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Universal Sports has announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement with the Boston Athletic Association for the exclusive broadcast and multimedia rights for the Boston Marathon.

Anchored by Al Trautwig, Universal Sports’ three-hour broadcast will kick-off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday, April 19, 2010. WBZ-TV will continue as the exclusive local broadcast partner for the Boston Marathon.

UniversalSports.com will start at 9:30 a.m. ET with live coverage of the complete race, along with athlete trackers, course maps, field previews, full-length videos, highlights, photos and recaps at UniversalSports.com.


Here is the full press release from Universal Sports.

Agreement Gives Fans Nationally, Globally Unprecedented Access to the World’s Oldest Annual Marathon

LOS ANGELES and BOSTON – Feb. 1, 2010 – Universal Sports, the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related sports programming, and the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), announced today a multi-year agreement that makes Universal Sports and UniversalSports.com the exclusive national television home, as well as worldwide multimedia destination, for the legendary Boston Marathon for the next three years beginning 2010 through 2012. The 114th Boston Marathon will take place Monday, April 19 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

“We are thrilled to reach this multi-year agreement with the BAA to be the exclusive national television home and worldwide multimedia destination for the world’s oldest, as well as one of the most competitive and iconic marathons worldwide – the Boston Marathon,” said Universal Sports Chairman and CEO Claude Ruibal. “Universal Sports has established itself as the top destination for competitive running and road racing events such as the World Marathon Majors. We continue to deliver on our mission to elevate and deliver Olympic and lifestyle sports that exemplifies the best of the human competition and spirit. And Boston certainly exemplifies this competition and spirit.”

Anchored by veteran sports commentator Al Trautwig, Universal Sports’ three-hour broadcast will kick-off at 9:30 a.m. ET. WBZ-TV will continue as the exclusive local broadcast partner for the Boston Marathon.

UniversalSports.com will start at 9:30 a.m. ET with LIVE coverage of the complete race, along with athlete trackers, course maps, field previews, full-length videos, highlights, photos and recaps at UniversalSports.com.

“Our partnership with Universal Sports and Universal Sports.com now allows us national and global reach of this storied and most exciting of the World Marathon Majors, the 114th Boston Marathon,” said Guy Morse, executive director of the BAA. “With Universal Sports, along with our ongoing local partnership with WBZ-TV, we can provide marathon fans across Boston and the nation with in-depth and comprehensive coverage of this amazing athletic competition.”

Universal Sports is home to the World Marathon Majors (WMM), offering complete and in-depth television and multimedia coverage of the five marathon majors: Boston Marathon, Virgin London Marathon, real,-Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon.

Headlining the world-class men’s field will be Americans Meb Keflezighi, the reigning New York Marathon champion, and Ryan Hall, current holder of the second-fastest American marathon time. With their goal to be the first male American winner since Greg Meyer in 1983, both will be competing against a field of the world’s best. "Both the men's and women's elite field will be announced by John Hancock Financial, the principal sponsor of the race, during the last week of February."

ABOUT UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online. Universal Sports is available in 57 million homes, including nine of the top 10 DMAs: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. Recent expansion includes launches in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Denver, Portland, and Jacksonville. Go to UniversalSports.com for a complete list of TV markets. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com.

About Boston Athletic Association: Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events, including the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial, which celebrates its 25th year of sponsorship in 2010.