Universal Sports unveiled a slate of in-studio programs
designed to provide extensive coverage of the Vancouver Winter Games. As always
flagship events will be broadcast on NBC with some of them farmed out to NBC
Universal's cable networks.
Universal Sports will get in the game with five hours each
day of in-studio news programming. Shows include: VancouverOlympic News Center,
which provides highlights from the previous day's events; Medals & Music, which looks at medal ceremonies and musical
concerts; Meet the Olympic Press, a
rotating cast of Olympic beat reporters discussing developing stories; and The Vancouver Figure Skating Hour.
There also will be live
news updates at the top of each hour and a news ticker providing
round-the-clock event results. The programming block kicks off on Feb. 12, when
the Olympic torch arrives in Vancouver,
and will continue through the conclusion of the Games on Feb. 28.
"Bringing Universal
Sports to the Olympics enables us to open up a new dimension in how we cover
the Games," Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, said in a statement. "For
the first time we will have a platform that allows us to pause from coverage
and focus attention on the evolving stories and excitement of the Olympic
Games."
Universal Sports, a joint venture between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, and had just been formed
in the wake of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The network has license deals
for many Olympic qualifying events, including World Cup skiing and speed
skating. In summer 2008, Universal Sports was the primary network for the
Paralympics, which commence at the conclusion of the Games, and is expected to
also provide extensive live coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics.
