FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 24th, 2018
LIVE ON NBC, IT’S BIG EVENT WEEKEND WITH RYDER CUP GOLF, NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE PREMIERE, NASCAR PLAYOFFS & SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
NBC’s Big Event Weekend Begins as Tiger Woods & U.S. Face Europe at 42nd Annual Ryder Cup on Saturday at 3 a.m. ET on NBC
College Football Primetime Showdown – No. 8 Notre Dame Hosts No. 7 Stanford Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
Saturday Night Live Season Premiere with Host Adam Driver & Musical Guest Kanye West
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Continue on Sunday Afternoon from Charlotte
Sunday Night Football Closes Out Big Event Weekend When Pittsburgh Steelers Host Baltimore Ravens in AFC North Tilt at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Chelsea vs. Liverpool in Battle of Premier League Unbeatens – Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 24, 2018 – Coverage of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National outside of Paris – featuring Tiger Woods and the U.S. team taking on Europe – begins Saturday at 3 a.m. ET, kicking off more than 30 hours of live, premier programming airing on NBC throughout the weekend to bring September to an emphatic close.
The big-ticket weekend features live coverage of the 2018 Ryder Cup; the No. 8 Fighting Irish against the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal in a primetime matchup with College Football Playoff implications; the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, featuring host Adam Driver and Grammy Award winner and musical guest Kanye West; the Monster Energy NASCAR Playoffs from Charlotte, N.C.; and an AFC North rivalry on Sunday Night Football, as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Click here to preview the upcoming weekend on NBC.
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Channel |
| Sat., Sept. 29 | 3 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Ryder Cup – Day 2 | NBC |
| 7:30 p.m. | Stanford at Notre Dame | NBC | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Saturday Night Live | NBC | |
| Sun., Sept. 30 | 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Ryder Cup – Final Day | NBC |
| 2 p.m. | NASCAR Cup Series Race – Charlotte | NBC | |
| 7 p.m. | Football Night in America | NBC | |
| 8:20 p.m. | Sunday Night Football – Baltimore at Pittsburgh | NBC |
42ND RYDER CUP – NBC’S COVERAGE BEGINS SATURDAY AT 3 A.M. ET ON NBC
After defeating Europe (17-11) in 2016, the United States looks to retain the Ryder Cup, which will be contested Friday–Sunday, Sept. 28–30, at Le Golf National outside of Paris.
NBC Sports will dedicate nearly 30 hours to showcasing live action of the Ryder Cup, featuring all-encompassing coverage from the first tee shot of Friday’s opening match through the conclusion of Sunday’s singles matches. NBC’s coverage begins Saturday, Sept. 29, from 3 a.m.–1 p.m. ET, and concludes Sunday, Sept. 30, from 6 a.m.–1 p.m. Click here for more information.
Following is NBC’s telecast schedule of the 2018 Ryder Cup:
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Channel |
| Sat., Sept. 29 | 3 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Day 2 | NBC |
| Sun., Sept. 30 | 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Final Day | NBC |
- 8 NOTRE DAME HOSTS NO. 7 STANFORD IN MARQUEE MATCHUP THIS SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
Undefeated college football rivals with College Football Playoff aspirations clash in a primetime showdown on Saturday on NBC, when QB Ian Book and the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) host Heisman Trophy hopeful Bryce Love and the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal (4-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET in a battle for the Legends Trophy.
NBC Sports’ Notre Dame football commentary team is led by Mike Tirico, alongside Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie (analyst), sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen, and on-air rules analyst Terry McAulay. Liam McHugh hosts pre-game, halftime, and post-game coverage of Notre Dame Football on NBC alongside former college and NFL quarterback Chris Simms (studio analyst).
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE PREMIERES ON SEPT. 29 WITH HOST ADAM DRIVER AND MUSICAL GUEST KANYE WEST
“Saturday Night Live” will premiere its upcoming 44th season on Sept. 29 with host Adam Driver and musical guest Kanye West.
Returning for his second time as host, Emmy Award-nominated Driver recently starred in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed summer film, “BlacKkKlansman.”
Accompanying Driver on the season premiere will be Grammy Award-winner and icon Kanye West, making his seventh appearance as musical guest. West released his latest album, “Ye,” in June, earning his eighth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
2018 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS CONTINUE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH FINAL RACE IN ROUND OF 16 FROM CHARLOTTE – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC
NBC Sports surrounds the final race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 16, and the debut of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s all-new ROVAL course, with more than 18 hours of trackside coverage this week from the “Mecca of Motorsports,” in Concord, N.C. Live race coverage culminates Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, with NASCAR Cup Series racing.
Following a dominating win this past Saturday at Richmond Raceway, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, officially clinched a spot in the Round of 12 with his seventh win of the season. With the victory, Busch (2125 points) and defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (2,141 points) joined Brad Keselowski (2,111 points) in advancing to the next round. Kevin Harvick (2,113 points) and Joey Logano (2,081) now round out the Top 5 in the Playoff standings. Four Playoff contenders will be eliminated this weekend at the ROVAL. Those in danger include Jimmie Johnson, who seeks to continue his run for a record-breaking eighth Cup Series title.
NASCAR on NBC’s lead race announcer Rick Allen will call the action, alongside Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte, from NBC Sports’ traditional broadcast booth above the start/finish line. In addition, Two-time Daytona 500 winning driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be teamed with 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton in NBCSN’s “Drivers Booth.”
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS – AT 8:20 P.M. ET ON NBC – COVERAGE BEGINS WITH FNIA AT 7 P.M. ET
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens meet for the eighth time on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, when coverage begins at a new, earlier kickoff time of 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. In their last meeting on NBC’s SNF, QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 506 yards and two touchdowns, and WR Antonio Brown had 11 receptions for 213 yards, as the Steelers overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Ravens, 39-38. Coverage begins with FNIA at 7 p.m. ET.
Calling Ravens-Steelers is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 33rd season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. This marks the 10th season that Michaels and Collinsworth will serve as the announce team in the NBC broadcast booth. In addition, three-time Super Bowl referee and SNF’s new rules analyst Terry McAulay will join Michaels and Collinsworth in the booth.
Mike Tirico will host Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET on NBC alongside Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, and NFL insider Mike Florio from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Liam McHugh will co-host Football Night in America on-site from Heinz Field.
CHELSEA (5 wins, 1 tie, 0 losses) VS. LIVERPOOL (6 wins, 0 losses) – SATURDAY AT 12:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Saturday’s Premier League match on NBCSN features a pair of unbeaten clubs, as Chelsea hosts Liverpool at 12:30 p.m. ET. Fans in our nation’s capital will be watching with NBC Sports studio team and Premier League greats from the “Premier League Mornings Live” fan fest in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
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