COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (August 27, 2007) - U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, announced today that two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan has signed a two-year deal to serve as the face and voice of icenetwork.com. In her new role, Kerrigan will serve as the lead color analyst alongside broadcast partner Michael Mancuso on all live broadcasts during the 2007-2008 season (see schedule below).
“I am excited and looking forward to working with icenetwork.com to bring figure skating competition to a wider audience,” Kerrigan said. “Icenetwork.com will allow a global audience to watch a competition taking place thousands of miles away without ever leaving their home.” Kerrigan will also help in promoting icenetwork.com, making in-studio appearances and filming on-location at events throughout the year.
“We’re thrilled to have someone of Nancy’s stature joining the icenetwork.com team,” said David Raith, Executive Director of U.S. Figure Skating. “As a two-time Olympic medalist and former U.S. champion, Nancy will bring insight and experience to the icenetwork.com coverage that few others can. Nancy has a huge fan base around the world and they will now be able to enjoy her poise and grace on icenetwork.com broadcasts as much as they did on the ice during her competitive career.”
The team of Kerrigan and Mancuso will make their debut during icenetwork.com’s free coverage of the 2007 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating from the 1980 Rink Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Saturday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 2. In addition to the live weekend coverage, icenetwork.com will provide on-demand coverage of Friday’s competition. Live coverage will begin on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Icenetwork.com live broadcast schedule to include:
Sept. 1-2, 2007, Junior Grand Prix, Lake Placid, N.Y.
Oct. 26-28, 2007, Skate America, Reading, Pa.
Nov. 26-Dec. 1, 2007 U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jan. 20-27, 2008, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saint Paul, Minn.
Feb. 20-23, U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, Providence, R.I.
The broadcast team:
Nancy Kerrigan
One of America’s most popular and versatile performers, Nancy Kerrigan is known for her beauty and great artistry on ice. A former U.S. champion and winner of two Olympic and World medals each, Nancy began skating when she was about 6, playing hockey with her brothers near their home outside Boston. She was the first U.S. lady to perform a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination, at the 1985 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas City, Mo.
In addition to a busy professional skating career, Kerrigan has made countless television appearances off the ice, recently taking her career to the big screen, with a cameo in the film Blades of Glory. She currently hosts “Nancy Kerrigan’s World of Skating” on CN8, a Comcast affiliate based in Philadelphia, serving the northeast. The show features figure skating topics from around the globe, and interviews with some of the sport’s top names.
In 1995, Kerrigan married Jerry Solomon, a sports executive in Boston. They make their home in Lynnfield, Mass., with their sons, Matthew, 10, and Brian, 2.
Mike Mancuso
Mike Mancuso joins icenetwork.com after spending the last seven years providing play by play and color commentary for the Brown Sports Radio Network. Since 2001, he has broadcast Brown soccer, ice hockey, basketball and lacrosse. In addition, Mancuso has worked for Cox Sports Television in Rhode Island, broadcasting local high school and collegiate sporting events.
A 1998 graduate of Brown University, he is a former sports editor of the Brown Daily Herald. While at Brown, he worked for the university’s Sports Information Office as the media contact for women’s soccer and women’s ice hockey.
In addition to his radio and TV work, Mancuso can be heard throughout New England as a public address announcer. He has worked games for Brown, URI, Providence College, the Connecticut Sun, Boston University, Bryant College, Harvard University and the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
Mancuso resides in Cumberland, R.I., with his wife, Danielle, and their Westie, Finnegan.
About icenetwork.com
Ice Network, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Figure Skating, has the exclusive rights to U.S. Figure Skating's interactive media properties and is a joint venture between U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media. Icenetwork.com is the premier destination for fans of ice skating, delivering exclusive live and on-demand coverage of domestic and international competitions, while offering fans the opportunity to interact with top athletes and stay updated with news and information from the world of ice skating year round. Icenetwork.com is dedicated to providing year-round, in-depth coverage of the all things ice skating to millions of fans around the world. Icenetwork.com is committed to expanding the audience by delivering compelling programming that fans won't get a chance to see anyplace else, including exclusive back-stage interviews with top skaters, special programming featuring figure skating stars and additional video coverage from around the globe. The icenetwork.com broadcast team is anchored by two-time Olympic medalist and former U.S. Figure Skating champion Nancy Kerrigan, who will serve as the lead color analyst on all live broadcasts during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.
- U.S. Figure Skating -
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of approximately 1,450 member clubs and Basic Skills programs representing nearly 200,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States, including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.
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