Soelden Opener Live on Universal Sports
SOELDEN, Austria (Oct. 24) – Opening weekend action from the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup comes to America live on television for the first time ever this weekend on the U.S. Ski Team’s partner Universal Sports Network. Universal Sports will kickoff the season with an expanded cable and satellite distribution network and a full schedule of World Cup action. Veteran play-by-play announcer Steve Porino and analyst Doug Lewis return again to call the action. Soelden action kicks off with the women’s giant slalom featuring Mikaela Shiffrin and Julia Mancuso Saturday, with a season preview at 6:00 a.m. EDT and racing at 6:30. Ted Ligety and Bode Miller will be in the starting gate Sunday with start time at 7:30 am EDT. Ligety will be going for a third straight opening win.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Universal Sports Network, a strong partner of the U.S. Ski Team, will open its full coverage of the 2013-14 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season with live coverage from the opener in Soelden this weekend.
- Saturday’s opening women’s giant slalom with Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin kicks off with a season preview show at 6:00 a.m. EDT followed by live racing action at 6:30. The men follow on Sunday with Bode Miller and Ted Ligety, start time 7:30 am EDT.
- Veteran play-by-play announcer Steve Porino and analyst Doug Lewis return again to call the action.
- Universal Sports has increased its nationwide distribution significantly and is now available on DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, Cox, Google Fiber and CenturyLink Prism, with most distributors carrying HD coverage.
- Universal Sports will provide live or same day TV coverage of the entire 2013-14 Audi FIS World Cup tour from Soelden until the season finale this March in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. UniversalSports.com will live stream all events.
QUOTES
Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Our partner Universal Sports shows its commitment to ski racing with live coverage this weekend from the opening Audi FIS World Cup in Soelden for the first time ever. More fans than ever will be able to tune in. But we also encourage fans to call their cable company – including Comcast – to let them know there’s an avid audience to follow Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Mikaela Shiffrin and Julia Mancuso.
Steve Porino, Universal Sports Network Play-by-Play Announcer
This season might be the pinnacle of U.S. skiing to date, at least in my lifetime. There is quite a mix of great veterans and very talented juniors. Lindsey Vonn is, without question, the biggest story ever in USA skiing; last year Ted Ligety made history by becoming the first man in 45 years to win three gold medals at one World Championship; and Mikaela Shiffrin is the best young skier in at least three decades.
Universal Sports Magic Moments
Check out magic moments from the past at UniversalSports.com
A year ago Ted Ligety stunned the Audi FIS World Cup, mastering the new GS skis to win the opener by a massive 2.75 seconds on the Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden – Oct 26, 2012
http://universalsports.com/video/magic-moment-ted-ligity/
USSA Network
Checkout the USSA Network for U.S. Ski Team athlete features and racing highlights from Universal Sports Network.
http://www.youtube.com/ussanetwork
About Universal Sports
Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, LP, is the premier multi-platform media destination for Olympic-related sports programming in the United States. Offering more than 1,200 hours of original programming each year, Universal Sports has exclusive rights to world and national championship events in a wide array of sports, including swimming, track and field, gymnastics, cycling, skiing, figure skating and rugby. Whether on television, online, or on the go with mobile and tablet applications, Universal Sports offers a four-screen experience to fans of global sports every day of the year. For more information, please visit UniversalSports.com.
