As part of a new contract signed just last year, NBC Sports Group and the United States Olympic Committee are combining to provide coverage of the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games that will begin on March 7.
Overall, 52 hours will be aired on NBC/NBCSN of which 27 will be live. TeamUSA.org will stream all of the events live from Sochi.
This is a direct opposite from London when NBC butchered coverage of the 2012 Paralympics and there was no consistency on coverage. This year, NBCSN will air live daily coverage from Sochi and it will include all of the Paralympic sports that comprise the Games.
Coverage begins Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. ET with the Opening Ceremony on NBCSN and concludes on Sunday, March 16 with the Closing Ceremony also on NBCSN at 3:30 p.m.
NBC will air a review show of the Paralympics on Saturday, March 22.
In 2016, NBC/NBCSN and the USOC will combine for over 60 hours of coverage from the Rio Paralymics which will be a huge improvement from 2012.
Here’s the announcement.
NBC OLYMPICS AND USOC TO PRESENT UNPRECEDENTED COVERAGE OF SOCHI 2014 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
NBC Olympics to Present 52 Hours of Paralympic Winter Games Coverage Across NBC and NBCSN
Live Coverage Begins with the Opening Ceremony Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN
TeamUSA.org to Provide Comprehensive Live Streaming CoverageSTAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 19, 2014 – NBC Olympics and the United States Olympic Committee will present an unprecedented 52 hours of coverage of the upcoming Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games across NBC and NBCSN including 27 hours of live coverage, beginning with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN. TeamUSA.org will live stream all events from the Paralympic Winter Games.
NBC Olympics’ coverage will include all five Paralympic winter sports – alpine skiing (which includes snowboarding), cross-country skiing, biathlon, wheelchair curling and sled hockey – spread across 11 days of coverage on NBC and NBCSN.
NBCSN will provide 48 of 52 total hours of coverage, as well as live coverage nearly every day of the Paralympic Winter Games. NBC’s coverage is highlighted by the sled hockey gold medal game on Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m. ET.
This unprecedented 2014 Paralympic Winter Games coverage is made possible through the support of the broadcast and streaming sponsors BMW, BP, Citi, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Procter & Gamble and The Hartford, marking the first time the media delivery has been exclusively sold to USOC sponsors.
“We are looking forward to covering the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games and telling the amazing stories of these great athletes across multiple platforms in partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “With the support of our six corporate partners – who were critical to providing this unprecedented level of coverage – Paralympic fans can now consume more Winter Games coverage in the U.S. than ever before, whether they are at home or on the go.”
“NBC Olympics’ commitment to airing the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games marks a significant turning point for the Paralympic Movement in the United States,” said Scott Blackmun, United States Olympic Committee chief executive officer. “Americans have always been interested in the inspiring stories of our Paralympians. With the Paralympic Games on television, Americans will be able to experience the thrill of sport, which is what the Paralympic Movement is about. The Paralympic Games are not about disability. The Paralympic Games are about athletes competing to be the best in the world. Behind the commitment of our broadcast partner and our sponsors, we are excited to bring this world class sporting event to Americans.”
The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will feature nearly 700 athletes with a physical disability or visual impairment from 45 countries competing in six sports. The Games feature 72 medal events (34 men, 34 women, four mixed). Team USA will compete in each of the sports contested in Sochi with an estimated team of 77 athletes.
For the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, the U.S. sent 50 athletes, winning four gold medals, five silver medals and four bronze medals, finishing fifth overall in the medal count. In 2010, Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas), a U.S. Army veteran who will compete in Sochi, won a bronze medal in the men’s sitting 2.4-kilometer individual pursuit biathlon event, becoming the first U.S. biathlete to medal at an Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games.
ALPINE SKIING
NBCSN will present up to nine hours of alpine skiing coverage beginning Saturday, March 8 with live downhill coverage at 1 a.m. ET. Coverage continues Monday, March 10 with live coverage of the super G at 2 a.m. ET, and concludes with coverage of the giant slalom on Sunday, March 16 at 4:30 a.m. ET. Athletes expected to compete in Paralympic alpine skiing events include Alana Nichols, the first U.S. female athlete to win gold in both the Summer and Winter Games (wheelchair basketball in Beijing, alpine skiing in Vancouver).
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Sat., March 8 Alpine Skiing (Downhill) – Live NBCSN 1 a.m. Mon., March 10 Alpine Skiing (Super G) – Live NBCSN 2 a.m. Sun., March 16 Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom) – Live NBCSN 4:30 a.m. SNOWBOARDING
NBCSN will present coverage of the debut of snowboarding at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. Three hours of snowboarding coverage will air on Friday, March 14, beginning at 3 a.m. ET . Athletes expected to compete in the Paralympic debut of snowboarding include gold-medal contenders Amy Purdy and Evan Strong.
