2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships Television Broadcasts to Reach Nearly 500 Million Homes Worldwide
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Coverage of the event on broadcast and cable television will include 13 live hours of senior-level competition in ladies and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing. Seven hours are in primetime, including the two-hour Smucker's Skating Spectacular, which will be shown from 9-11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24. A two-hour encore presentation of the best performances from the championships will air from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24. The championships will be carried on television in more than 125 countries and be available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide.
In addition to the extensive television coverage, live and on-demand coverage of every skater in every discipline will be available to Season Pass subscribers on icenetwork.com. Olympic medalist Peter Carruthers, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski and U.S. medalist Tonia Kwiatkowski will join the icenetwork.com announcing team in Spokane. For a complete listing of icenetwork.com broadcast times, visit icenetwork.com.
NBC's Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Bob Costas (host), Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Dick Button (analyst), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), Tracy Wilson (analyst) and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will be on hand for the championships in Spokane.
For the second year in a row, Universal Sports will cover the action from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships as part of a multiyear agreement between NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating.
NBC SPORTS COVERAGE (all times ET)
- Saturday, Jan. 16, 4:30-6 p.m. - Men's and Pairs Short Programs/Pairs Free Skate (Live)
- Sunday, Jan. 17, 4:30-6 p.m. - Men's Free Skate (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 3-6 p.m. - Original Dance and Ladies Short Program/Free Dance (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 9-11 p.m. - Ladies Free Skate (Live)
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m. - Encore Show
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 9-11 p.m. - Smucker's Skating Spectacular: Countdown to Vancouver
UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE
Universal Sports, available in more than 45 million homes, will present five hours of live coverage of the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships starting Friday, Jan. 15. Coverage details are as follows (all times ET):
- Saturday, Jan. 16 (Friday overnight), 12:30-2:30 a.m. - Pairs Short Program/Men's Short Program (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 16, 6:30-8 p.m. - Men's and Pairs Short Programs, Pairs Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)
- Sunday, Jan. 17, 6:30-8 p.m. - Men's Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)
- Friday, Jan. 22 (Thursday overnight), 12:30-2:30 a.m. - Ladies Short Program (Live)
- Friday, Jan. 22, 11-12 a.m. - Original Dance (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 11-2 a.m. - Original Dance, Ladies Short Program, Free Dance (Re-air NBC show)
- Sunday, Jan. 24 (Saturday overnight), 2-4 a.m. - Ladies Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)
Times subject to change. Check local listing for date and times of coverage in your area.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event. The championships are the final competition before the members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team are named.
COMPETITION PREVIEW
LADIES
Czisny performed well in the fall, winning the Nebelhorn Trophy, placing fourth at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia, and winning the silver at Skate Canada. Her toughest challengers figure to be Rachael Flatt, the silver medalist at each of the last two U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and Ashley Wagner, who qualified for the 2009 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final after medaling at both of her assignments in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series. Reigning U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang, 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu and 2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes will also contend for podium spots. Adding to the drama of this event is the return of Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist.MEN'S
The men's event might be the most competitive of the four in Spokane, with several world-class skaters among the field. Leading the way is Lysacek, the reigning World champion and Grand Prix Final champion. His longtime adversary Johnny Weir took the bronze at the Grand Prix Final and will be looking to redeem himself after a fifth-place finish at this event last year. Abbott is more than capable of taking the title for a second year; he won Skate Canada and finished just off the podium at the Grand Prix Final in the fall. Those three will face challenges from reigning U.S. silver medalist Brandon Mroz, 2009 Cancer.Net Skate America bronze medalist Ryan Bradley, reigning two-time World Junior champion Adam Rippon and 2008 U.S. bronze medalist Stephen Carriere PAIRS
McLaughlin and Brubaker are the reigning two-time U.S. champions, but they were almost knocked off last year by Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett. Both of those teams figure to land on the podium in Spokane. Veterans Rena Inoue & John Baldwin have medaled at seven consecutive U.S. Championships and can never be counted out. Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig, fourth-place finishers a year ago, Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin, and Brooke Castile & Ben Okolski, who won the gold the last time the U.S. Championships were held in Spokane, all have realistic medal hopes.ICE DANCING
The long-awaited showdown between five-time U.S. champions Belbin and Agosto and their former training mates, Davis and White, will take place in Spokane. Davis and White have won every competition they've entered this season, including the Grand Prix Final. Belbin and Agosto, the 2006 Olympic silver medalists, won the gold at both of their Grand Prix assignments in the fall but withdrew from the Grand Prix Final after one of Belbin's wisdom teeth became infected. Also vying for a medal are reigning U.S. silver medalists Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates, and reigning two-time U.S. bronze medalists Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre.
