Universal Sports & NBC Combine For U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Starting tonight, the Universal Sports/NBC Sports combo will bring live coverage of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships from the Hartford Civic Center, the Hartford Whalers’ old home. If you Universal, unlike me, coverage will begin tonight. If you don’t, then you’ll have to wait for NBC’s primetime coverage on Saturday. Here’s the press release.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK, NBC SPORTS TO AIR LIVE, PRIMETIME COVERAGE OF VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 12-14

Universal Sports debuts ‘Around the Gym’

August 10, 2010, Los Angeles:  Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports are joining forces to cover the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, USA Gymnastics’ national championships, this week from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn. Coverage will include LIVE, primetime shows Thursday and Friday, August 12 and 13, at 7 p.m. ET, on Universal Sports, and Saturday, August 14, on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.  Universal Sports will also debut pre- and post-competition shows called Around the Gym, which will be hosted by 2008 Olympic gold-medalist Nastia Liukin and three-time Olympian John Roethlisberger. UniversalSports.com will provide free, live simulstreams of the TV broadcasts and coverage of Universal Sports’ Around the Gym. In addition, the site will have extensive competition highlights, photos, news and blogs, plus athlete interviews and other behind-the-scenes content.

Around the Gym will provide an inside look at the competition, featuring interviews, commentary and analysis both before and after the daily events.  The 30-minute shows will air LIVE starting Thursday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. ET, prior to the first Universal Sports Network coverage, and immediately following coverage at 9:00 p.m. ET.  On Friday, August 13, Around the Gym will start pre-competition coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET and post-competition at 10 p.m. ET. Universal Sports will also broadcast the show following NBC’s coverage of the women’s final day of competition on Saturday, August 14. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships determine the U.S. champions and the national team for both the junior and senior elite levels in men’s and women’s gymnastics.  

2010 Visa Championships Broadcast/Web Schedule

8-12   “Around the Gym”, 6:30 p.m. – Universal Sports TV

8-12   Women’s gymnastics LIVE, 7 p.m. – Universal Sports TV and web

8-12   “Around the Gym”, 9 p.m. – Universal Sports TV

8-13   “Around the Gym”, 6:30 p.m. – Universal Sports TV

8-13   Men’s gymnastics LIVE, 7 p.m. – Universal Sports TV and web

8-13   “Around the Gym”, 10 p.m. – Universal Sports TV

8-14   Women’s gymnastics LIVE, 8 p.m. – NBC Sports

8-14   “Around the Gym”, 10 p.m. – Universal Sports TV

8-14   Women’s gymnastics TAPE, 10:30 p.m. –  Universal Sports TV and web

8-15   Men’s competition, 2:30 p.m. – NBC Sports

All times are Eastern.

David Michaels, Executive Producer of Universal Sports, will direct the production. NBC’s Olympic gymnastics analyst team of Al Trautwig, Olympian Elfi Schlegel, 1984 Olympic gold-medalist Tim Daggett and Andrea Joyce will be broadcasting the event for both NBC Sports and Universal Sports.

More later.