NBC, U.S. Figure Skating Announce Broadcast Partnership

(ATR) NBC Sports has obtained the rights to broadcast U.S. Figure Skating events, after coverage was dropped by ABC.

The new deal is similar to the network’s deal with the National Hockey League. NBC paid no rights fees for the broadcasts; instead, the USFSA and NBC will split the sale of ad time and sell its own sponsorship packages.

"This new partnership with NBC is a perfect fit for U.S. Figure Skating," said USFSA president Ron Hershberger. "Figure skating on NBC will be live, primetime, high definition and treated as premier programming. The invaluable exposure will also include marketing and media rights, and, in working with NBC, direct control over our product and sponsor relationships."

ABCand ESPN ended its agreement with USFSA earlier this month citing declining ratings. The network paid $12 million in fees to air events. Under the NBC deal, the network will broadcast the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, as well as "Skate America," an Olympic-style international figure skating event.

"As America's Olympic Network, we are proud to partner with U.S. Figure Skating and broadcast this marquee event,” said NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol. “Figure skating is the single most popular event in the Winter Olympics, and the U.S. Championships will be one of the building blocks of our coverage as we lead into the Vancouver Winter Games."

Another aspect of the deal is the rescheduling of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event, to be held January in St. Paul, Minn., will move all finals to the weekend of January 26-27. The dates will also be changed so they won’t air against the network’s coverage of the NFL.

The deal will last through the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

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