NBC and Universal Sports Combine to Air Every Figure Skating Competition in 2010-11

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Let’s clarify here. NBC and Universal Sports will air or webcast the entire International Skating Union’s figure skating schedule leading up to the World Figure Skating Championships. NBC will carry six Grand Prix events. We have your press release below.

NBC Sports, Universal Sports, U.S. Figure Skating Announce 2010 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series Broadcast, Digital Schedule

Networks to cover entire Grand Prix season for the first time in history

(New York and Los Angeles – September 21, 2010) –  NBC Sports and Universal Sports, along with U.S. Figure Skating, today announced the broadcast schedule for the 2010 International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series. NBC Sports will broadcast 12 hours of live and taped coverage of five Grand Prix events, including Skate America, and the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 12, in Beijing, China. Universal Sports will show more than 34 hours of original programming from five events, as well as re-broadcasts of the featured programming that appears on NBC Sports.

“The Grand Prix events will be a cornerstone of Universal Sports’ programming lineup during the upcoming winter season,” said David Sternberg, CEO of Universal Sports. “We are excited to team with U.S. Figure Skating to enable figure skating fans nationwide to watch all of their favorite athletes in world-class competition both on TV and online.”

In addition, UniversalSports.com and icenetwork.com will combine to deliver an unprecedented amount of online video coverage, with 90-plus hours of live streaming – every session of every event – plus on-demand replays, highlights, interviews and analysis. UniversalSports.com will offer live and on-demand coverage of six Grand Prix events (including the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – China and excluding Skate America) for a one-time subscription fee of $14.95; icenetwork.com will provide live streams and on-demand replays from all seven stops on the Grand Prix circuit as part of the annual icenetwork.com subscription package. Both sites will also deliver news, blogs, photos, standings and more.

The deal was made possible after Universal Sports acquired the rights to the Grand Prix Series from the ISU last summer. This marks the second straight year that coverage of the Grand Prix Series events will appear on NBC and Universal Sports, and third consecutive year coverage will appear on icenetwork.com. 

“U.S. Figure Skating is pleased to again team with NBC, Universal Sports and icentetwork.com to offer exceptional coverage of the Grand Prix Series,” said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating. “Figure skating fans will now have the opportunity to follow our elite athletes throughout the entire Grand Prix season, competing against the best figure skaters in the world.”

2010 ISU Grand Prix Series Schedule on NBC Sports
(all times ET, check your local listings for times in your area):

Broadcast Date	Event	Time
Sunday, Oct. 31	NHK Trophy (Japan)	4-6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 6	Skate Canada International	4-6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 14	Skate America – ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating	4-6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 21	Cup of Russia	2-4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 28	Trophée Eric Bompard (France)	2-4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 12	ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating  Final (China)	12-2 p.m.

A detailed broadcast schedule for Universal Sports will be released at a later date.

NBC Sports and Universal Sports will both televise coverage from the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and Universal Sports will have coverage of the 2011 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, which take place March 21-27, in Nagano, Japan.

If you’re a figure skating fan, you have plenty of events to watch this fall.

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