NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

[gh]

Here's a release from NBC: specific track schedule to be posted shortly.

"U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS ON USA" BEGINS SATURDAY AT 10 AM ET/PT

"U.S. Olympic Trials On USA" Includes 11 Straight Saturdays, Plus Four
Weeknights of Live U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials Coverage

NEW YORK - May 19, 2004 - USA Network, the cable television home of the U.S.
Olympic Team, kicks off 11 consecutive weeks of U.S. Olympic Trials with the
U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Trials this Saturday, May 22 at 10 a.m. ET/PT.
Saturday's telecast marks USA Network's first foray into Olympic-oriented
coverage in conjunction with NBC Sports since last week's merger of NBC and
Vivendi Universal Entertainment to create NBC Universal.

"We are delighted to provide a platform to showcase the best U.S. Olympic
athletes and to brand USA Network as the home of the U.S. Olympic Team,"
said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. "Making USA
Network the cable home of the U.S. Olympic Team and the U.S. Olympic Team
Trials makes perfect sense - it's as simple as U-S-A."

USA Network will be the cable television home of the U.S. Olympic Team and
the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012 Games. The
24 total hours of U.S. Olympic Trials coverage on USA (an additional 18
hours will air on NBC, 12 in primetime - complete schedule attached) this
summer includes 11 consecutive Saturdays from May 22-July 24 and nine hours
of live weeknight broadcasts from the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials,
July 9-16, leading to the Athens Olympic Games, August 13-29.

USA Network, cable television home of the U.S. Olympic Team, is cable
television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports
events, off-net television shows and blockbuster theatrical films. USA
Network is available in 82% of all U.S. homes, and is seen in 86 million
U.S. homes.

[tafnut]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

What, no TripleCast, no MS-NBC? I just hope it's not overboard on the touchy-feely 'stories'.

[gh]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

Since many of you probably have an interest in sports other than ours (shame!), here's the complete NBC/cable offering:

NBC UNIVERSAL U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS TV PACKAGE

U.S. Olympic Trials on NBC

EVENT LOCATION DATE TIME
U.S. Olympic Diving Trials St. Louis June 12 2-3 p.m. ET
June 12 8-9 p.m. ET LIVE
June 13 2-3 p.m. ET
June 13 7-8 p.m. ET LIVE

U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials Anaheim, Calif. June 26 8-10 p.m. ET
June 27 7-9 p.m. ET LIVE
July 3 2-3 p.m. ET

U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Long Beach, Calif. July 9 8-9 p.m. ET LIVE
July 11 8-9 p.m. ET LIVE
July 18 1-3 p.m. ET

U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials Sacramento, Calif. July 10 8-9 p.m. ET LIVE
July 11 7-8 p.m. ET LIVE
July 17 5-6 p.m. ET LIVE
July 18 7-9 p.m. ET LIVE

U.S. Olympic Trials on USA

EVENT LOCATION DATE TIME
U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Trials St. Josephs, MO May 22 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Equestrian Trials San Juan Capistrano, CA May 29 10-11:30 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials Indianapolis, IN June 5 10am-Noon ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Diving Trials St. Louis, MO June 12 10am-Noon ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
Women’s Water Polo:
USA vs. Russia La Jolla, CA June 19 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics
& Trampoline Trials San Jose, CA June 26 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
Men’s Volleyball: USA vs. Russia Houston, TX July 3 10-11:30 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
Men’s Water Polo: USA vs. Hungary Newport Beach, CA July 10 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

U.S. Olympic Trials On USA:
U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials Sacramento, CA July 9 11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET LIVE
Sacramento, CA July 12 10 p.m.-1 a.m. ET LIVE
Sacramento, CA July 15 10 p.m.-Midnight ET LIVE
Sacramento, CA July 16 11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET LIVE

U.S. Olympic Trials on USA:
Making the Team Multiple Locations July 17 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

2004 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Chicago, IL July 24 10-11 a.m. ET/PT

* Schedules Subject to Change

[gh]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

And here's what you really wanted (now, wasn't that worth waiting for?), just track. Everything listed as LIVE:

July 9 11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET (USA)
July 10 8-9 p.m. ET (NBC)
July 11 7-8 p.m. ET (NBC)
July 12 10 p.m.-1 a.m. ET (USA)
July 13-14 rest days
July 15 10 p.m.-12:00 p.m. ET (USA)
July 16 11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET (USA)
July 17 5-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
July 18 7-9 p.m. ET (NBC)

[highjumpsteve]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

I'm sure the network jobbers are live but obviously those 1 am'ers aren't as even that is 10 pm at meet site.

[gh]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

July 9 the men's 10K final doesn't start until 21:25 (9:25), meaning that with commercial obligations they'll be lucky to get the end of the race in before 10:00 rolls around.

July 12 the women's 5K final starts a 9:25, so over at 9:40; 20 minutes left to fill w/ stuff NBC couldn't show over weekend?

July 16 the women's 10K final starts at 9:20, so that runs right up to the end.

It's the Saturday (17th) telecast that's going to be pretty wanky. 5-6 window translates to 2-3 meet time, which means w200sf, m200sf, m110Hqf, w400f (with some mJT and mTJ in the background) and that's it. Bet that thrills the network.

[MJR]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

Maybe they'll show some of the M20km RW and not insult someone with an A standard in the process, to fill the time.

Ok, I'll get off the crack now. (LOL)

[EPelle04]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

>July 9 the men's 10K final doesn't start until 21:25 (9:25), meaning that with commercial obligations they'll be lucky to get the end of the race in before 10:00 rolls around.

Ouch...and who, exactly, are the network sponsors aiming to reach at 00.25 on the East Coast?

[Realist]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

Network sponsors?! It is to laugh. On the nights we're consigned to the USA network I think you can count on steady diet of Greatest Hits Of The 50s, Ron Popiel's New Vegematic, George Foreman's Grill and perhaps a Ginsu or two. (They seem to have retired the funky Englishman with the magic liquid that could clean anything.)

[BisonHurdler]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

>July 15 10 p.m.-12:00 p.m. ET (USA)



That's a lot of coverage!!!!!!!

[tandfman]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

When I first read this, I thought it was remarkable that NBC would pre-empt the local news and Leno on the first Friday night. Then I realized it was on USA.

Never mind.

[MJD]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

Don't know if it is available yet but one of the canucks will have to post the CBC schedule. Hee hee...

[marknhj]

Re: NBC Begins Oly Trials Coverage (all sports)

Where can I see the Athens TV T&F schedule? Recently came to the awful realisation that I'll be on the East Coast at a convention during the last two days...what's worse is that it's my show and I booked it two years ago without thinking about the Games...