By Michael Pavitt

The new partnership between USA Wrestling and NBC Sports Group and Universal Sports Network will see unprecedented coverage of wrestling in the United States ©Getty ImagesUSA Wrestling have agreed a partnership with NBC Sports Group and Universal Sports Network which will see them broadcast more than 12 hours of coverage from major wrestling competitions in the country throughout 2015.


The governing body has signed a multi-event media-rights agreement last year, with four events on Universal Sports and they worked with NBCSN on the Beat the Streets meet, however the latest agreement builds upon the their existing relationships, with nine telecasts set to take place from five events.

The partnership includes five live telecasts, which will see more hours of live coverage in a single season in USA Wrestling, with the expanded schedule coming a year before wrestling will feature at next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

The sport had been threatened with exclusion from the Olympics after Rio 2016 following a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee's ruling Executive Board before a worldwide campaign saved it. 

"We're proud to bring unprecedented coverage of US Wrestling to NBCSN this year," said Gary Quinn, vice-president of programming at NBC Sports Group.

"The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio are just around the corner, and our US Wrestling coverage represents our ongoing commitment to support and grow Olympic sports in the US.

"In addition to NBC Sports Group's television coverage on NBCSN, they will offer live streaming for desktops, mobile devices and tablets on NBC Sports Live Extra, while UniversalSports.com will stream all of Universal Sport's broadcast coverage.

"This multi-platform media agreement demonstrates and reinforces our commitment to deliver world-class event programming to our passionate fan base,"said Scott Brown, Universal Sports' President.

The first event set to be the Freestyle World Cup in Los Angeles on April 11 and 12, which will see US 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in the field, alongside athletes from top wrestling nations, including Iran and Russia.

Olympic medallists including Coleman Scott will feature throughout the five events ©Getty ImagesOlympic medallists including Coleman Scott will feature throughout the five events
©Getty Images



The US Open, which serve as the National cChampionships, are set to be held from May 8 to 9 and are likely to see Burroughs joined by fellow Olympic champion Jake Varner and Olympic medallists Clarissa Chun, Coleman Scott and Randi Millar.

US wrestlers are set to take on Cuba in the Beat the Streets Dual Meet on May 21 in New York City, with the US Greco-Roman World Team Trials scheduled for June 4 in Ithaca.

The US World Team Trials from June 13 to 14 in Madison, Wisconsin, will see the nation's top men and women's freestyle wrestlers compete for a place in the US team for the World Wrestling Championships, due to be held in Las Vegas in September.

Speaking about the agreement USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender praised the broadcasters and the United States Olympic Committee for their faith in the sport.

"We are extremely excited to work with our broadcast partners to offer the opportunity to literally millions of American sports fans to enjoy man's oldest and greatest sport on television," he said. 

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