2011 World Figure Skating Championships TV schedule

Originally scheduled in March in Tokyo, the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships were postponed due to the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. The Worlds have been rescheduled for April 25-May 1 in Moscow. With many of the top figure skaters hailing from Japan — Miko Ando, Kanako Murakami and defending champion Mao Asada on the women’s side, and Takahiko Kozuka, Nobunari Oda and defending world champion and 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi for the men — expect many competitors to skate with heavy hearts. For the U.S., top contenders include Rachel Flatt (pictured), U.S. champion Alyssa Czisny, Ryan Bradley, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin.

NBC’s Universal Sports TV channel will have coverage of the event April 27-30.

2011 World Figure Skating Championships on Universal Sports
April 27 — Men’s, pairs short programs, 6pm ET
April 28 — Men’s free skate, 6pm ET; Pairs free skate, 8pm ET
April 29 — Ladies’ short program, short dance, 6pm ET
April 30 — Ladies’ free skate, 6pm ET; Dance free dance, 8pm ET

[Update: Full press release and more details from NBC]

Universal Sports Presents Unprecedented Multi-Platform Coverage of the 2011 ISU World Figure Skating Championships

Universalsports.com and Icenetwork.com Partner to Stream Competition LIVE

Television Broadcast Includes Over 14 Hours of Coverage

Los Angeles, CA—April 11, 2011—Universal Sports presents unprecedented multi-platform coverage of the 2011 International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships, in Moscow, Russia. The championships, originally scheduled for mid-March in Tokyo, Japan, were relocated to Moscow after the unfortunate and devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. The event is now set for April 27-May 1.

The network will broadcast over 14 hours of coverage and will air every event. Primetime coverage will begin April 27 at 6 p.m. ET with the men’s and pairs short programs and continue throughout the week with the rest of the competition. The Universal Sports broadcast team includes Andrea Joyce (play-by-play), 1984 Olympic silver medalist Peter Carruthers (the men’s and pairs analyst), 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski (ladies analyst) and  Judy Blumberg (ice dancing analyst).

Universal Sports’ digital platform, Universalsports.com has partnered up with icenetwork.com to deliver LIVE on-line coverage, on a subscription basis, of the 2011 World Championships, beginning with the men’s short program on April 27 at 5:30 a.m. ET. Universalsports.com will also feature full replays, highlights and analysis.

“While we all keep the people of Japan in our hearts, we are glad the athletes will be able to compete in the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships,” said Perkins Miller, COO of Universal Sports. “With 14 hours on-air and another 30 hours online in partnership with icenetwork.com, we know our fans will be able to celebrate this great event whenever and wherever they want.”

“We look forward to our athletes competing in Moscow,” said David Raith, Executive Director of U.S. Figure Skating. “We are excited our fans will be able to watch all of the action on Universal Sports and icenetwork.com.”

The ladies competition features reigning Olympic champion Yu-Na Kim of South Korea, who seeks to reclaim her 2009 World title. Kim has not competed since finishing second at the 2010 World Championships. Challenging her will be Mao Asada of Japan, the 2010 defending World champion. Reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny and 2010 Olympian Rachael Flatt will compete for a spot on the podium.

On the men’s side, defending World champion Daisuke Takahashi leads a talented group of men from Japan against last year’s World silver medalist Patrick Chan of Canada. Ryan Bradley leads the contingent of U.S. men hoping to reach the podium.

In the pairs competition, 2010 World champions Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China look to defend their title against Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy. While in the ice dancing event, reigning Olympic and World champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada will square-off against chief rivals Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States. For Davis and White, a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships would mean a first-ever World title for a U.S. ice dancing team.

2011 World Figure Skating Championships Broadcast/Web Schedule
All times ET

April 27
Men’s Short Program – 5:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Opening Ceremonies – 10:45 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Pairs Short Program – 11:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Shorts: Men’s & Pairs – 6:00 PM, Universal Sports TV
April 28
Men’s Free – 5:00 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Pairs Free – 10:00 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Men’s Free – 6:00 PM, Universal Sports TV
Pairs Free – 8:00 PM, Universal Sports TV
April 29
Ladies Short Program – 5:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Dance Short Program – 10:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Shorts: Ladies & Dance – 6:00 PM, Universal Sports TV
April 30
Ladies Free – 5:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Dance Free – 10:30 AM, universalsports.com/icenetwork.com
Ladies Free – 6:00 PM, Universal Sports TV
Dance Free – 8:00 PM, Universal Sports TV

18 Comments

  1. On Sunday my friend and I traveled two hours to attend the Stars on Ice Show. We were looking forward to watching the championships next weekend on t.v. But it looks like they are not going to be on. This is the only sport that my girlfriend and I really enjoy and cannot watch it because it is not broadcasted.

