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| Universal Sports | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Launched | June 16, 2008 |
| Owned by | NBC Universal and InterMedia Partners |
| Slogan | The Athletes' Network |
| Sister channel(s) | NBC Sports |
| Website | Universal Sports Corporate site |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Available on some DTV subchannels | See below |
| Cable | |
| Available on some cable systems | Check Local Listings for channels |
Universal Sports is an American television network that airs various sports, mainly those contested in the Olympics, including swimming, gymnastics, cycling, track and field, figure skating, skiing, and triathlon. The network, originally "World Championship Sports Network (WCSN)" was co-founded by Claude Ruibal, Chairman and CEO and Tom Hipkins, Universal Sports Board Member with the help of Carlos Silva, President and COO[1] in 2006 and is a combined operation of NBC Universal and InterMedia Partners. On June 16, 2008, NBCU partned with InterMedia and renamed the network Universal Sports, complete with the NBC Peacock branding.[2]
Contents |
Availability
Universal Sports is distributed by:
- Over the air broadcast on a digital subchannel on all NBC owned and operated stations and is carried by many affiliated stations.
- Digital Cable channels.
- An online streaming video service.
- See chart below for markets and channels.
Programming
Universal Sports has carried over 1,000 live events and 7,000 hours of original event programming between television and the Internet [3]. They promote over 40 sports, including 50 World Championships, 180 World Cup and 50 Grand Prix Events annually [4]. These events range from Track & Field, Skiing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Cycling, to Volleyball, Marathons, Karate, Speed Skating and Triathlon [5]. Universal Sports has long term broadcasting agreements with FINA, the International Swimming Federation, FIG, the International Gymnastics Federation, FIS, the International Ski Federation, UCI, the International Cycling Union, FISA, the International Rowing Federation, and IAAF, the International Association of Athletics Federation [6]. The network features Olympic stars like Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, and Apolo Ohno as well as upcoming athletes like Lindsey Vonn.
Universal Sports carried the 2008 Paralympic Games from Beijing from October 8 to November 19, 2008. On September 9, 2008, they also began the "Olympic Replay", rebroadcasting selected competitions from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Some of the upcoming events on Universal Sports include the New York Marathon, the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, and the FIS Alpine World Cup [7]. The will play a large role in the coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and are currently focused on the "Countdown" to that event.
Universal Sports provides year round coverage of events that are only promoted every few years. Through the television and Internet streaming, a fan can see how Olympic athletes compete between the games. They want to promote an "athlete's network" and become an outlet for interested fans to see an sports as way of life [8]. The multi-faceted network gives fans an opportunity to connect with the athletes through blogs and interviews outside of competition.
Besides the sports coverage, Universal Sports broadcasts E/I programming (as per FCC requirements) on Mondays and Tuesdays (in the form of episodes of Teen Kids News and AquaKids) from 10 AM to 12 noon ET.
The network also carries some news programming, it airs a pre-recorded hour of Russia Today from 8-9 AM ET daily.
History
Universal Sports dates back to 2006, when WCSN was formed and covered the United States Track and Field Championships via streaming video. InterMedia Partners and NBC Universal partnered together on June 16, 2008 and became Universal Sports through the partnership.
Universal Sports also took over the airspace formerly used by NBC's now defunct "NBC Weather Plus+" which was discontinued not long after NBC Universal purchased The Weather Channel.
