FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 19th, 2016

LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES NEW YORK HIGHLIGHT SHOW TO AIR THIS SATURDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

One-Hour Highlight Show Featuring Top Moments From Long Awaited Return of America’s Cup Sailing in New York Harbor

Complete Coverage of Emirates Team New Zealand’s Dramatic Come-From-Behind Win

Stamford, Conn. – May 19, 2016 – NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series continues this Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, with a one-hour highlight show featuring top moments from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series New York.

Highlighted by complete encore coverage of the final race, in which Emirates Team New Zealand staged a dramatic come-from-behind win to defeat SoftBank Team Japan, the America’s Cup World Series special also includes interviews with Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby and ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill, as well as in-depth profiles on each America’s Cup team.

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series New York marked the return of America’s Cup racing to New York harbor, following a 96-year absence. America’s Cup racing was last held in New York in 1920, when the 13th challenge for the America’s Cup took place on the Hudson River. Beginning in 1930, the competition was moved to Newport, Rhode Island, where it remained until the United States lost the Cup in 1983.

Featuring the best sailors in the world, six crews from six countries are competing in the Louis Vuitton 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 are competing in foiling, wingsailed catamarans – an updated version of the AC45 multihull boats raced in the previous iteration of the series.

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series is the primary stage of the America’s Cup, and began in the summer of 2015 with events in Portsmouth, Great Britain; Gothenburg, Sweden and Hamilton, Bermuda. Overall ranking position in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series determines the starting points score of the teams competing in the America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.

All 2016 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series races in New York took place on the lower Hudson River, off Battery Park City in Manhattan.

Todd Harris serves as host and play-by-play announcer for all America’s Cup World Series coverage, and is joined by analyst and former America’s Cup sailor Ken Read.

LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES STANDINGS

POSITION  TEAM COUNTRY    TOTAL POINTS
1. Emirates Team New Zealand NZL 244
2. ORACLE TEAM USA USA 236
3. Land Rover BAR GBR 227
4. SoftBank Team Japan JPN 203
5. Artemis Racing SWE 201
6. Groupama Team France FRA 194

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S AMERICA’S CUP COVERAGE

NBC Sports Group is the exclusive U.S. television partner of the America’s Cup. In 2016-17, NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to provide more than 35 hours of coverage of the America’s Cup Finals, America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs and Qualifiers, and America’s Cup World Series. In addition to the 2017 America’s Cup Finals, and Challenger Playoffs, NBCSN will present coverage of specific America’s Cup World Series events, which will determine seeding for the 2017 America’s Cup Qualifiers. 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.

– NBC Sports Group –