FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 5th, 2014

“NBC SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON” TAKES CENTER STAGE THIS WEEKEND

Triple Crown Contender California Chrome Races for History in Belmont Stakes on NBC

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final Immediately Following Belmont Stakes on NBC

French Open Women’s & Men’s Finals on NBC

IndyCar Firestone 600 on NBCSN, Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on NBC

Every Event Available on NBC Sports Live Extra

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 5, 2014 – “NBC Sports Championship Season” coverage takes center stage this weekend with numerous high-profile events including the 146th Belmont Stakes featuring Triple Crown contender California Chrome, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, the Women’s and Men’s Finals in the 2014 French Open, the IndyCar Firestone 600 and the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix.

In addition to this weekend’s events, NBC Sports Championship Season” featured the first two legs of the Triple Crown, The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and The Players Championship, which took place last month. Championship Season” continues through July with the remainder of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Open Championships and the 2014 Tour de France.

2014 FRENCH OPEN

NBC Sports’ weekend coverage of the 2014 French Open begins tomorrow with the Men’s Semifinal matches at 11 a.m. ET, and continues with the live Women’s Final on Saturday and the live Men’s Final on Sunday, both at 9 a.m. ET.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal headlines the men’s field with a record eight French Open titles (2005-2008, 2010-2013). 2012 champion and last year’s runner-up Maria Sharapova looks to win her second French Open title in Saturday’s Women’s Final.

Host Ted Robinson anchors NBC’s coverage, joined by analysts John McEnroe and Mary Carillo. This is Robinson’s 15th French Open in the anchor chair for NBC. McEnroe and Carillo teamed to win the mixed doubles title at the 1977 French Open.  This is NBC’s 32ndconsecutive year televising the event.

THE BELMONT STAKES

NBC Sports Group’s race coverage of the 146th Belmont Stakes featuring Triple Crown contender California Chrome begins with pre-race coverage at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBCSN and culminates with the running of the 146th Belmont Stakes at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC Sports Group coverage of the Belmont Stakes features Bob Costas, a 26-time Emmy Award-winner, and veteran NBC Sports commentator Tom Hammond; analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey; analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; NBCSN host/NBC reporter Laffit Pincay, III; reporters Kenny RiceDonna Brothers and Jay Privman, and race caller Larry Collmus. In addition, Josh Elliott and Carolyn Manno will provide a mix of features and interviews at Belmont Park.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

NBC Sports Group’s exclusive coverage of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final continues with Game 2 between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings on Saturday evening on NBC, immediately following the conclusion of the Belmont Stakes.The series marks the first major professional sports league final between New York and Los Angeles in 33 years. The Rangers will look to even the series at one game apiece, following the Kings’ 3-2 overtime victory in Game 1 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Emmy Award-winning play-by-play broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning “Inside the Glass” analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of Game 2 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. In addition, host Liam McHugh and former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Jones will provide analysis during intermissions and throughout the broadcast.

INDYCAR FIRESTONE 600 & FORMULA ONE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

NBC Sports Group will present more than 40 hours of motorsports programming this week, highlighted by the IndyCar Firestone 600 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

Beginning this weekend, NBCSN will provide exclusive coverage of the final 11 races of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season, culminating with the MAVTV 500 in Fontana, Calif. on August 30 on NBCSN. Team Penske teammates Will Power (326) and Helio Castroneves (307) currently sit first and second in the championship points standings, followed closely by Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay (299), who took the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 two weeks ago.

Coverage of the Firestone 600 begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET with qualifying, followed by live race coverage Saturday on NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET. Brian Till (play-by-play) will call the action alongside former drivers Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy. Reporters Robin Miller, Kelly Stavast, Jon Beekhuis and Kevin Lee will report from the pits.

NBC’s Formula One coverage continues with the Canadian Grand Prix live from Montreal on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) earned his second victory of the season with a win at Monaco two weeks earlier, continuing Mercedes’ dominance with its six victory in six tries in 2014. Rosberg overtook teammate Lewis Hamilton with the victory, and the two sit more than 50 points clear of Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), who is a distant third with 61 points. Hamilton is a three-time winner in Montreal, and finished third last year, while Rosberg finished fifth.

NBC Sports Group’s lead F1 broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett, and F1 insider Will Buxton will call the action on-site from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada

Schedule of NBC Sports Group’s weekend event coverage:

Date Time Event Network
Fri., June 6 11 a.m. (all time zones) 2014 French Open: Men’s Semifinal NBC
Sat., June 7 9 a.m. ET 2014 French Open: Women’s Final NBC
Sat., June 7 2:30 p.m. ET Belmont Prep NBCSN
Sat., June 7 4:30 p.m. ET The 146th Belmont Stakes NBC
Sat., June 7 7:15 p.m. ET Stanley Cup Final – Game 2: N.Y. Rangers at Los Angeles NBC
Sat., June 7 7:30 p.m. ET Belmont Post-Race Show NBCSN
Sat., June 7 8 p.m. ET IndyCar Firestone 600 NBCSN
Sat., June 7 11 p.m. ET NHL Live NBCSN
Sun., June 8 9 a.m. ET 2014 French Open: Men’s Final NBC
Sun., June 8 2 p.m. ET Formula One Canadian Grand Prix NBC

 

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream all of “NBC Sports Championship Season” coverage. NBCSN coverage will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on:

  • NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
  • NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–