List of affiliates
| DMA | Market | Station | Primary Affiliation | Owner | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City, New York | WNBC | NBC O&O | NBC Universal (O&O) | Over the air: 4.4 Time Warner: 162, Comcast: 249, Cablevision: 110, RCN: 29, Fios: 464 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, California | KNBC | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 4.4 Time Warner: 226, Cox: 805,Charter 305,Fios: 464 |
| 3 | Chicago, Illinois | WMAQ-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 5.3 Comcast: 251, RCN: 51,WOW!: 196 |
| 4 | San Francisco, California | KNTV-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 11.3 Comcast: 187 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | WCAU | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 10.3 Comcast 249, Fios: 464 |
| 6 | Dallas, Texas | KXAS | NBC O&O | NBC Universal / LIN TV | Over the air: 5.3 Time Warner: 366, Charter:104, Grande:131, Greenville Utilities:151, Fios:465 |
| 7 | Atlanta, Georgia | WXIA-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal / Gannett | Over the air: 11.3 Comcast: 245 |
| 8 | Washington, D.C. | WRC-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 4.3 Comcast: 207 FIOS (Montgomery Cty.): 464 |
| 9 | Houston, Texas | KIAH-TV | The CW | Tribune Company | Over the air: 39.2 Comcast: 319 |
| 10 | Detroit, Michigan | WADL-TV | Independent | Adell Broadcasting | Over the air: 38.2 |
| 11 | Seattle, Washington | KING-TV | NBC | Belo | Over the air: 5.2 Comcast: 115, Click! Network:171, Hood Canal Communication: 52, Rainier Connect:115, Wave Broadband: 82, Fios:460 |
| 12 | Miami, Florida | WTVJ | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 6.3, Comcast 217 |
| 13 | Denver, Colorado | KUSA-TV | NBC | Gannett | Over the air: 9.3 Comcast: 250, Available on Ski Resorts in Winter Park (Grandby, Grand Lake, Winter Park, Fraser, Hot Sulphur Springs), Breckenridge and Keystone (Silverthorne, Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, Breckenridge), Vail and Beaver Creek (Vail, Avon, Edwards, Minturn, Beaver Creek, Eagle-Vail, Cordillera), Aspen (Aspen, Snowmass, Woody Creek, Basalt, El Jebel, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Silt, New Castle) |
| 14 | Portland, Oregon | KRCW-TV | The CW | Tribune Company | Over the air: 33.2, FiOS: 463 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, Indiana | WTHR | NBC | Dispatch Broadcast Group | Over the air: 13.3 Comcast: 248 |
| 16 | Raleigh, North Carolina | WNCN-TV | NBC | Media General | Over the air: 17.2, Time Warner: 218 |
| 17 | San Diego, California | KNSD-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 39.3, Cox:117, Time Warner:136 |
| 18 | Hartford, Connecticut | WVIT-TV | NBC O&O | NBC Universal | Over the air: 30.3 Cox: 803, Cablevision:249 and 261, Charter 756, Comcast:249 |
| 19 | Columbus, Ohio | WDEM-CD | Independent | Triplett & Associates | Over the air: 17.1 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, Utah | KSL-TV | NBC | Bonneville International | Over the air: 5.2, Comcast:113, Ski Resorts: Alta, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head, Brighton, The Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City, Powder Mountain, Snow Basin, Snowbird, Solitude, Sundance, Wolf Creek |
| 21 | Las Vegas, Nevada | KVBC-TV | NBC | Sunbelt Communications Company | Over the air: 3.3, Cox: 127 |
| 22 | Jacksonville, Florida | WTLV | NBC | Gannett | Over the air: 12.2, Comcast: 200 |
| 23 | Buffalo, New York | WGRZ | NBC | Gannett | Over the air: 2.2, Time Warner: 114 |
| 24 | Albany, New York | WCWN | CW | Freedom Communications | Over the air: 39.2 |
