MLS on NBC Press Release

NEW YORK – January 5, 2012 –The NBC Sports Group today announced its plans for the 2012 MLS season, the first under the new three-year media rights partnership, by offering live coverage of 41 regular season matches, the most of any MLS broadcast partner, in addition to five MLS Cup playoff games.

 

NBC begins its live MLS coverage on Sunday, March 11 when FC Dallas host the New York Red Bulls on the new NBC Sports Network, which will air a total of 38 regular-season games this year. The defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy make seven appearances on NBC Sports Network, including a rematch of MLS Cup against the Houston Dynamo on May 26. The LA Galaxy’s first appearance is March 31 as they host the New England Revolution. MLS Cup runners-up Houston Dynamo also appear seven times including the unveiling of their new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, on May 12 as they host D.C. United.

 

NBC will broadcast three regular-season games: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC on Sept. 15, New York vs. Chicago Fire on Oct. 6, and Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls on Oct. 27 – the first game of a tripleheader on the last Saturday of the regular season that includes Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United and Portland Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes on NBC Sports Network. The three matches this season on NBC are the most regular-season MLS games on an English-language broadcast network since 2002.

 

Highlights of 2012 NBC Sports Group MLS Schedule:

 

 

 

NBC Sports Group broadcasts 41 games, most of any MLS broadcast partner in 2012;

Three games on NBC are the most regular-season MLS games on an English-language broadcast network since 2002;

Rematch of MLS Cup on May 26 – Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy on NBC Sports Network;

Seven games featuring MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy;

Opening of BBVA Compass Stadium, the new home of the Houston Dynamo, on May 12 on NBC Sports Network.

 

 

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP 2012 MLS SCHEDULE:

 

Date Away Home Network

 

Sun. Mar. 11 New York, Dallas 3:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. Mar. 18 Colorado, Philadelphia 4:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Mar. 23 Houston, Seattle 10:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Mar. 30 Dallas D.C., United 7:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Mar. 31 New England, LA Galaxy 11:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Apr. 14 Columbus, Philadelphia 3:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Apr. 21 Chicago, Toronto 3:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Apr. 28 New England, New York 3:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. May 5 Philadelphia, Seattle 4:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. May 12 D.C. United, Houston 4:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. May 26 LA Galaxy, Houston 2:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. May 27 San Jose, Sporting KC 4:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. June 17 New York, Chicago 5:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. June 24 D.C. United, New York 7:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. June 29 Chicago, Sporting KC 8:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. July 7 Colorado, Seattle 11:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. July 14 LA Galaxy, Portland 11:00 PM NBCSN

 

Wed. July 18 Real Salt Lake, Seattle 11:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. July 28 LA Galaxy, Dallas 8:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. July 29 New England, Philadelphia 7:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Aug. 3 New York, Houston 8:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. Aug. 5 Dallas, Portland 7:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Aug. 10 Houston, New York 8:00 PM NBCSN

 

Wed. Aug. 15 LA Galaxy, Columbus 7:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. Aug. 19 Philadelphia, D.C. United 5:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Aug. 24 Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia 7:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. Aug. 26 Dallas, LA Galaxy 7:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Aug. 31 Colorado, Portland 10:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sun. Sept. 2 Chivas USA, San Jose 9:00 PM NBCSN

 

Wed. Sept. 5 Portland, Colorado 9:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Sept. 14 Houston, Sporting KC 8:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Sept. 15 Seattle, Portland 3:30 PM NBC

 

Sat. Sept. 22 Portland, Real Salt Lake 8:00 PM NBCSN

 

Fri. Sept. 28 Chicago, Sporting KC 8:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Sept. 29 Seattle, Vancouver 9:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Oct. 6 Chicago, New York 3:30 PM NBC

 

Sat. Oct. 6 Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy 9:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Oct. 20 Philadelphia, Houston 7:30 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Oct. 27 New York, Philadelphia 1:30 PM NBC

 

Sat. Oct. 27 D.C. United, Chicago 4:00 PM NBCSN

 

Sat. Oct. 27 San Jose, Portland 6:30 PM NBCSN

 

All games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of pre-game and post-game coverage. The NBC Sports Group will expand upon the successful NBC SportsTalk platform with a Pro SoccerTalk blog that will start with MLS season.

 

Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five Comcast SportsNets (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), this new media rights partnership provides the league with coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital.

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NBC/NBCSN 2012 MLS Schedule

All games are on NBC Sports Network except for the games on NBC, which will be noted.

