FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017

BOSTON CELTICS BASKETBALL RETURNS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON ON NBC SPORTS BOSTON

Broadcast Duo Mike Gorman & Tommy Heinsohn Return for 37th Season of Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (formerly named CSN), along with Brian Scalabrine; Abby Chin as Sideline Reporter; and Kyle Draper as Studio Host with contributions from Chris Mannix & Sherrod Blakely

All Celtics games will be Live Streamed on NBCSportsBoston.com and the NBC Sports App for Authenticated Viewers; NBCSportsBoston.com and @NBCSCeltics to Provide Robust Digital & Social Media Experience for Celtics Fans Throughout the Season

NBC Sports Boston to Introduce New Features & Technologies to Enhance the Viewing Experience on TV and Digital

BURLINGTON, MA, October 2, 2017 – The NBA season is upon us and NBC Sports Boston — television home of the Boston Celtics and formerly CSN — will televise 70 regular season Boston Celtics games during the 2017-18 season, as well as four Pre-Season games.  The Celtics pre-season tips off on NBC Sports Boston Monday, October 2nd as they face the Charlotte Hornets beginning at 7PM. The Celtics regular season on NBC Sports Boston will commence with a one-hour Pregame and Postgame show for the season opener on October 17th against the Cleveland Cavaliers. NBC Sports Boston will bring viewers live coverage of the team’s home opener the next night, Wednesday, October 18th, as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the TD Garden with Pregame coverage beginning at 7PM.

With new faces to the Boston Celtics including Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum, joining key stars like Al Horford and Marcus Smart, all led by Coach Brad Stevens, this Celtics team is projected to be one of the top teams in the league this season. NBC Sports Boston’s 2017-18 Celtics broadcast schedule features an abundance of games, including many exclusive, key games for the team.

In addition to a full game schedule, NBC Sports Boston will return this season with broadcast duo Mike Gorman (@celticsvoice) and Tommy Heinsohn calling games for their 37th season as the network’s primary telecast team on all home games.  Fan-favorite Brian Scalabrine (@Scalabrine), now in his third season being full-time at the network, will contribute on every Celtics game night; Scalabrine will once again be the color analyst for all road games and primary studio analyst for all home games on Celtics Pre/Postgame Live, in addition to making weekly appearances on Celtics Post Up and other NBC Sports Boston programming. Kyle Draper (@KylerDraperTV) and Abby Chin (@TVAbby) will return to the NBC Sports Boston telecasts this season as studio host and courtside reporter, respectively.

NBC Sports Boston will be the go-to source before and after each game with live Pre and Postgame coverage of every game this season, including national network games. Draper will host Celtics Pregame Live presented by TD Bank at least 30 minutes prior to each game; Halftime Live presented by Ace Ticket; and Celtics Postgame Live presented by New England Ford immediately following each game. Joining Draper in-studio will be a rotating roster of experts including Heinsohn, Scalabrine, NBCSportsBoston.com Celtics Insider Sherrod Blakely and NBC Sports and Yahoo’s Chris Mannix.

Prior to the regular season tip-off, NBC Sports Boston will feature a Celtics Season Preview show on Thursday, October 12th at 8PM. The show will feature an interview with Brad Stevens and interaction with key members of the team. NBC Sports Boston’s entire Celtics broadcast team will participate as they look ahead to not just the Celtics storylines, but also the top stories around the league heading into the season.  Additionally, Celtics Post Up, the network’s weekly Celtics show which brings viewers unfiltered debate, commentary and discussion surrounding the most “talked about” social media driven Celtics/NBA topics of the day, will continue throughout the 2017-18 Celtics season.

NBC Sports Boston will introduce some new features this year and bring back some features from last year to enhance the Celtics viewing experience both on TV and online, including:

  • Throughout the season, NBC Sports Boston will keep the cameras rolling at the arena even when ads are on so viewers can get a full scope of the in-arena action.
  • NBC Sports Boston will incorporate a 3D telestrator system into the experience which allows viewers to watch 360 degree replays of what’s happening on the court.
  • Fans will also have an improved access and viewer experience from various cameras that will allow new and different perspectives of what’s happening on and off the court.
  • Exclusive content and one-on-one interview with Coach Brad Stevens before and after each game telecast.
  • AnnouncerCam, which is back for its third season, gives viewers an inside, up-close look at Mike, Tommy and Scal as they call the games.
  • Viewers will get special insider access with mic’ed Celtics players during select regular season games.
  • In collaboration with the Celtics, this season’s telecasts will once again feature advanced analytics throughout the night, integrating modern game metrics like points per possession, effective field goal percentage, rebounding percentage, pace of players, and more.

 

NBC Sports Boston’s coverage of the Celtics games, as well as the Pregame and Postgame shows, will be streamed live on NBCSportsBoston.com and via the NBC Sports app for tablets and mobile devices. The ‘TV Everywhere’ service allows authenticated NBC Sports Boston subscribers to watch from anywhere in the U.S. via participating distributors. The Celtics Live Stream is presented by Nissan.

NBC Sports Boston will significantly increase its social media presence on all 82 game days, with content for fans beginning in the morning and continuing through Postgame. Social Media features throughout each gameday will include:

  • Increased social media staffing/content at both home and road games
  • Live social segments via Facebook Live/Periscope following morning shootarounds and production meetings
  • New exclusive clips from the network’s game cameras that will be shared on social
  • Robust content via @NBCSCeltics throughout the day
  • A dominant presence across all social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap: @NBCSBoston

 

Additionally, NBCSportsBoston.com will provide 24/7 coverage of all the Celtics action with up-to-the-minute stats, scores, analysis and on-demand clips throughout the season. Fans can also get all of the insider information with the Celtics Talk podcast from NBC Sports Boston.

Additionally, if anyone misses any of the action, they can enjoy “Lunch with the Celtics” the next day, as every Celtics game on NBC Sports Boston will be replayed the next day at lunchtime.

About NBC SPORTS BOSTON  

NBC Sports Boston was formerly CSN New England and was renamed on October 2, 2017. NBC Sports Boston reaches more than 4 million households in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Programming includes the Boston Celtics, New England Revolution, Chevrolet SportsNet Central, Arbella Early Edition, Town Fair Tire Sports Tonight, Sports Sunday, Celtics Post Up, The Baseball Show, Monday Night Patriots, Quick Slants, New England Tailgate, Football Day in New England including pre and post-game programs surrounding all Patriots games, CAA football, basketball and more. NBCSportsBoston.com provides continuous news, video and in-depth, up-to-the-minute coverage of New England sports. NBC Sports Boston is part of the NBC Sports Group. Visit NBCSportsBoston.com for more information. Check local listings for the specific channel location for your area.

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