FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 11th, 2018
NBC SPORTS HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP RUGBY COVERAGE BEGINS WITH LIVE COVERAGE OF BATH RUGBY V. TOULOUSE THIS SATURDAY AT 8 A.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports to Present More Than 150 Hours of Champions Cup Coverage During 2018-19 Season
Defending Premiership Rugby Champions Saracens Face Glasgow Warriors Late Sunday Night at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT on NBCSN
All Champions Cup Matches to Stream Live on NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ Direct-to-Consumer Live Streaming Product
STAMFORD, Conn. – October 10, 2018 – NBC Sports kicks off more than 150 hours of Heineken Champions Cup rugby coverage this weekend with live coverage of Bath Rugby v. Toulouse on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage on NBCSN continues late Sunday night at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT, when defending Premiership Rugby champions Saracens face Glasgow Warriors.
NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming product – will provide streaming coverage of all Heineken Champions Cup matches during the 2018-19 season, beginning this Friday at 2:45 p.m. ET when defending Champions Cup winners Leinster Rugby face Wasps.
NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey will anchor studio coverage for this weekend’s matches on NBCSN, alongside former Premiership Rugby player Alex Corbisiero (analyst) and U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame member Dan Lyle (analyst).
The Champions Cup is an international club rugby competition comprised of the top clubs across elite European rugby leagues, including Gallagher Premiership Rugby (England), Top 14 (France), and Guinness PRO14 (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy). NBC Sports will present more than 150 hours of Champions Cup coverage across NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and NBC Sports Gold, including live coverage of the final on NBC. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide streaming coverage alongside matches airing on NBC and NBCSN.
BATH V. TOULOUSE – SATURDAY AT 8 A.M. ET LIVE ON NBCSN
Saturday’s match marks the fourth meeting between Bath and Toulouse in the last 10 years. Bath defeated Toulouse, 35-18, in their most recent matchup in the Champions Cup on Jan. 18, 2015. Toulouse did not qualify for the 2017-18 Champions Cup, while Bath finished in third place of their pool and did not advance to the knockout stage. Bath currently rank eighth in Premiership Rugby this season, while Toulouse sit in sixth of Top 14 Rugby.
SARACENS V. GLASGOW WARRIORS – LATE SUNDAY AT 1 A.M. ET/10 P.M. PT ON NBCSN
Saracens look to avenge a quarterfinal round loss to eventual champions Leinster Rugby in the 2017-18 Champions Cup. Saracens have won all three meetings v. Glasgow in the Champions Cup, including a 38-13 victory in the 2016-17 quarterfinals en route to winning the Champions Cup. Saracens are currently tied with Exeter atop the Premiership Rugby table, while Glasgow lead their conference in Guinness PRO14.
Following is this week’s Heineken Champions Cup coverage on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold:
| Date | Coverage | Time (ET) | Network |
| Fri., October 12 | Leinster Rugby v. Wasps | 2:45 p.m. | NBC Sports Gold |
| Sat., October 13 | Bath Rugby v. Toulouse | 8 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Montpellier v. Edinburgh Rugby | 10:15 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Exeter Chiefs v. Munster Rugby | 10:15 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Scarlets v. Racing 92 | 12:30 p.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Ulster Rugby v. Leicester Tigers | 12:30 p.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Sun., October 14 | Gloucester Rugby v. Castres Olympique | 8 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold |
| Lyon v. Cardiff Blues | 8 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| RC Toulon v. Newcastle Falcons | 10:15 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Glasgow Warriors v. Saracens | 10:15 a.m. | NBC Sports Gold | |
| Glasgow Warriors v. Saracens* | 1 a.m. | NBCSN |
*denotes same-day delay
ABOUT EPCR
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the organiser of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the European Rugby Continental Shield with the stated mission of creating outstanding rugby experiences for all touched by its competitions.
Established in 2014 with headquarters in Switzerland, EPCR has the following shareholders: Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR), Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR), Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby (PRL) and Pro Rugby Wales.
The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup feature clubs which have qualified on merit from their respective domestic leagues – the Gallagher Premiership, the TOP 14 and the Guinness PRO14, with the latter also featuring two qualifiers from the Continental Shield.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS GOLD
NBC Sports Gold — NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product — launched in 2016 with a “Cycling Pass,” which included the 2016 Tour de France, Vuelta a España, Monument Classics such as the Paris Roubaix, and more. In addition to its “Cycling Pass,” which this season includes more than 25 races, in 2017 NBC Sports Gold expanded its offerings to include a “Track and Field Pass,” offering access to more than 25 major events; a “Rugby Pass,” including every Premiership Rugby match, select Women’s Rugby World Cup matches, the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens and the 2018 Six Nations Championship; a “Pro Motocross Pass,” featuring the entire 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season; a “Premier League Pass” giving fans in the U.S. exclusive access to 130 live Premier League matches plus the most robust offering of Premier League shoulder programming ever available in the U.S.; and an international “Notre Dame Football Season Pass,” offering fans in 13 international countries access to every home game during the 2017 season. NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV V4, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and online at NBCSportsGold.com. NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions.
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