  2. Figure skating is getting harder and harder to see. I haven’t seen any pairs since this time last year. I spent an hour on the phone with my satellite provider. (there is no cable or antenna available where I live.) Universal Sports network rebroadcasts what is supposed to be on NBC. Unbelievably the local NBC affiliate broadcast only paid ads while the US National Championships were on. I was able to subscribe to some sports package that includes USN at a monthly price and they repeated each competition several times. However that channel is not HDTV and is a little fuzzy, but better than nothing.

    It seems that Congress has decided that I can only watch NBC from Eugene. It is illegal for them to let me watch the Portland broadcast. I can watch it if I travel to Portland to my other house where my son lives and if NBC chooses to air it instead of paid programs. It is also illegal for me to pay for and watch channel 392 and 393 which are the main East and West NBC links as well as the PBS channel that my taxes pay for. I hope everyone will write their congress critters and NBC about this outrage. Of course the Canadian channels are also forbidden. I used to enjoy them when I had a big satellite dish.

    Why is NBC given exclusive rights to broadcast all Figure Skating programs if they won’t even show them?

  3. I have watched and loved figure skating all my life.
    I am now being told unless I subscribe to a site I will lose this opportunity.
    The sport for me and many others is gone!
    Sad but true. The once artform is now just another way to make some money. Sadly, I can’t pay to watch it. Just loved to watch it!

  4. US Figure Skating sold out for money, that is why coverage is nill

  5. How could the USFSA be so short-sighted, or allow themselves to be talked into another fee for viewing venue? How can you get the general public to watch and support the amazingly athletic and beautiful sport of Figure Skating if you don’t broadcast (in the true sense of the word)? Many of us already pay significant amounts for cable and digital packages…to get decent TV reception. Adding another cost makes it all the more prohibitive.
    I am very frustrated. We get hours and hours of drivel and mind numbing head bashing sports! Can we please get something that depicts the combination of music, strength, grace and artistry?
    A small consolation… I got to see 45 minutes of The Kentucky Rolex Equestrian Event today… Thank you for that!

  6. We didn’t know the Ice Skating World Championship was going on until we read about it in the newspaper this morning. What happened to the TV coverage? We would have loved to watch it, but we saw no promotions or even a mention of it on the TV sports news. What a shame. It seems that figure skating championships are skating off into the sunset.

  7. Nothing
    But
    Cash

    That’s what it’s all about. Screw the fans for all they can get.

    At least folks in Detroit can watch it on Canadian CBC over the air, for free, and they actually show most of the competitors, not just the Canadians.

    US Figure Skating fan base is going downhill because we can’t get to see our skaters.

  8. Everybody who is mad at NBC should also be mad at the USFSA (Unites States Figure Skating Association) for making this media/broadcast agreement with NBC. If the USFSA insisted on network broadcast as part of the media coverage, it would be there. Be sure to complain to USFSA.org as well as NBC.

  9. I completely concur all ALL of the aforementioned commentary. NBC — you have lost me and countless others.

  10. Ditto to all the previous comments! Universal
    Sports is not available to me and to watch this
    engaging sport on a computer screen just doesn’t
    work. I was hoping that NBC would be broadcasting
    as least the highlights of the competition, having
    followed competitve figure skating for many years…

    Goodbye NBC!

  11. I agree with the above comments. I have been very disappointed in the slow decline of televising figure skating over the past few years. This is the one sport I follow and thoroughly enjoy watching and now I am unable to see it. So, I too, will no longer be watching NBC for anything at all. Shame on you.

  12. We agree with everything the previous writers said. We used to live in a city where Universal Sports was carried, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching all the figure skating events. At that time, they were also carried on NBC. After we moved, we were aghast to find that we would not be able to watch Worlds Figure Skating on Universal Sports or on NBC! Instead, we are left with the drivel that NBC calls entertainment.

  13. I totally agree with the previous writer and her comments regarding the skating championships.
    I also do not have access to Universal Sports except for paying a subscription fee to watch on my small laptop when I have a 63″ HDTV to enjoy sporting events.especially
    those that occur just once in a year.
    As for NBC, I have,

    Nothing
    But
    Contempt

  14. I likewise find it incredibly stupid, irresponsible, on NBC’s part to carry all the individual qualifying rounds leading up to the World championships but then drop the ball when it comes to the final event everyone has been looking forward to all year. NBC ihas turned into a pile of warm merde.

  15. So, for the first time since they have been televised, I will not be able to see the Worlds. Thank you NBC. I do not get Universal Sports through my cable provider. I have no wish to subscribe online so that I can watch on a 19″ monitor when I have a 46″ flat screen on which I enjoy sports.
    It is a sad commentary when a network will not carry a sporting event but will televise a clown such as Mr. Trump and other so-called “reality” shows (is this the term for cheaply made and cheap content?). You must be under the impression that all of your viewers are stupid and have dreadful taste.
    Farewell and may your ratings plunge.

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About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.