Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports Group Present Rugby World Cup 2015 From Sept. 18-Oct. 31

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/17/15 -- From September 18 through October 31, the eyes of the world will be on England for Rugby World Cup 2015. Throughout the 20-team, six-week long tournament, Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports Group will present unprecedented multiplatform coverage including more than 23 hours of broadcast coverage and more than 121 hours of live streaming. Universal Sports and NBC Sports will broadcast nine out of 48 matches including live coverage of all of Team USA's matches in pool play, the semi-finals and finals. Live PPV streaming of all 48 matches is available exclusively through Universal Sports' WatchRWC2015 over-the-top platform. Additionally, UniversalSports.com will stream all Universal Sports coverageand NBC Sports Live Extra will stream all NBC telecasts.

Universal Sports will air seven matches beginning this Friday, September 18 at 2 p.m. ET LIVE with the Opening Ceremony followed England vs. Fiji from Twickenham Stadium. Universal Sports will also air LIVE coverage of all Team USA's matches in pool play. NBC will broadcast the October 24 semi-final match one week before LIVE coverage of the World Cup Final on Saturday, October 31 at 12 p.m. ET. In addition to exclusive matches, broadcast coverage will feature a studio pre-game show plus halftime and post-game analysis.

In addition to broadcast and cable TV coverage, Rugby World Cup 2015 matches are available LIVE on pay-per-view via Universal Sports' WatchRWC2015 digital platform and on residential TV from leading cable, satellite and IPTV providers in the U.S. All matches purchased for PPV will be available both live and on-demand. A complete list of PPV options is available at UniversalSports.com/WatchRugby.

Rugby World Cup 2015 will be held over 44 days at 13 different venues in 11 host cities throughout Britain. This year's tournament is on track to be the biggest Rugby World Cup to date with over 2.4 million spectators and 500,000 international visitors. A global television audience of 4 billion is expected to watch more than 20,000 hours of coverage across more than 200 territories.

Calling all of the Rugby World Cup action will be former USA Eagles player and USA Sevens Captain Brian Hightower who will serve as primary match analyst alongside veteran rugby play-by-play announcer Bill Seward. Fijian rugby legend Waisale Serevi and former USA Eagles captain Dan Lyle will join the broadcast team during the knock-out round to provide additional in-depth analysis.

"The Rugby World Cup is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world and we are excited to offer extensive viewing options in the U.S.," said Universal Sports Network SVP, Production Dean Walker. "The power and physicality of rugby is perfect for the American sports fan, and we look forward to using our massive depth of rugby knowledge to introduce the sport to new viewers while satisfying our hard core fan base."

Universal Sports and NBC Sports Broadcast Schedule: Rugby World Cup 2015

                                                            Network         
Date           Time (ET)              Match                                 
-------------- ---------------------- --------------------- ----------------
Fri., Sept. 18 2-5 p.m. LIVE          Opening               Universal Sports
                                      Ceremony/England vs.                  
                                      Fiji                                  
Sun., Sept. 20 6:30-9 a.m. LIVE       Samoa vs. USA         Universal Sports
                                                                            
Sun., Sept. 27 9-11:30 p.m. LIVE      Scotland vs. USA      Universal Sports
                                                                            
Wed., Oct. 7   11 a.m.-2 p.m. LIVE    South Africa vs. USA  Universal Sports
                                                                            
Sun., Oct. 11  2:30-5 p.m. LIVE       USA vs. Japan         Universal Sports
                                                                            
Sat., Oct. 24  2:30-5 p.m. SDD        Semi-Final #1         NBC             
                                                                            
Sun., Oct. 25  11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. LIVE Semi-Final #2         Universal Sports
                                                                            
Fri., Oct. 30  3:30-6 p.m. LIVE       Bronze Final          Universal Sports
                                                                            
Sat., Oct. 31  12-2:30 p.m. LIVE      2015 World Cup Final  NBC             
                                                                            

All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change. The full 48-match tournament schedule can be found at UniversalSports.com/WatchRugby.

About Universal Sports

Universal Sports Network, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, LP, is the premier multi-platform media destination for Olympic-related sports programming in the United States. Offering more than 1,200 hours of original programming each year, Universal Sports has exclusive rights to world and national championship events in a wide array of sports, including swimming, track and field, gymnastics, cycling, skiing, figure skating and rugby. Whether on television, online, or on the go with mobile and tablet applications, Universal Sports offers a four-screen experience to fans of global sports every day of the year. For more information, please visit UniversalSports.com.

About NBC Sports Group

When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 10 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

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Source: Universal Sports Network

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