| 25 | Omaha, Nebraska | WOWT-TV | NBC | Gray Television, Inc. | Over the air: 6.2, Cox: 120 |
| 26 | Spokane, Washington | KHQ-TV | NBC | Cowles Publishing Company | Over the air: 6.3, Comcast: 116 |
| 27 | Wichita, Kansas | KGPT-CA | Retro Television Network | Great Plains Television Network | Over the air: 49.2 |
| 28 | Charleston, South Carolina | WHDC-LD | Independent | Local HDTV, LLC | WHDC Over the air: 40 |
| 29 | Reno, Nevada | KOLO-TV | ABC | Gray Television, Inc. | Over the air: 8.2, Charter: 228 |
| 30 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | KDLT/KDLV | NBC | Red River Broadcasting | Over the air: 46.2, Midcontinent: 606, Knology:132, Beresford Cablevision: 46.11, Milford: 102.4 |
| 31 | Yakima/Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Washington | KNDO/KNDU | NBC | KHQ, Inc. | Over the air: 23.2/25.2, Charter: 286 |
| 32 | Wausau, Wisconsin | WJFW-TV | NBC | Rockfleet Broadcasting | Over the air: 12.2/27.2, Comcast: 250 |
| 33 | Columbia, Missouri | KOMU-TV | NBC | University of Missouri–Columbia | Over the air: 8.2, Mediacom: 247 |
| 34 | Anchorage, Alaska | KYES-TV | MyNetworkTV | Fireweed Communications Corporation | Over the air: 5.3, DirecTV: 5.3 |
| 35 | Idaho Falls-Pocatello, Idaho | KPVI-TV | NBC | Sunbelt Communications Company | Over the air: 7.2, CableOne: 466 |
| 36 | Duluth, Minnesota | KQDS | Fox | Red River Broadcasting | Over the air: 21.3, Charter: 306 |
| 37 | Puerto Rico | WAPA-TV | Independent | InterMedia Partners | Over the air: 4.2, DISH Network: 27, Liberty Cablevision: 53, Choice Cable TV: 29 and 239 |
| 38 | Fresno, California | KJEO | Over-the-air: 32, Coarsegold Analog Channel: 9, Mariposa Analog Channel: 2, Sebastian Digital Channel: 32 | ||
| 39 | San Diego, California | Over-the-air: 39.3, Cox: 117, Time Warner: 136 | |||
| 40 | Greenwich, Connecticut | Cablevision: 119, Fios: 464 | |||
| 41 | Dover, Delaware | Comcast: 249, Fios: 464 | |||
| 42 | Wilmington, Delaware | Over-the-air 10.3, Comcast: 249, Fios: 464 | |||
| 43 | Orlando, Florida | WHDO | Over-the-air: 36 | ||
| 44 | Tampa, Florida | WFHD | Over-the-air: 36 | ||
| 45 | Rome/Calhoun/Dallas, Georgia | Over-the-air: 11.3, Comcast: 199 | |||
| 46 | Winder, Georgia | Over-the-air: 11.3, Comcast: 233 | |||
| 47 | Bartow/Cherokee/Forsyth Counties, Georgia | Over-the-air 11.3, Comcast; 247 | |||
| 48 | Boise, Idaho | Over-the-air: 39.2 | |||
| 49 | Baltimore, Maryland | Fios:464, RCN:29 | |||
| 50 | Olean, New York | Over-the-air: 2.2, Time Warner: 111 | |||
| 51 | Northern New Jersey | Over-the-air: 4.4, Comcast: 249, Cablevision:110, Fios: 464 | |||
| 52 | Southern New Jersey | Over-the-air: 10.3, Comcast: 249, Fios: 464 | |||
| 53 | Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Over-the-air: 6.3, Comcast 250 | |||
| 54 | Norfolk, Virginia | WSKY-TV | Independent | Sky Television, LLC | Over the air: 4.2 |
| 55 | Elko, Nevada | Over-the-air: 10.2 | |||
| 97 | Charleston, South Carolina | WHDC-TV | Over-the-air: 40.3 |
Reference s
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/0
- ^ NBC Universal, World Championship Sports Network Join Forces on Olympic Games Site Retrieved 9/1/08
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/09
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/09
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/09
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/09
- ^ Universal Sports Schedule. http://www.universalsports.com/main/Schedule.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=23000&KEY=. Retrieved 10/27/09
- ^ About Universal Sports. www.universalsports.tv/. Retrieved 10/28/09
External links
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