Sunday, March 11
3:00 FC Dallas vs. New York

Sunday, March 18
4:00 Philadelphia vs. Colorado

Friday, March 23
10:00 Seattle vs. Houston

Friday, March 30
7:30 DC United vs. FC Dallas

Saturday, March 31
11:00 Los Angeles vs. New England

Saturday, April 14
3:30 Philadelphia vs. Columbus

Saturday, April 21
3:30 Toronto FC vs. Chicago

Saturday, April 28
3:30 New York vs. New England

Saturday, May 5
4:00 Seattle vs. Philadelphia

Saturday, May 12
4:30 Houston vs. DC United

Saturday, May 26
2:30 Houston vs. Los Angeles

Sunday, May 27
4:30 Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose

Sunday, June 17
5:00 Chicago vs. New York

Sunday, June 24
7:00 New York vs. DC United

Friday, June 29
8:00 Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago

Saturday, July 7
11:00 Seattle vs. Colorado

Saturday, July 14
11:00 Portland vs. Los Angeles

Wednesday, July 18
11:00 Seattle vs. Real Salt Lake

Saturday, July 28
8:00 FC Dallas vs. Los Angeles

Sunday, July 29
7:00 Philadelphia vs. New England

Friday, August 3
8:00 Houston vs. New York

Sunday, August 5
7:00 Portland vs. FC Dallas

Friday, August 10
8:00 New York vs. Houston

Wednesday, August 15
7:00 Columbus vs. Los Angeles

Sunday, August 19
5:00 DC United vs. Philadelphia

Friday, August 24
7:30 Philadelphia vs. Real Salt Lake

Sunday, August 26
7:00 Los Angeles vs. FC Dallas

Friday, August 31
10:30 Portland vs. Colorado

Sunday, September 2
9:00 San Jose vs. Chivas USA

Wednesday, September 5
9:00 Colorado vs. Portland

Friday, September 14
8:30 Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston

Saturday, September 15
3:30 Portland vs. Seattle (NBC)

Saturday, September 22
8:00 Real Salt Lake vs. Portland

Friday, September 28
8:30 Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago

Saturday, September 29
9:00 Vancouver vs. Seattle

Saturday, October 6
3:30 New York vs. Chicago (NBC)
9:00 Los Angeles vs. Real Salt Lake

Saturday, October 20
7:30 Houston vs. Philadelphia

Saturday, October 27
1:30 Philadelphia vs. New York (NBC)
4:00 Chicago vs. DC United
6:30 Portland vs. San Jose

 

NBCSN Hits the ECAC On Friday Night Ice

ALBANY, N.Y. — The first college hockey game broadcast this season under the new NBC Sports Network umbrella will air Friday, Jan. 6 as Dartmouth visits Rensselaer at Houston Field House, in Troy N.Y.

Friday’s televised game between the Engineers and the Big Green will air live internationally on NBC

Sports Network (formerly Versus) at 7:30 p.m. with Dave Strader on the call and Ken Hodge providing color.

This will be the first of four ECAC Hockey games featured on NBC Sports Network this season and the first of two Engineers’ homes games to be shown as part of the network’s college hockey package. The other is

February 3 against Cornell from Houston Field House.

Additional regular-season highlights include Yale at Harvard on Jan. 27 and Yale hosting Dartmouth on Feb. 17.

The college hockey telecasts will be produced by the same Emmy Award-winning team that oversees all of the NHL games for the NBC Sports Group, led by Sam Flood, executive producer for NBC Sports.

DATE GAME TIME

Jan. 27 Yale at Harvard 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 3 Cornell at Rensselaer 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 17 Dartmouth at Yale 7:30 p.m.

Sharks/Cancuks Draws Average Audience on Opening Night for NBCSN

The NHL on the NBC Sports Network got off to a solid, if not spectacular beginning.

The network’s broadcast of the San Jose Sharks-Vancouver Canucks game, a rematch of the 2011 Western Conference Final, drew 267,000 viewers to the network. While the number is nothing necessarily to write home about, it is an improvement on prior games featuring the Sharks this season, which have drawn some of the network’s lowest audiences (12/13/11, SJ vs. COL – 193,000 viewers, 10/31/11 SJ vs. NYR – 169,000) this season.

The network’s final Monday broadcast as VERSUS – a Stars-Blues game seven days prior – drew the slightly higher 270,000 viewers. Meanwhile, the VERSUS network’s final hockey broadcast, period – a Rangers/Capitals game on Wednesday of last week – drew 327,000 viewers. Expect NBCSN’s numbers to tick up with more large-market tilts next week, including Red Wings/Blackhawks on Sunday and Penguins/Capitals on Wednesday.

(Source: @TVSportsratings)