the playoffs, NBC Sports Network will air encore presentations of the previous night’s NHL Live post-game show, as well as a cut-down version of the select game of the night.
NHL Live post-game encores will air daily at 6 a.m. ET and 8:30 a.m. ET, with the game encore airing from 6:30-8:30 a.m. ET.
COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE
Through the NBC Sports Regional Networks, comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be provided daily via Comcast SportsNet, available in more than 50 million U.S. households and the hometown network for the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. In-depth coverage for those teams includes exclusive regional coverage of all first-round games with pre- and post-game shows.
Comcast SportsNet New England will air special pre- and post-game coverage for all Boston Bruins games throughout the playoffs, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of the team’s playoff run throughout all CSNNE programming and online at CSNNE.com.
NBCSPORTS.COM
In addition to its live stream coverage via NBC Sports Live Extra, NBCSports.com’s ProHockeyTalk, will anchor NBC Sports’ online and mobile coverage of the NHL playoffs.
ProHockeyTalk provides unique, informative and entertaining news, commentary and analysis — updated around the clock — on all the stories surrounding the NHL playoffs. Other NBCSports.com features will include:
- PHT Extra, a multiple-times-a-week online-only video segment.
- Online-only videos featuring NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network hockey commentators previewing upcoming playoff games and wrapping-up all of the NHL action that day.
- Content provided by Comcast SportsNet NHL insiders.
- An NHL Playoffs Channel Finder tool that will help fans locate the times and stations for every NHL playoff broadcast.
SOCIAL MEDIA
In addition to broadcast, cable, regional and digital platforms, NBC Sports Group will connect with NHL fans via numerous social media initiatives, including social integration, on-air integration and news:
- Social Integration:
- Social Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule:
- Fans that come to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule page on NBCSports.com/NHLonNBC will not only be able to see the weekly schedule updates, but also dive into a deep playoffs photo experience. Fans can upload photos showing their playoff team spirit directly to NBCSports.com or through team specific hashtags. Fans can vote on their favorite pictures and see the best of photos from the NHL and the teams using #StanleyCup. The best fan photos from this experience will be featured on-air during NBC and NBC Sports Network games.
- #StanleyCup: NHL Fans can join the conversation by using the #StanleyCup hash tag across every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
- NHL on NBC Sports Instagram: NHL fans can upload photos to Instagram and use #StanleyCup. The NHL on NBC Sports Instagram account will feature the best fan photos round by round.
- Live Twitter Chats: Fans will have the opportunity to have live Twitter chats with NHL and NBC Sports personalities and commentators throughout the playoffs
- On-Air Integration:
- Playoff Polls: Fans can weigh in on a variety of NHL themed polls on Facebook and Twitter that commentators will discuss throughout the broadcasts.
- #MVPonNBC – During pre-game, post-game and in-game coverage, fans can tweet who they think the #MVPonNBC is. Commentators will discuss the fan favorites and weigh in with their own opinions.
- News:
- Fans can engage with Twitter (@NHLonNBCSports) and Facebook (facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports) to receive the most up to date tune-in information, scores, reports and stories from around the NHL and ProHockeyTalk.
CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE
Coverage of the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continues tonight with Conference Semifinal action at 7:30 p.m. ET when the Ottawa Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins on NBC Sports Network. At 10 p.m. ET the San Jose Sharks host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. Only the first four games of each series have been scheduled thus far.
Following is the current Conference Semifinal schedule (all times ET):
Tuesday, May 14 7:30 p.m. Ottawa (7) @ Pittsburgh (1) NBCSN 10 p.m. San Jose (6) @ Los Angeles (5) NBCSN Wednesday, May 15 8 p.m. Detroit (7) @ Chicago (1) NBCSN Thursday, May 16 7:30 p.m. New York (6) @ Boston (4) NBCSN 10 p.m. San Jose (6) @ Los Angeles (5) NBCSN Friday, May 17 7:30 p.m. Ottawa (7) @ Pittsburgh (1) NBCSN Saturday, May 18 1 p.m. Detroit (7) @ Chicago (1) NBC 9 p.m. Los Angeles (5) @ San Jose (6) NBCSN Sunday, May 19 3 p.m. New York (6) @ Boston (4) NBC 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh (1) @ Ottawa (7) NBCSN Monday, May 20 7:30 p.m. Chicago (1) @ Detroit (7) NBCSN Tuesday, May 21 7:30 p.m. Boston (4) @ New York (6) NBCSN 10 p.m. Los Angeles (5) @ San Jose (6) NBCSN Wednesday, May 22 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh (1) @ Ottawa (7) NBCSN Thursday, May 23 7 p.m. Boston (4) @ New York (6) CNBC 8 p.m. Chicago (1) @ Detroit (7) NBCSN 10 p.m. San Jose (6) @ Los Angeles (5) NBCSN Following the Conference Semifinals. NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs will continue with the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final. All games will air exclusively on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
CONFERENCE FINALS
NBC and the NBC Sports Network will team to provide exclusive coverage of the Conference Finals. NBC will broadcast Saturday games on June 1 and June 8. The remaining games from both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be televised exclusively on NBC Sports Network.
STANLEY CUP FINAL
For the eighth consecutive year, NBC and NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) will provide exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC will broadcast Game 1, Game 4, and Games 5-7 (if necessary), with NBC Sports Network televising Games 2-3. Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call the Stanley Cup Final.
I told you this was long.
