NBC Announces Unprecedented Hockey Coverage At 2006 Olympic Winter Games

Most Winter Olympics Coverage in History: 416 Hours on NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC,NBC HD, Universal HD and NBCOlympics.com

NEW YORK - Jan. 10, 2006 - NBC Universal's unprecedented coverage of the Torino Olympic Winter Games features the most coverage - including the most live coverage - across the most platforms of any Winter Olympics in history when the XX Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy commence one month from today, Feb. 10-26. The Networks of NBC Universal, NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC HD and Universal HD will provide 416 total hours of coverage, an increase over the 375.5 hours of coverage on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC from Salt Lake, the previous record for a Winter Games. The Torino coverage will include the most live coverage ever of a Winter Games, despite the six-hour time difference between the U.S. East Coast and Italy, and will feature the most high definition coverage in Olympic television history. Over the 17 days of the Torino Games the Networks of NBC Universal will average 24.5 hours of Olympic coverage per day. The announcement was made today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics and Executive Producer of NBC's Olympic coverage.

Seventeen-time Emmy Award winner Bob Costas returns as primetime host for the Torino Winter Games, his seventh with NBC Sports and his sixth as primetime host. Costas has won the Emmy Award for each Olympics he has served as primetime host. Jim Lampley will work his 13th Olympics, surpassing ABC's legendary Jim McKay with the most-ever Olympic broadcast assignments for any television commentator. He will anchor NBC's daytime and late night Olympic telecasts in his sixth Olympics with NBC.

The extended family of NBC Universal cable networks will present a total of 233.5 hours on USA, MSNBC and CNBC, more than 75 percent of which is live coverage, an increase from the 207 hours on CNBC and MSNBC from Salt Lake. Over 16 days of the Torino Games, the cable networks of NBC Universal will average 14 hours of Olympic coverage per day.

All 54 games of both the men's and women's hockey tournaments will be seen live on the networks of NBC Universal. This will mark the first time in U.S. television history that the entire Olympic women's tournament will be televised. All Team USA hockey games and the gold medal games, both men's and women's, will be broadcast commercial-free and in their entirety. The women's gold medal game will air live on President's Day, Monday, Feb. 20, on NBC. The men's gold medal game will air live on the final day of Olympic competition, Sunday, Feb. 26, on NBC.

"Our hockey coverage is a fan's dream come true, every U.S. game will be seen commercial free and in its entirety," Ebersol said. "Die-hard fans should mark their calendars for Wednesday, Feb. 22. It will be the single greatest day in hockey - all of the game's biggest stars will compete in the men's quarterfinals as the world's eight best teams all face off."

Bill Clement, the former NHL All-Star and "NHL on NBC" host, will host hockey coverage on USA, MSNBC and CNBC, his fourth Olympic broadcast assignment and third for NBC. Ray Ferraro, an 18-year NHL veteran and "NHL on NBC" studio analyst, will provide analysis alongside Clement for men's games. Cammi Granato, a 1998 Olympic gold medalist and 2002 Olympic silver medalist, will work with Clement for women's games. Ferraro and Granato were married in 2004.

Mike Emrick (play-by-play), John Davidson (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (reporter) will comprise the lead men's Olympic broadcast team. Emrick will pair with AJ Mleczko, a 1998 Olympic gold medalist and 2002 Olympic silver medalist, as the lead team on women's games, with McGuire reporting.

CNBC, available in 88 million homes, will be home to 61 hours of Winter Games coverage from 5-8 p.m. ET on weekdays following the "Closing Bell" and featuring curling, the "cult hit" of the Winter Olympics. CNBC will provide extensive live hockey coverage on weekends. During CNBC's live Olympic coverage during the 2002 Salt Lake Games, the network almost tripled its normal delivery to a 1.0 cable rating/837,000 HH (from a .4/293,000 during Feb. 2001).

NBC HD

The Torino Games will feature the most high definition coverage in Olympic television history. For the first time, Olympic HD viewers will see a simulcast of the analog broadcast - same time, same broadcasters, same graphics - but in High Definition and in 5.1 surround sound.

Figure skating, hockey, long and short track speed skating, ski jumping, freestyle aerials and moguls, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will all be broadcast in 1080i high definition because those venues in Torino are wired for high definition coverage by the host broadcaster. From those venues where the host broadcaster is unable to provide a high definition signal, a 16:9 signal will be upconverted by NBC.

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