FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

NBC SPORTS GROUP SETS SAIL ON COVERAGE OF 2015-16 LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES, SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN AND NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Group To Present More Than 10 Hours of 2015-16 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Coverage

NBCSN to Televise 1.5 Hours of America’s Cup World Series Coverage From Bermuda This Sunday

Stamford, Conn. – Oct. 14, 2015 – NBC Sports Group will begin its coverage of the 2015-16 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, from Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda. In addition to being telecast on NBCSN, coverage will also be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra. The 1.5 hours of coverage from Bermuda are part of more than 10 hours of NBC Sports Group’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series coverage in 2015-16.

Featuring the best sailors in the world, six crews from six countries are competing in the 2015-16 America’s Cup World Series, including defending America’s Cup champion ORACLE TEAM USA (USA), Artemis Racing (Sweden), Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand), Groupama Team France (France), Land Rover BAR (Great Britain), and SoftBank Team Japan (Japan). All teams will compete in foiling, wingsailed catamarans – an updated version of the AC45 ships raced in the previous iteration of the series.

Overall position in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series races will determine the rankings for the America’s Cup Qualifiers, which take place in 2017. Sunday’s race in Bermuda marks the third and final leg of the 2015 season of the America’s Cup World Series. Emirates Team New Zealand is currently in first place, and holds an eight point lead over ORACLE TEAM USA.

Tucker Thompson will handle play-by-play for the telecast, and will be joined by analyst and accomplished sailor Ken Reed.

AMERICA’S CUP COVERAGE

As was previously announced, NBC Sports Group acquired exclusive United States media rights for the 2017 America’s Cup Finals and America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs. Per the agreement, NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to provide more than 35 hours of coverage of the events.

In addition to the 2017 America’s Cup Finals and Challenger Playoffs, NBCSN will present coverage of specific America’s Cup World Series events in 2015 and 2016, which will determine seeding for the 2017 America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs. Once determined, the winning team of the Challenger Playoffs will then race against defending America’s Cup winner ORACLE TEAM USA in the 2017 America’s Cup Finals.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2017 America’s Cup marks the second consecutive presentation of the event on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra. NBC Sports Group previously served as the U.S. television home of the 2013 America’s Cup, in which ORACLE TEAM USA staged a dramatic comeback, winning eight consecutive races to come from behind and defeat Emirates Team New Zealand, 9-8.

– NBC Sports Group –