FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 7th, 2016
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S PRESS PASS – WHAT TO WATCH – OCTOBER 7-9, 2016
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S PRESS PASS – WHAT TO WATCH – OCTOBER 7-9, 2016
(All times ET)
The “Press Pass” on NBC Sports Group Press Box is a quick overview of upcoming program information and highlights from the NBC Sports Group Communications team. For live streaming information on the NBC Sports app, Powered by Playmaker Media and Golf Channel’s Golf Live Extra powered by PlayMaker Media, click here.
Friday, October 7th
6 p.m. on NBCSN – Kyle & Rut’s Racing Roots
6:30 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – Charlotte
8 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – Charlotte
9:30 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Charlotte
11 p.m. on NBCSN – World Series of Fighting – Kansas City
Saturday, October 8th
2 a.m. on NBCSN – Formula One Qualifying – Japanese Grand Prix
10 a.m. on NBCSN – Aviva Premiership Rugby: Harlequins v. Northampton
12 p.m. on NBCSN – Mecum Auctions – Chicago
2 p.m. on NBC – Red Bull Signature Series: Mint 400
3:30 p.m. on NBC – Red Bull Signature Series: Crandon World Cup
5 p.m. on NBC – Breeder’s Cup Challenge Series – Keeneland
5 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR America
6 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR Spring Cup Series Countdown to Green
7 p.m. on NBC – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Charlotte
11 p.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post Race – Charlotte
Sunday, October 9th
12 a.m. on NBCSN – F1 Countdown
12:30 a.m. on NBCSN – F1 Japanese Grand Prix
3:30 a.m. on NBCSN – F1 Extra
8 a.m. on NBCSN – Chicago Marathon
11 a.m. on NBCSN – NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Charlotte
12 p.m. on Universal HD – UCI Road World Championship
1:30 p.m. on NBCSN – Mecum Auctions – Chicago
2 p.m. on NBC – PGA Tour “Year in Review”
3 p.m. on NBC – Red Bull Global Rallycross – Los Angeles
5 p.m. on NBC – Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series – Keeneland
7 p.m. on NBC – Football Night in America
8:20 p.m. on NBC – Sunday Night Football: New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers
9 p.m. on NBCSN – Mecum Auctions – Chicago
11 p.m. on NBCSN – Aviva Premiership Rugby: Saracens v. Wasps
1 a.m. on NBCSN – Paris Tours
2 a.m. on NBCSN – Artic Race of Norway
NFL
NBC Sports continues its presentation of Sunday Night Football this week as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers host Eli Manning and the New York Giants at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. Coverage begins with Football Night in America this Sunday, October 9, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.
Calling Giants-Packers are Al Michaels (play-by-play Cris Collinsworth; and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya
Football Night in America, the most-watched weekly studio show in sports, is hosted by Mike Tirico, who reports on-site from Lambeau Field, and Dan Patrick, who will host from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Patrick is joined by Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN, NBCSports.com and NBC Sports Radio. Paul Burmeister will report from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on the Bengals-Cowboys game.
NASCAR
NBC Sports heads to the “Queens City” for back-to-back primetime NASCAR races from Charlotte Motor Speedway. NBC Sports resets the playoff field Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC with the first race of the Sprint Cup Round of 12. Back on a level playing field, the Chase drivers will battle it out on NASCAR’s home track to ensure a spot in Martinsville. NBCSN presents the first elimination race of the inaugural XFINITY Chase Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Today’s coverage from Charlotte begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with practice followed by an on-site edition of NASCAR America at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Race day begins at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a special Saturday edition of NASCAR America, followed by Countdown to Green at 6 p.m. ET. Coverage shifts over to NBC at 7 p.m. ET for complete race coverage of the Bank of America 500.
NBC Sports’ XFINITY race day coverage from Charlotte Motor Speedway begins today with with qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Countdown to Green kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and flows into coverage of the pivotal XFINITY Series Round of 12 elimination race at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Race announcer Rick Allen calls this weekend’s action alongside analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton. Pre- and post-race coverage is handled by host Krista Voda, and analysts Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett. Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman report from pit road. Rutledge Wood contributes to NBCSN’s coverage today and Friday.
