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ANGELES & NEW YORK-May 4, 2009- Universal Sports and NBC Sports
today announced a long-term partnership with the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the world's governing body
for track & field, and their commercial partner's, Dentsu Inc. for
broadcast rights to all major IAAF World Athletics Series events from
2010-2015, including the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, 2011,
2013 and 2015. The agreement extends the existing relationship between
Universal Sports, NBC Sports, the IAAF and Dentsu already in place that
covers this year's IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.
"This
long term partnership with the IAAF confirms that Universal Sports
together with NBC will be the long term destination in the United
States for the very best in global athletics competitions, providing
fans a true season for the sport of track and field," said Claude
Ruibal, Chairman and CEO Universal Sports.
"Our relationship
with the IAAF is a critical component to our Olympic sports strategy,
and this agreement gives us a terrific platform to further build the
awareness of the best track & field athletes as we lead up to the
2012 London Olympic Games," said Gary Zenkel, President NBC Olympics."
This
announcement signifies a substantial increase in the coverage of
athletics in the United States as NBC and Universal Sports will make
these popular sports available on multiple platforms, with most events
covered live and same-day on their networks, starting with a total of
over 130 hours of coverage on the two networks in 2009.
"We are
proud to extend our partnership with Universal Sports and NBC Sports,"
said Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF. � "They have consistently
demonstrated a commitment to providing the IAAF broad distribution of
our events and we consider them the perfect partner for the IAAF as we
work to further build the sport of athletics in the U.S."
UNIVERSAL
SPORTS WIDESPREAD AVAILABILITY: Universal Sports is now available in
eight of the top 10 DMAs including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C.
Recent expansion includes launches in Houston, Miami, Seattle, Denver,
Portland, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City and Jacksonville. � Go to
UniversalSports.com for a complete list of TV markets.
2009
TRACK AND FIELD COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS: NBC Sports will provide
broadcast coverage of the Reebok Grand Prix on May 30 and the
Prefontaine Classic on June 7 in combination with Universal Sports, as
well as the 12th IAAF Track & Field World Championships, on August
15, 16, 22 and 23, from Berlin.
2009 TRACK AND FIELD COVERAGE ON
UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports television and UniversalSports.com
will offer the complete outdoor 2009 IAAF track & field season,
with the Golden League, Super Grand Prix and Grand Prix events
featuring the top track & field athletes in the world. In addition,
Universal Sports will have exclusive live online coverage of the 12th
IAAF Track & Field World Championships, August 15-23, from Berlin.
Fans can visit the track & field channel on UniversalSports.com/trackandfield
for updated schedules (TV and online), news, video highlights, special
features, photo galleries, sweepstakes and more.
UPCOMING TRACK & FIELD EVENTS ON NBC AND UNIVERSAL SPORTS:
(All times ET)
May 8 � IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � Doha, Qatar � � � � � � 12 Noon � � � � US
May 30 � IAAF Reebok Grand Prix � � � � � New York � � � � � � � � 4:30 p.m. � � � NBC
May 31 � IAAF Reebok Grand Prix � � � � � New York � � � � � � � � 12 Noon US
June 7 � IAAF Prefontaine Classic � � � � � � � � Eugene, Ore. � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � NBC
June 8 � IAAF Prefontaine Classic � � � � � � � � Eugene, Ore. � � � � � � 8 p.m. � � � � � US
June 14 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Berlin � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
June 28 US Track & Field Championships � Eugene, Ore. � � � � � � 4 p.m. � � � � � NBC
June 29 US Track & Field Championships � Eugene, Ore. � � � � � � 8 p.m. � � � � � US
July 7 � IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � � � � � Lausanne � � � � � � � � 12 noon � � � � US
July 10 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Rome � � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
July 12 IAAF World Youth Championships � Bressanone, Italy � � � � � � � 8 p.m. � � � � � US
July 17 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Paris � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
July 24 IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � � � � � London � � � � � � � � � 1 p.m. � � � � � US
July 25 IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � � � � � London � � � � � � � � � 1 p.m. � � � � � US
July 28 IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � � � � � Monte Carlo, Monaco � � 3 p.m. � � � � � US
July 31 IAAF Super Grand Prix � � � � � � � � � Stockholm � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
Aug. 15 IAAF World Championships � � � � � � � � Berlin � � � � � � � � � 1 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Aug. 16 IAAF World Championships � � � � � � � � Berlin � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Aug. 22 IAAF World Championships � � � � � � � � Berlin � � � � � � � � � 1 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Aug. 23 IAAF World Championships � � � � � � � � Berlin � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Aug 28 � IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Zurich � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
Aug. 30 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Zurich � � � � � � � � � 1 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Sept. 4 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Brussels � � � � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � US
Sept. 6 IAAF Golden League � � � � � � � � � � � Brussels � � � � � � � � � � � � 2 p.m. � � � � � NBC
Sept. 12 � � � � IAAF World Athletics Final � � � � � � � Thessaloniki, Greece � � 7 p.m. � � � � � US
Sept. 13 � � � � IAAF World Athletics Final � � � � � � � Thessaloniki, Greece � � 7 p.m. � � � � � US
Oct. 11 � � � � IAAF World Half Marathon Champs Birmingham, UK � � � � � 7 p.m. � � � � � US
*
schedule subject to change; visit UniversalSports.com for up-to-date TV
and online event schedules and availability of Universal Sports 24-hour
network.
MARATHON COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports
is the home of the entire World Marathon Majors series, a
championship-style competition started in 2006. The series includes the
annual marathons from Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York
City, as well as the 2009 IAAF World Championship Marathon. Universal
Sports will be delivering coverage of other prestigious marathons,
including Los Angeles and Stockholm.
For more information on current programming schedules and channel listings please visit UniversalSports.com/tvschedule.
ATHLETE BLOGS ON
UNIVERSALSPORTS.COM:
UniversalSports.com features blogs from Lauryn Williams (100m, 200m),
Sanya Richards (400m), Shannon Rowbury (1500m) and Ryan Hall (marathon).
ABOUT
UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports
and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform
destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming
available on television and online. Universal Sports is a 24-hour
television channel available in 50 million television households in
markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia,
Washington D.C., San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas,
Indianapolis, Reno and Omaha. Major world championship and Olympic
qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field,
skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball,
rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts.
UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and
on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through
blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year
round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports
24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com
