If you saw the San Diego Chargers-Dallas Cowboys NFL preseason game on NBC last night and stayed through halftime, then you might have caught a promo for a new show on Versus premiering Thursday, September 15 at 10 p.m. NFL Films will produce the program and focus on two games from the previous week, giving behind-the-scenes access and showing what led to each contest’s turning point.
This marks the first NFL program that will be seen on Versus. When Thursday Night Football begins in Week 10 of the regular season, Turning Point will be moved to midnight.
Will this lead to Versus gaining Thursday Night Football in 2012? We’ll see, but with NBC Sports’ good relations with the NFL with the Sunday night package doing so well, I would not be surprised. Here’s the joint announcement from the NFL and NBC Sports.
NFL FILMS & NBC SPORTS GROUP PARTNER TO PRESENT NFL TURNING POINT – A NEW WEEKLY SERIES ON VERSUS
NFL Turning Point Debuts Thursday, September 15, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
First NFL Program Ever on VERSUSNEW YORK – August 22, 2011 – Every game has a turning point and NFL Films and the NBC Sports Group are partnering to cover that crucial moment for football fans in a more in-depth way than ever before by launching a new one-hour program, NFL Turning Point, that will air weekly on VERSUS during the NFL regular season. It is the first NFL program ever to air on VERSUS, which will be re-named the NBC Sports Network on January 2. The announcement was made today by NFL Films President Steve Sabol and Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.
Each week, NFL Films will utilize its unprecedented access to cover two games in its traditional behind-the-scenes, award-winning style. The crucial moment in each game — its turning point — will be examined in-depth and from all angles using NFL Films’ unmatched cinematography, sideline and on-field audio as well as postgame access to players and coaches.
“Showcasing the sounds and images of the game, from the smallest detail to the big picture has been our strength for nearly 50 years,” said Sabol. “We are thrilled to get an opportunity to produce that type of show with a new partner in VERSUS.”
The new program debuts Thursday, September 15, at 10 p.m. ET/PT and airs a new episode at that time every week through November 3. Beginning on November 10, when Thursday night NFL games begin on NFL Network, new episodes of NFL Turning Point will air at midnight ET.
“NFL Turning Point is symbolic of the high-quality, relevant programming viewers will see more of on our national, all-sports cable platform,” said Lazarus. “It unites two of sports’ premier storytellers in NBC Sports and NFL Films to bring viewers a new perspective on the game.”
NFL Turning Point will often include games featuring teams that are playing against each other the upcoming week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, providing additional promotion for the No. 1 primetime show of the fall.
That’s it. We’ll have more stuff coming up throughout the day.