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Fri., March 14 Snowboarding NBCSN 3 a.m. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
NBCSN will air 6.5 hours of live cross-country skiing coverage from the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Coverage begins Sunday, March 9 on NBCSN at 1 a.m. ET, and continues on Saturday, March 15 at 3:30 a.m. Tatyana McFadden, a three-time Paralympian in track and field and 10-time Paralympic medalist, will compete in cross-country for the first time at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Sun., March 9 Cross-Country Skiing – Live NBCSN 1 a.m. Sat., March 15 Cross-Country Skiing – Live NBCSN 3:30 a.m. SLED HOCKEY
NBC and NBCSN will provide eight hours of sled hockey coverage, including Team USA vs. Russia on Tuesday, March 11 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, live semifinals coverage on Thursday, March 13 on NBCSN, and the sled hockey final on NBC on Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m. ET. Team USA is led by captain Andy Yohe, who was a member of the Team USA squad that won gold in Vancouver, and goaltender Steve Cash, who did not allow a single goal in five games in Vancouver. The team also boasts four players who have served in the U.S. military; Sergeant Jen Lee (U.S. Army, active), and purple heart recipients Paul Schaus (U.S. Marine Corps), Josh Sweeney (U.S. Marine Corps), and Rico Roman (U.S. Army).
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Tue, March 11 Sled Hockey – Team USA vs. Russia NBCSN 3 p.m. Thu., March 13 Sled Hockey Semifinal – Live NBCSN 5 a.m. Sled Hockey Semifinal – Live NBCSN Noon Sat., March 15 Sled Hockey Final NBC 1 p.m. WHEELCHAIR CURLING
NBCSN will present 5.5 hours of wheelchair curling hockey coverage from the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. Coverage of wheelchair curling begins with Team USA against China on Wednesday, March 12 at 1:30 a.m. ET. NBCSN will also air the wheelchair curling final on Saturday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Wed., March 12 Wheelchair Curling – Team USA vs. China – Live NBCSN 1:30 a.m. Sat., March 15 Wheelchair Curling Final NBCSN 6:30 p.m. BIATHLON
NBCSN’s coverage of the biathlon from the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will air Tuesday, March 11 at 2 a.m. ET. In addition, coverage of the biathlon and all Paralympic winter sports will be highlighted across NBCSN’s 11.5 hours of daily coverage spanning five days, recapping the day’s biggest events, providing highlights and in-depth analysis throughout the Games. Coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games concludes on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC with a one-hour special looking back at top moments from this year’s competition.
Following is NBC and NBCSN’s coverage schedule for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games:
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Fri., March 7 Opening Ceremony – Live NBCSN 11 a.m. Sat., March 8 Alpine Skiing (Downhill) – Live NBCSN 1 a.m. Opening Ceremony NBC 1 p.m. Paralympics Day 1 Coverage NBCSN 5:30 p.m. Sun., March 9 Cross-Country Skiing – Live NBCSN 1 a.m. Paralympics Day 2 Coverage NBCSN 11 p.m. Mon., March 10 Alpine Skiing (Super G) – Live NBCSN 2 a.m. Paralympics Day 3 Coverage NBCSN Noon Tue., March 11 Biathlon – Live NBCSN 2 a.m. Sled Hockey – Team USA vs. Russia NBCSN 3 p.m. Wed., March 12 Wheelchair Curling – Team USA vs. China – Live NBCSN 1:30 a.m. Paralympics Day 5 Coverage NBCSN 3 p.m. Thu., March 13 Sled Hockey Semifinal – Live NBCSN 5 a.m. Sled Hockey Semifinal – Live NBCSN Noon Fri., March 14 Snowboarding NBCSN 3 a.m. Paralympics Day 7 Coverage NBCSN 11:30 p.m. Sat., March 15 Cross-Country Skiing – Live NBCSN 3:30 a.m. Sled Hockey Final NBC 1 p.m. Wheelchair Curling Final NBCSN 6:30 p.m. Sun., March 16 Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom) – Live NBCSN 4:30 a.m. Closing Ceremony NBCSN 3:30 p.m. Sat., March 22 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games Review Show NBC 1 p.m. *All dates and times subject to change
There you have it. Happy to see consistent coverage of the Paralympics this year. These athletes will inspire you.
