NBC, Universal Sports Bring Paralympic Games to Television

Paralympians take over TV beginning November 9 with an NBC Sports special of the extraordinary athletes narrated by Bob Costas followed by extensive event coverage on Universal Sports

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - November 3, 2008- NBC and Universal Sports present the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games presented by GE to TV beginning this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports with a 90-minute documentary narrated by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. Following the special will be an unprecedented 28 hours of Paralympic event programming on Universal Sports taking place November 10-16.

NBC Sports' Paralympic special airs Sunday, Nov. 9 and goes in-depth with top Paralympic athletes as they trained for and competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The 90-minute program, produced by Emmy Award-winning NBC Sports producer David Michaels, takes viewers on a journey into the lives of eight athletes plus the Wheelchair Basketball Team with compelling stories of determination.

Paralympic athletes to be profiled include:

Marlon Shirley - Chula Vista, Calif., (track & field world record holder in 100m, 200m and Long Jump)
April Holmes - Somerdale, N.J., (track & field world record holder in 100m, 200m and 400m)
Jessica Long - Baltimore, Md., (Beijing gold medalist in 100m butterfly and world record holder in 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley)
Tatyana McFadden - Clarkesville, Md., (wheelchair racing champion)
Cheri Blauwet - Larchwood, Iowa, (wheelchair racer in 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and marathon)
Marin Morrison - Sammamish, Wash., (U.S. Paralympic swimmer)
Nick Scandone - Newport Beach, Calif., (Beijing yachting gold medal in SKUD-18 class)
Scott Winkler - Pittsburgh, Pa., (world record holder for adaptive shot put)
USA Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team
Complementing the NBC Sports special will be Universal Sports broadcast presentation of the 2008 Paralympics beginning the next night, Monday, Nov. 10-16 with 4-hour programs each night from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. ET including the opening and closing ceremonies for a total of 28 hrs of event coverage.

Tune in as Team USA takes the world stage by storm bringing home a total of 99 medals with epic performances from U.S. Paralympic swimmer Erin Popovich winning her fourth gold medal in the 400m freestyle, the women's U.S. wheelchair basketball team defending their title and double-amputee swimmer Jessica Long as she takes home four golds from Beijing. Catch the heart pounding action as the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Team wins their third rugby gold placing them back on top of the medal podium after beating Australia 53-44 and celebrating their win with a classic "wheelchair dance."

"In 30 years of covering Olympic sports, I have never witnessed such a rich tapestry of stories and competition. Every race, every event brings wonder and intense excitement," said Michaels. "For anyone who loves pure sport, the Paralympics takes us back to why we fell in love with sports in the first place.

"The 2008 Beijing Paralympics on Universal Sports will give widespread and much deserved attention to a group of truly exceptional athletes who are an inspiration for us all," said Claude Ruibal, CEO of Universal Sports. "Our network strives to provide athletes and fans with compelling programming that captures the true spirit and essence of world-class competition."

PARALYMPICS TV SCHEDULE:

COVERAGEONNBC SPORTS: NBC Sports will present 2008 Paralympics, a documentary narrated by Bob Costas, on Sunday, November 9 from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. ET.

COVERAGEONUNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, available in 30 million homes, will present a broadcast on its 24-hour television network from 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET each day featuring the following Paralympic event competitions:

Mon. Nov. 10- Men's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Great Britain; Wheelchair Rugby preliminary - USA vs. Japan; Swimming; Track and Field
Tue. Nov. 11- Women's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Germany; Wheelchair Tennis - Men's Doubles Gold Medal Match; Swimming; Track and Field
Wed. Nov. 12- Men's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Australia; Wheelchair Tennis - Women's Singles Gold Medal Match; Swimming; Track and Field
Thu. Nov. 13- Women's Wheelchair Basketball Semifinals - USA vs. Australia; Wheelchair Rugby preliminary - USA vs. Canada; Swimming; Track and Field
Fri. Nov. 14- Men's Wheelchair Basketball Semifinals - USA vs. Canada; Swimming; Track and Field
Sat. Nov. 15- Women's Wheelchair Basketball Gold Medal Game - USA vs. Germany; Wheelchair Rugby Semifinals - USA vs. Great Britain; Swimming; Track and Field
Sun. Nov. 16- Men's Wheelchair Basketball Bronze Medal Game - USA vs. Great Britain; Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medal Game - USA vs. Australia; Swimming; Track and Field
Paralympics event competition videos, video highlights, feature articles, photo galleries and more all available on UniversalSports.com.

Source: www.usef.org