FORMULA 1
The 2016 Formula One campaign rolls into Suzuka Circuit in Japan for the annual running of the Japanese Grand Prix this Sunday at 12:30 a.m. ET/Saturday at 9:30 p.m. PT on NBCSN.
Live Japanese Grand Prix race coverage begins Sunday morning at 12 a.m. ET/Saturday at 9 p.m. PT on NBCSN with F1 Countdown, and is followed by F1 Extra at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.
Lead play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey will call this weekend’s action, and will be joined by veteran analyst David Hobbs, and analyst Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will report on-site from Suzuka Circuit.
RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS
The 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship will be decided on NBC this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, as Tanner Foust goes for his first series title in four years. Foust (465 points) holds a slight lead over Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross teammate Scott Speed (452 points), who took the series crown last year.
Toby Moody (play-by-play) will call the action from the Port of Los Angeles in California, alongside analyst Townsend Bell and reporter Kristen Kenney.
MECUM AUCTIONS
NBCSN live coverage of Mecum Auctions from Chicago continues Saturday, Oct. 8, at Noon ET on NBCSN, and wraps with a pair of telecast on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET. The event will feature an estimated 1,000 collector cars headlined by American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, hot rods, Resto Mods and more.
Scott Hoke will host NBCSN’s Mecum Auctions coverage on-site at the Schaumburg Convention Center, alongside analysts John Kraman, Stephen Cox, and Bill Stephens.
PREMIERSHIP RUGBY
NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2016-17 Aviva Premiership Rugby campaign continues this weekend highlighted by a showdown of the top two clubs in the league, as defending champion Saracens (4-0-1) host league-leading Wasps (5-0-0) this Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN. NBCSN’s coverage begins this Saturday at 10 a.m. ET with live coverage of Harlequins (2-0-3) v. Northampton Saints (2-0-3).
NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey will anchor studio coverage for both NBCSN matches this weekend, and will be joined by analyst Alex Corbisiero.
BREEDER’S CUP CHALLENGE SERIES
Final automatic qualifying positions for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be at stake this weekend in a pair of live NBC shows. Coverage begins Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on NBC from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., with the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile and the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. The $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes highlights Sunday’s live 5 p.m. ET show on NBC.
Tom Hammond hosts NBC’s coverage this weekend, and will be joined by analyst Nick Luck and reporters Donna Brothers and Kenny Rice. Daily Racing Form’s Matt Bernier will serve as the Handicapper.
WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
World Series of Fighting returns to NBCSN tonight live at 11 p.m. ET, with the undefeated Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (16-0) defending his lightweight title against Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) from the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
In the co-main event, David Branch (18-3) defends his light heavyweight title against Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (14-7).
Today’s card also features two lightweight bouts, with Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (20-5) facing Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-8), and Brian Foster (26-9) facing Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (19-6); a welterweight fight between Abubakar Nurmagomedov (12-1) and John “Doomsday” Howard (24-12); and a heavyweight bout between Shawn “The Savage” Jordan (18-7) and Ashley “Gio” Gooch (10-4).
Play-by-play announcer Todd Harris will be joined by analysts Bas Rutten and Joey Varner to call the action.
CHICAGO MARATHON
NBCSN presents live coverage of the Chicago Marathon this Sunday, October 9, at 8 a.m. ET. An encore presentation of the race will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Universal HD.
Paul Swangard and Todd Williams call the Chicago Marathon.
GOLF
The birthplace of golf will be on display at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where a strong contingent of European players headline the field, including six of the 12 members of the 2016 European Ryder Cup team. The LPGA Tour is in Asia for the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship, where world No. 1 Lydia Ko will defend her 2015 title. The PGA TOUR Champions are in Southern California for the Toshiba Classic, with Colin Montgomerie and John Daly in the field. And the European Tour and PGA TOUR Australasia will co-sanction the Fiji International, with Brand Snedeker – member of the winning United States Ryder Cup team – in the field, along with Vijay Singh competing in his home country.
