FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 31st, 2016

NBC SPORTS GROUP TO SERVE UP LIVE COVERAGE OF ALL EIGHT AVP PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOUR EVENTS IN 2016

More Than 14 Hours of Live AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Coverage on NBC and NBCSN

Coverage Begins With AVP New Orleans Open, Sunday, April 17 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Chris Marlowe, Dain Blanton, and Kevin Wong to Call 2016 AVP Season on NBC and NBCSN

Stamford, Conn. – March 31, 2016 – For the second consecutive year, NBC Sports Group will present live coverage of all eight AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour events of the season, including more than 14 hours of live Pro Beach Volleyball Tour coverage on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2016 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the premiere professional beach volleyball tour in the United States, begins with the AVP New Orleans Open on Sunday, April 17, at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Beach volleyball’s biggest stars will take to the sand in Laketown, in Kenner, La., for main draw play and the tournament finals.

NBC Sports Group’s 2016 AVP Tour presentation also includes live coverage of the Huntington Beach Open on Sunday, May 8, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, the FIVB Cincinnati Open on Saturday, May 21, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, the New York City Open on Saturday, June 18, at 4 p.m. ET and Sunday, June 19, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and the San Francisco Open on Sunday, June 26, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2016 season will culminate with the Chicago Open on Sunday, September 4, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC. All 2016 AVP Tour events televised on NBC and NBCSN will also be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra.

The AVP is the exclusive domestic beach volleyball home of the nation’s top athletes, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Olympic gold medalists Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser; Olympic silver medalists April Ross and Jen Kessy; and two-time Olympians Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal. The tour also features many up-and-coming stars, including Casey Patterson, Theo Brunner, Summer Ross, Emily Day, Tri Bourne, Lane Carico, Trevor Crabb, Robbie Page, and Amanda Dowdy.

Veteran broadcaster and Olympic gold medalist Chris Marlowe will serve as the play-by-play announcer for all AVP telecasts on NBC and NBCSN this season. Marlowe will be joined by beach volleyball Olympian and three-time All-American Kevin Wong (analyst), and Olympic gold medalist Dain Blanton (reporter).

2016 AVP TOUR TELEVISION SCHEDULE ON NBC AND NBCSN

DATE EVENT TIME NETWORK
Sunday, April 17 New Orleans Open 1:30 p.m. NBC
Sunday, May 8 Huntington Beach Open 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday, May 21 FIVB  Cincinnati Open 3 p.m. NBC
Sunday, June 5 Seattle Open 4 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday, June 18 New York City Open 4 p.m. NBC
Sunday, June 19 New York City Open 4:30 p.m. NBC
Sunday, June 26 San Francisco Open 3 p.m. NBC
Sunday, July 17 Manhattan Beach Open 3 p.m. NBC
Sunday, September 4 Chicago Open 1 p.m. NBC

*(All times ET, subject to change)

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA ONLINE & APP

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 on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

ABOUT THE AVP

Established in 1983, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) produces, markets and distributes volleyball events worldwide, including the popular AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. While promoting family-oriented events and supporting a healthy lifestyle, the AVP is best known for its world-class athletes, who have won numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the Olympic games. The AVP headquarters are in Costa Mesa, California, USA.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–