FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 13th, 2021

NATHAN CHEN STARS IN NBC SPORTS’ LIVE COVERAGE OF 2021 TOYOTA U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEK, PART OF 2021 TEAM USA CHAMPIONS SERIES, PRESENTED BY XFINITY

15+ Hours of Live Event Programming Across NBC and NBCSN; TV Coverage Begins Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN

 Two-Time Defending U.S. Champion Alysa Liu Takes on Talented Field in Ladies’ Free Skate Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC

Nathan Chen Headlines Live Men’s Short Program Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NBC and Men’s Free Skate Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Every Skater in Every Discipline Streamed Live on Peacock Premium

STAMFORD, Conn. – Jan. 13, 2021 – Two-time reigning world champion Nathan Chen headlines NBC Sports’ 15+ hours of live coverage of the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships, part of the 2021 Team USA Champions Series, presented by Xfinity, beginning tomorrow, January 14. The event will be contested at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Live television coverage kicks off tomorrow on NBCSN with the pairs’ (6-8 p.m. ET) and ladies’ (10 p.m. – midnight ET) short programs. On Friday, Jan. 15, the rhythm dance will be televised live on NBCSN (4-6 p.m. ET), and the ladies’ free skate will air live on NBC (8-11 p.m. ET/PT).

Weekend coverage begins on Saturday, Jan. 16, with the men’s short program live on NBC (4-6 p.m. ET), followed by the free dance and pairs’ free skate live on NBCSN (9 p.m. – midnight ET). Live U.S. Championships coverage concludes on Sunday, Jan. 17 on NBC with the men’s free skate (3:30-6 p.m. ET).

Headlining the men’s field is Chen, who seeks his fifth consecutive U.S. title and is undefeated since placing fifth at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. With a victory, Chen would be the first to win five national titles since Todd Eldredge and the first to win five straight since two-time Olympic gold medalist Dick Button, who won seven in a row from 1946 to 1952. 2015 U.S. champion Jason Brown and 2019 world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou are also expected to contend in the men’s field.

The ladies’ field features two-time defending champion Alysa Liu, who won a bronze medal at the world junior championships last season, as well as 2020 U.S. silver medalist Mariah Bell and 2018 U.S. champion and Olympic team bronze medalist Bradie Tennell, who finished first and second, respectively, at Skate America in October. Bell, Tennell, and 2017 U.S. champion Karen Chen are expected to be the top contenders in the ladies’ event.

Two-time U.S. champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue aim for a third title in the ice dance event in a showdown with their training mates, two-time champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who won national titles last year and in 2015.

The U.S. Championships serve as the final qualifying event for the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships, which are scheduled for late March in Stockholm, Sweden.

On the NBC and NBCSN shows, Terry Gannon handles play-by-play for all disciplines, joined by 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski and recently-elected U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir on men’s, ladies’, and pairs’ programs. 2006 Olympic ice dance silver medalist Tanith White serves as the analyst on ice dance and Andrea Joyce will be the on-site reporter.

The Skating Spectacular will air on NBC from 1-3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14. Additionally, a U.S. Figure Skating “Best Of” show will air on Sunday, Jan. 31 on NBC from Noon-2 p.m. ET. The 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships competitions, including every skater in every discipline, can be streamed live and on-demand on NBCUniversal’s digital streaming platform Peacock Premium.

Coverage on NBC and NBCSN is live streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships
All times Eastern. Check local listing. Subject to change.

Date Event Time Network
Thurs., Jan. 14 Pairs’ Short 6 – 8 p.m. NBCSN (Live)
Thurs., Jan. 14 Ladies’ Short 10 p.m. – Midnight NBCSN (Live)
Fri., Jan. 15 Rhythm Dance 4 – 6 p.m. NBCSN (Live)
Fri., Jan. 15 Ladies’ Free 8 – 11 p.m. NBC (Live ET)
Sat., Jan. 16 Men’s Short 4 – 6 p.m. NBC (Live)
Sat., Jan. 16 Free Dance / Pairs’ Free 9 p.m. – Midnight NBCSN (Live)
Sun, Jan. 17 Men’s Free 3:30 – 6 p.m. NBC (Live)
Sun., Jan. 24 Free Dance 5 – 6 p.m. NBC
Sun., Jan. 31 U.S. Championships – Best Of 12 – 2 p.m. NBC
Sat, Feb. 14 U.S. Championships Skating Spectacular 1 – 3 p.m. NBC

 

– NBC SPORTS –