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NBC SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES MLS COVERAGE PLANS FOR THE 2013 REGULAR SEASON
41 Regular-Season Games; 38 on NBC Sports Network and 3 on NBC
Coverage Kicks-off Season on March 2 with Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Wall-to-Wall Soccer Coverage During "Rivalry Weekend" on Saturday, March 16, with Two Games on NBC Sports Network, One on NBC and Studio Coverage of that Day's Entire Schedule of MLS Games
6 Games Featuring Defending MLS Champion LA Galaxy
NEW YORK - January 9, 2013 -NBC Sports Group, in the second season of its partnership with Major League Soccer, will air 41 regular season games across NBC and NBC Sports Network in the 2013 season. Three MLS regular-season games will air on NBC, with 38 on NBC Sports Network, beginning with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship between the Houston Dynamo and D.C. United on Saturday, March 2 - the first nationally televised game of the 2013 season.
Highlights of NBC Sports Group's 2013 MLS Season:
· The first nationally televised MLS match of the season Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 2, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship.
· "Rivalry Weekend" - Unprecedented wall-to-wall coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network during "Rivalry Weekend" on Saturday, March 16, during which the networks will cover all MLS games that day.
NBC begins the day with the New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United at 12:30 p.m. ET, from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. NBC Sports Network will air two more games that day, beginning with Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire at 3 p.m. ET, and the Seattle Sounders host the Portland Timbers later that night.
After calling the New York Red Bulls-D.C. United match, NBC Sports Group's MLS announce team of Arlo White (play-by-play) and Kyle Martino ("Between-the-Benches" analyst) and Russ Thaler (host), will travel to the new NBC Sports Group studios in Stamford, Conn., to host a studio "whip around" showcasing coverage of the rest of that day's MLS games.
· Three nationally televised games on NBC: New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United on Mar. 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET, LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers on Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United on Sun., Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
· Six games featuring MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy, including Sun., September 29, on NBC at Portland.
· All new episodes of MLS 36, the original series that follows a player for 36 hours prior to game time.
Ratings Success:
NBC Sports Group, in its first season in partnership with Major League Soccer, experienced tremendous growth among viewers and across key male demos. For the 2012 MLS season, NBC Sports Group presented 41 regular season games - three on NBC and 38 on NBC Sports Network. Viewership was up 122% over the 2011 regular season of Fox Soccer Channel (151,000 vs. 68,000). Viewership was also up among male demos Men 18-34 by 63% and Men 18-49 by 50%.
· The 2012 MLS season on NBC Sports Network (38 games) was up 79% compared to the similar schedule in 2011 (122,000 vs. 68,000). Additionally, NBC Sports Network saw a rise in the key male demographics. Viewership was up 47% among Men 18-34 and up 29% among Men 18-49.
· In all, NBC Sports Group's MLS coverage reached more than 13.2 million total viewers during the 2012 Season, nearly five times Fox Soccer's total audience for the 2011 season (2.7 million).
NBC SPORTS GROUP 2013 MLS SCHEDULE:
Date Away Home Times ET Network
Sat. Mar. 2 D.C. United Houston 8 PM NBCSN
Sun. Mar. 9 New England Chicago 7:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Mar. 16 D.C. United New York 12:30 PM NBC
Sat. Mar. 16 Chicago Kansas City 3 PM NBCSN
Sat. Mar. 16 Portland Seattle TBD NBCSN
Sat. Mar. 23 Columbus D.C. United 3:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Mar. 30 Philadelphia New York 3:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Apr. 6 Real Salt Lake Colorado 3:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Apr. 13 LA Galaxy Dallas 3:30 PM NBCSN
Sun. Apr. 14 San Jose Portland 10:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Apr. 20 Kansas City LA Galaxy 10:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. Apr. 27 Chicago Montreal 4 PM NBCSN
Sat. May 4 New York Columbus 4 PM NBCSN
Sat. May 11 Philadelphia Chicago 1:30 PM NBCSN
Sun. May 26 Houston Kansas City 3:30 PM NBCSN
Sun. June 2 LA Galaxy New England 4 PM NBCSN
Sun. June 23 Colorado Portland 7 PM NBCSN
Sat. June 29 Dallas Philadelphia 5:30 PM NBCSN
Sat. July 6 Seattle Vancouver 11 PM NBCSN
Sat. July 13 LA Galaxy Portland 11 PM NBCSN
Sat. July 20 Colorado Seattle 11 PM NBCSN
Sat. July 27 Chicago Houston 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Aug. 3 New York Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Aug. 10 D.C. United Philadelphia 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Aug. 17 Philadelphia New York 8 PM NBCSN
Fri. Aug. 23 Kansas City Chicago 8:30 PM NBCSN
Fri. Aug. 30 Portland Real Salt Lake 10 PM NBCSN
Sat. Aug. 31 D.C. United New York 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Sept. 7 Chicago Seattle 10 PM NBCSN
Fri. Sept. 13 Real Salt Lake Seattle 10 PM NBCSN
Fri. Sept. 20 Colorado Portland 10 PM NBCSN
Sat. Sept. 21 Seattle LA Galaxy 10:30 PM NBCSN
Fri. Sept. 27 Philadelphia Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN
Sun. Sept. 29 LA Galaxy Portland 3:30 PM NBC
Fri. Oct. 4 Chicago D.C. United 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Oct. 5 Seattle Colorado 10 PM NBCSN
Fri. Oct. 18 D.C. United Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN
Sat. Oct. 19 Seattle Dallas 4 PM NBCSN
Sat. Oct. 26 Kansas City Philadelphia 3 PM NBCSN
Sat. Oct. 26 Dallas San Jose 5:30 PM NBCSN
Sun. Oct. 27 Houston D.C. United 1:30 PM NBC
All games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of on-site pre-game and post-game coverage.
Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five NBC Sports Regional Networks (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), the league will have coverage across the NBC Sports Group's unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital. This includes ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com, a blog featuring articles from respected soccer journalist Steve Davis (@SteveDavis90). Davis, who has covered Major League Soccer, since its inception in 1996 contributes regular posts and provides video reports to NBCSports.com.
About NBC Sports Group's Soccer Coverage
The NBC Sports Group's networks and platforms are leading destinations for soccer fans in the U.S. Its soccer portfolio includes Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Men's and Women's National Team matches, the men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments, and, beginning in August 2013, the Premier League. NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, will be the home for all 380 Premier League matches, as well comprehensive shoulder programming. NBCUniversal's Telemundo and mun2 also provide comprehensive Spanish-language soccer coverage. Both channels will air Premier League matches, as well as serve as the U.S. Spanish-language home for the FIFA World Cup from 2015 through 2022. Online, ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com provides comprehensive coverage of the sport, from the Premier League to MLS to the U.S. National Team and other key international soccer stories.
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