FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 6th, 2017

“THERE’S NOTHING LIKE PLAYOFF HOCKEY” – NBC SPORTS GROUP TO PRESENT EVERY STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF GAME FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin Wednesday, April 12

NBC & NBCSN Combine to Cover Stanley Cup Final for 12th Straight Year; NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network to Carry All Games

NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports App to Provide Side-by-Side Coverage of First-Round Games in Local Markets For First Time

NBC to Air Up to 19 Stanley Cup Playoff Games

NBC Sports Group 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Call – Monday, April 10, at Noon ET

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App Provide Comprehensive Streaming Coverage of 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs

NBC Sports Regional Networks to Air Live Coverage of First-Round Games & Provide Comprehensive Local Team Coverage

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 6, 2017 – For the sixth consecutive year, every NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game will be presented nationally across NBC Sports platforms and select NBCUniversal networks. During April, May, and June, NBC Sports Group will televise as many as 105 playoff games, and possibly more than 260 hours of programming. The excitement of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey – and “There’s Nothing Like Playoff Hockey” – begins Wednesday, April 12.

This year is the 12th consecutive season that NBC and NBCSN will combine to cover the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and NBC is scheduled to present up to 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Coverage will be presented on NBC, NBCSN and NHL Network, as well as NBCUniversal’s USA Network, the No. 1 cable entertainment network, and CNBC, NBCUniversal’s widely-distributed business channel. USA Network will present NHL Stanley Cup Playoff coverage for the third consecutive season, and CNBC has provided Stanley Cup Playoff coverage since 2012. Both networks will be utilized during first- and second-round coverage.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide complete streaming coverage of every game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs that is televised by NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, and CNBC.

Locally, NBC Sports Regional Networks will surround the Blackhawks (CSN Chicago), Capitals (CSN Mid-Atlantic), Bruins (CSN New England), and Sharks (NBC Sports California) with first-round game coverage and in-depth live-event news coverage. NBCSports.com will provide comprehensive online coverage of the playoffs with online-only video, contributions from Comcast SportsNet insiders, and constant news updates from ProHockeyTalk.


NBCSN, CNBC, USA NETWORK, NBCSPORTS.COM, AND THE NBC SPORTS APP TO PROVIDE SIDE-BY-SIDE COVERAGE OF FIRST-ROUND GAMES IN LOCAL MARKETS FOR FIRST TIME

For the first time since NBC Sports acquired NHL rights prior to the 2005-06 season, NBC Sports’ coverage of Stanley Cup Playoff first-round games on NBCUniversal cable networks (NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network), as well as NHL Network, will air side-by-side and will be available for streaming on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app in local markets alongside regional sports network game telecasts. Prior to this season, NBC Sports’ national first-round cable telecasts were blacked out in all local U.S. markets. (Local blackouts will still apply in Boston and Pittsburgh in the first round).

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NBC SPORTS GROUP 2017 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS CONFERENCE CALL – MONDAY, APRIL 10, AT NOON ET

NBC Sports Group NHL analysts Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire, and Jeremy Roenick, as well as Executive Producer Sam Flood, will preview the upcoming 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs on a media conference call on Monday, April 10, at noon ET. Media interested in participating should call 719-325-4894; Passcode: 2009660.

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FIRST ROUND

Every first-round Stanley Cup Playoff game will be televised on a national platform.

In order to televise as many as five games on a given day/night, NBC Sports Group will utilize NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and the NHL Network to carry first-round games. Local blackouts for games on cable will no longer apply (excluding Boston and Pittsburgh, where no streaming will be available), so fans in all markets will have the ability to watch or stream their team on NBC Sports’ national telecasts and digital platforms.

NBCSN will be the primary home of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, offering coverage of one or two games virtually every night of the first round. NBC will present six exclusive first-round broadcasts during the weekends of April 15-16 and April 22-23, including a pair of Saturday primetime broadcasts on Saturday, April 15, and Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m. ET.

USA Network, CNBC, and NHL Network will also provide live coverage in primetime, airing games on a majority of nights.


SECOND ROUND

NBC Sports Group’s Stanley Cup Playoff exclusivity originates with the second round and continues through the Stanley Cup Final. All games will air exclusively on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, or CNBC, and will stream exclusively on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

In addition, NBC will present a second-round Stanley Cup Playoff game immediately following live coverage of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6. This is the second consecutive year in which NBC has aired a Stanley Cup Playoff game immediately following the Kentucky Derby.

NBCSN will serve as the primary home for second-round coverage, offering one or two games virtually every night. When necessary, USA Network and CNBC will provide live coverage in primetime, although less frequently than in the first round.


CONFERENCE FINALS

NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide exclusive coverage of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. For the second consecutive season, NBC will present a primetime Conference Final game immediately following live coverage of the Preakness Stakes, on Saturday, May 20. The remaining games from both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be televised exclusively on NBCSN.


STANLEY CUP FINAL

For the 12th consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC will broadcast Game 1, Game 4, and Games 5-7 (if necessary), with NBCSN televising Games 2-3.


STUDIO COVERAGE

Comprehensive pre-game, post-game, and intermission studio programming throughout the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will originate from NBC Sports Group’s state-of-the-art International Broadcast Center located in Stamford, Conn., except during the Stanley Cup Final, when live studio coverage will originate from the game sites.

During the first round, NBC Sports Group will operate two studio shows. On most weeknights, fans can expect NHL studio programming for games airing on NBCSN and USA Network/CNBC, sometimes simultaneously. NHL Live will usually begin one hour prior to game time, with post-game coverage airing immediately after the final game of the night.

COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE

Through the NBC Sports Regional Networks, comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be provided daily via NBC Sports Regional Networks, available in more than 50 million U.S. households. NBC Sports Regional Networks serve the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals, with first-round game coverage, pre- and post-game shows, and extensive on-line coverage via CSN’s team of NHL Insiders.

For teams that advance past the first round, NBC Sports Regional Networks will deliver extensive pre- and post-game coverage as well as breaking news and analysis throughout each team’s playoff run.


STREAMING COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.


SOCIAL MEDIA

NBC Sports is excited to give NHL fans and followers the best of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in real time by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and NBCSports on Snapchat with behind-the-scenes access to talent and the best moments of the Playoffs. With an extensive social media strategy, NBC Sports will hone in on the moments that makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs so special.

  • “Last Night on The Stanley Cup Playoffs” – NBC Sports will treat each night of the postseason like your favorite television dramatic series, churning out relevant, daily content highlighting the most memorable moments from each night’s games;

 

  • The “Social Sin Bin” – NBC Sports’ social team will cover every minute of every playoff game, serving as the “Social Sin Bin” for all Stanley Cup Playoff social media content, spanning from on-site coverage to NBC Sports International Headquarters in Stamford, Conn.;

 

  • Stanley Cup Wishing Well Facebook Live – Fans on Facebook can submit their well-wishes to their teams and players leading into the playoffs next week, as NBC Sports will conduct a Facebook Live with the Stanley Cup. NBC Sports will take wishes that fans post on Facebook Live, then print them in real time and put them into the Stanley Cup to bring fans closer to the iconic trophy than ever before;

 

All of the very best Stanley Cup Moments will be posted socially within seconds, not only giving hockey fans the viral moments they crave, but also tagging these moments to help spread awareness in the most timely manner.

NBC Sports’ Stanley Cup Playoffs talent roster will get in on the social media action as well. From the booth and in the studios, the NHL on NBC Sports Facebook page will bring fans inside the studio with Facebook Live segments with hosts and analysts.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-