USA Gymnastics, NBC Sports Group Extend Partnership Through 2016

USA Gymnastics, NBC Sports Group and Universal Sports Network have agreed to an extension for television and digital coverage of USA Gymnastics' premier events through 2016, it was announced today.

NBC Sports Group, which began its exclusive partnership with USA Gymnastics in 1997, will continue to cover USA Gymnastics' two annual premier events - the AT&T American Cup and P&G Championships - along with the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2016 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships. NBC began televising the national championships in the late 1980s and expanded to more events in 1997.

Universal Sports Network carries coverage of the Nastia Liukin Cup, along with a web simulcast, and provides expanded coverage of the World Championships on both its cable network and the web. The 2014 Nastia Liukin Cup was shown on Universal Sports on Feb. 28.

"USA Gymnastics began its Road to Rio on March 1 with the NBC broadcast of the AT&T American Cup," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "Through our collaborative partnership with NBC Sports Group and Universal Sports Network, our fans enjoy following gymnastics on broadcast and cable TV and the web, and are able to follow the sport unlike ever before. We look forward to maximizing the opportunities this partnership provides through the 2016 Olympic Games."

"We have had a tremendous quarter century with USA Gymnastics and are excited to build on our partnership," said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC and NBCSN (NBC Sports Network).

"We're proud to showcase USA Gymnastics events to our audience and help to fuel the sport's tremendous growth," said Scott Brown, president of Universal Sports Network.

The 2014 AT&T American Cup was carried live on NBC this past weekend. For the 2014 P&G Championships, NBC will air the senior women's final day of competition live in Primetime on Aug.23 from 8-10 p.m. ET and the senior men's final session live from 2:30-4 p.m. on Aug. 24. NBCSN will host coverage of the first day of competition for both the men and the women.

NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets - will stream USA Gymnastics coverage via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

NBC Sports Group's remaining 2014 gymnastics schedule is as follows:
Aug. 22 7 p.m. ET P&G Championships: women's first competition day NBCSN*
Aug. 22 11:30 p.m. ET P&G Championships: men's first competition day NBCSN*
Aug. 23 8 p.m. ET - LIVE P&G Championships: women's final competition day NBC*
Aug. 24 2:30 p.m. ET - LIVE P&G Championships: men's final competition day NBC*
Oct. 11 2 p.m. ET World Championships NBC
Oct. 12 3 p.m. ET World Championships NBC

NOTE: NBCSN stands for NBC Sports Network; * indicates NBC Sports Live Extra live streaming

Background information

· NBC Sports Group. When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 12 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

· Universal Sports Network. Universal Sports Network, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, LP, is the premier multi-platform media destination for Olympic-related sports programming in the United States. Offering more than 1,200 hours of original programming each year, Universal Sports has exclusive rights to world and national championship events in a wide array of sports, including swimming, track and field, gymnastics, cycling, skiing, figure skating and rugby. Whether on television, online, or on the go with mobile and tablet applications, Universal Sports offers a four-screen experience to fans of global sports every day of the year. For more information, please visit UniversalSports.com.

· USA Gymnastics. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and Gymnastics for All (also known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.