NBCSN Coverage Begins Sunday, October 26 at 1 p.m. ET
Nine-Month Race To Air On NBCSN For 37 Consecutive Weekends
Volvo Ocean Race To Cover Nearly 40,000 Nautical Miles Around The Globe
Stamford, Conn. - September 24, 2014 - NBCSN will present 20 hours of coverage of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, the 12th edition of the world’s premier offshore sailing race, which traverses nearly 40,000 nautical miles around the globe. NBCSN’s coverage of the nine-month race will begin on Sunday, October 26 at 1 p.m. ET, with a 90-minute special which highlights the start of the race and previews the 39-week sailing campaign. Following the debut in October, NBCSN will telecast 30-minute highlight shows, each weekend, throughout the nine-months of the race.
Seven teams representing more than eight countries are competing in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, including Team SCA (Sweden), Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Abu Dhabi), Dongfeng Race Team (China), Team Brunel (Netherlands), Team Alvimedica (USA/Turkey), Team Vestas Wind (Denmark), Team Espana (Spain). The race begins on October, 4 in Alicante, Spain and features a 38,739 nautical mile course that will take the boats through Cape Town, South Africa; Abu Dabi, UAE; Sanya, China; Auckland, New Zealand; Itajai, Brazil; Newport, Rhode Island; Lisbon, Portugal; and Lorient, France. The race concludes on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Louis Vuitton Series and the 34th Americas Cup was a tremendous success and demonstrated the country’s strong appetite for sailing on television.” said Jon Miller, President, Programming NBC Sports and NBCSN. “We look forward to showcasing the Volvo Ocean Race, and some of the best sailors in the world, as they cross the globe in one of the most prestigious and physically demanding races in the sport.”
“We are calling this race the human edition,” said Knut Frostad, CEO, Volvo Ocean Race. “We want to highlight the emotional drama and adventures of sailing around the world at these speeds. What are the sailors thinking? What are they feeling? How are they interacting in the tight quarters of their 65-foot boats while living life at the extreme over nine months.”
Onboard Reporters
Each team will have a dedicated onboard reporter, who will shoot video, conduct interviews, and report from each boat during the race. Every episode on NBCSN will feature coverage from the onboard reporters, who will provide a unique and exclusive look at the action on each boat.
NBCSN Volvo Ocean Race Television Schedule:
| Date | Event | Network | Time ET |
| October 26 | Weeks 1-3 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| November 2 | Week 4 | NBCSN | 2 p.m. |
| November 8 | Week 5 | NBCSN | 3 p.m. |
| November 16 | Week 6 | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| November 23 | Week 7 | NBCSN | 2:30 p.m. |
| November 29 | Week 8 | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
| December 7 | Week 9 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| December 14 | Week 10 | NBCSN | 5:30 p.m. |
| December 21 | Week 11 | NBCSN | 5:30 p.m. |
| December 28 | Week 12 | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
| January 4 | Week 13 | NBCSN | 5 p.m. |
| January 9 | Week 14 | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
| January 16 | Week 15 | NBCSN | 11 p.m. |
| January 25 | Week 16 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| February 1 | Week 17 | NBCSN | 5 p.m. |
| February 8 | Week 18 | NBCSN | 5:30 p.m. |
| February 15 | Week 19 | NBCSN | Noon |
| February 21 | Week 20 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| March 1 | Week 21 | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
| March 7 | Week 22 | NBCSN | Noon |
| March 14 | Week 23 | NBCSN | 4:30 p.m. |
| March 22 | Week 24 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. |
| March 29 | Week 25 | NBCSN | 4:30 p.m. |
| April 5 | Week 26 | NBCSN | 2:30 p.m. |
| April 11 | Week 27 | NBCSN | 12:30 p.m. |
| April 19 | Week 28 | NBCSN | 2:30 p.m. |
| April 25 | Week 29 | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
| May 3 | Week 30 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| May 9 | Week 31 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. |
| May 17 | Week 32 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| May 23 | Week 33 | NBCSN | 4:30 p.m. |
| May 31 | Week 34 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| June 7 | Week 35 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| June 14 | Week 36 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. |
| June 21 | Week 37 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| June 28 | Week 38 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| July 5 | Week 39 | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
Volvo Ocean Race By The Numbers
1 - Onboard Reporter on each boat
7 - Teams competing
9 - Months of the race
12 - Times the race has been held
30 - Minutes of each telecast on NBCSN (Excluding the 90-minute debut)
37 - Weeks of coverage on NBCSN
65 - Length of each boat in feet
1973 - Year the event started
38,789 - Length of the course in nautical miles
ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Premier League, Formula One, Major League Soccer (MLS), IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
ABOUT THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE
The Volvo Ocean Race, headquartered in Alicante, Spain, is the leading round-the-world sailing race for teams, with a series of stops that give fans the chance to experience the In-Port Race series. The race began in 1973 and was then known as the Whitbread Round-The-World Race. Volvo (cars) and Volvo Group became owners in 2001-02 and the race name was changed. Today it is sailing’s biggest offshore race and one of the most coveted prizes in the sport. It lasts for nearly nine months, travels nearly 40,000 nautical miles - the longest sporting event in the world.
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--
