Versus Archives - Channel Guide Magazine

NBC Sports Network launches in time for 2012 NHL Winter Classic

December 28, 2011 Ryan Berenz 4

On Jan. 2, the cable sports network known as Versus will be rebranded as NBC Sports Network, just in time to coincide with NBC’s coverage of the 2012 NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Here are the NBC Sports Group’s programming plans for the transition from Versus to NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2: Related Story: 2012 NHL Winter Classic Jan. 2 on NBC NBC SPORTS GROUP BROADCASTS 2012 NHL WINTER CLASSIC® & LAUNCHES NBC SPORTS NETWORK ON JAN. 2 Fifth NHL Winter Classic Presented […]

2011-12 NHL TV schedule

October 4, 2011 Ryan Berenz 1

The puck drops on the 2011 NHL season on Thursday, Oct. 6, beginning at 7pm ET with a doubleheader on Versus. First up, the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins welcome the Eastern Conference rival Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins kept their core together, while the Flyers revamped their team in the offseason to beef up their defense and goaltending. The second game has the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting last season’s Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks. Versus/NBC Sports Network, NBC and NHL Network air games nationally this season (more games air on locally on regional sports networks in some NHL markets). Full national […]

College football on NBC and Versus 2011 schedule

September 2, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

The NBC Sports Group airs 28 college football games this season on NBC and Versus, beginning Saturday, Sept. 3, with South Florida at Notre Dame at 3:30pm ET. NBC airs seven Fighting Irish games this season, highlighted by the first prime-time game in South Bend in 21 years when USC visits Oct. 22. Other big Notre Dame games on NBC include the Sept. 17 game vs. Michigan State and the Nov. 12 game vs. Maryland at FedExField. Versus airs games from the Mountain West, Pac-12 and Ivy League, highlighted by TCU at Boise State on Nov. 12. Full schedule and […]

2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge TV schedule on NBC and Versus

August 19, 2011 Ryan Berenz 6

The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge takes place Aug. 22-28 from Colorado Springs, Colo., and will feature 135 of the world’s top cyclists, including the top-three finishers from the 2011 Tour de France (pictured): winner Cadel Evans, runner-up Andy Schleck and third-place finisher Frank Schleck. Other top names in the race include Tom Danielson, Christian Vande Velde, Levi Leipheimer, Tejay Van Garderen and George Hincapie. The seven-day race covers 518 miles through the Rocky Mountains from Colorado Springs to Denver, passing through towns like Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs. Coverage begins on Versus Aug. 22 at 4pm ET with […]

2011 Tour de France TV coverage on Versus and NBC

June 30, 2011 Ryan Berenz 140

Cycling’s Tour de France has become a little like the reality show The Bachelor. Guys jockey for position, shirts come off and go on again, and there’s the rare moment of drama in the winding, tedious ordeal that should have ended weeks ago. In the end, you really don’t care who wins, because there’s going to be a nasty breakup in the future anyway and the whole experience makes you feel sleazy. Such is the state of cycling in the age of doping scandals. But, legitimate or not, the show will go on. The 98th edition of cycling’s Tour de […]

2011 Belmont Stakes live June 11 on NBC

June 10, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

By Ryan Berenz Follow @ChannelGuideRAB So there will be no Triple Crown winner again, which makes this Belmont Stakes somewhat anticlimactic. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford will race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and as much as NBC wants to hype up the matchup between them, it’s not quite the same as a Triple Crown threat. (At least it’s not like last year, when Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin at Lucky skipped the race and some horse named Drosselmeyer had his 15 minutes.) NBC has the Belmont live on Saturday, June […]

Where to watch the 2011 Preakness Stakes

May 19, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

First off: All hail Kegasus, Lord of the InfieldFest! For the rest of us unable or unwilling to partake in the drunkenness and debauchery of the infield at Pimlico, we’ll be watching the Preakness Stakes on TV. NBC and Versus have 6.5 hours of coverage devoted to the two-minute race, including live coverage of the race itself on Saturday at 4:30pm ET on NBC. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, listed as the early 2-1 favorite at the Preakness, will try to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Other contenders include Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man, Shackleford, Flashpoint, Dance […]

NHL playoffs conference finals TV schedule

May 13, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

The quest for the Stanley Cup continues as the NHL is down to its final four — the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning in the East, and the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks in the West. Conference finals coverage begins Saturday, May 14, at 8pm ET with the Lightning at the Bruins on Versus. Complete schedule below: 2011 NHL CONFERENCE FINALS TV SCHEDULE (All times Eastern) EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL SCHEDULE #3 Boston Bruins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1: TAM 5, BOS 2 Game 2: BOS 6, TAM 2 Game 3: BOS 2, TAM 0 Game 4: […]

Where to watch the 2011 Kentucky Derby

May 4, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

By Ryan Berenz (Twitter: @ChannelGuideRAB) The 137th Kentucky Derby takes place Saturday, May 7, at 4pm ET live on NBC from Churchill Downs in Louisville, for the first leg of horse racing’s elusive Triple Crown (sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes). Dialed In, Archarcharch, Pants on Fire, Midnight Interlude, Nehro, Soldat, Stay Thirsty, Toby’s Corner, Mucho Macho Man and Comma to the Top might be among the top horses in the starting gate this year. Jockey Calvin Borel rode Super Saver to victory in last year’s Run for the Roses. NBC has coverage of all three Triple […]

NHL playoffs conference semifinals TV schedule

April 28, 2011 Ryan Berenz Comments Off

By Ryan Berenz (Twitter: @ChannelGuideRAB) The NHL playoffs get another step closer to a team hoisting the Stanley Cup, as the second-round conference semifinals begin Thursday, April 28 at 9pm ET with the Nashville Predators at the Vancouver Canucks. Versus and NBC will air the games. Schedule below, followed by a full press release from the NBC Sports Group: NHL CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS TV SCHEDULE (All times Eastern) EASTERN CONFERENCE #1 Washington Capitals vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay wins series 4-0