HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality
franchise, which has captured 12 Sports Emmy® Awards, will join forces
with the National Hockey League to take viewers inside one of the
NHL’s great rivalries, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the
Washington Capitals, for 24/7 PENGUINS/CAPITALS: ROAD TO THE NHL
WINTER CLASSIC, an innovative four-episode, all-access reality series,
it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports and
John Collins, chief operating officer for the NHL.
The HBO Sports presentation debuts in prime time WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15
(10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), with an immediate encore at 11:00 p.m., and
follows the two clubs simultaneously, chronicling their highs and lows
each week. The teams will meet in a Dec. 23 regular-season matchup on
the Capitals’ home ice, leading into episode three of 24/7
PENGUINS/CAPITALS, as the build-up intensifies for the Jan. 1 showdown
at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Noted Greenburg, “Taking our reality series ‘24/7’ into the world of
the National Hockey League is a perfect fit. The ‘24/7’ franchise is
fashioned on larger-than-life personalities, engaging storylines, and
unrestricted access. With Sidney Crosby leading the Penguins and Alex
Ovechkin leading the Capitals, we have all the ingredients for a
dynamic show that will take viewers deep inside professional hockey
and set the stage for the Winter Classic.”
Said Collins, “Teaming up with the 12-time Emmy Award®-winning and
much acclaimed HBO ‘24/7’ series gives us an incredible opportunity to
bring our fans even deeper inside two model hockey organizations
during the regular season as we lead into the 2011 Bridgestone NHL
Winter Classic. In just three short years, the Winter Classic has
become so well established on the national sports calendar it’s truly
a New Year’s Day tradition. Uniting HBO’s amazing reality series with
one of sport’s greatest rivalries in an outdoor setting in front of
65,000 raucous fans will make this Winter Classic the most anticipated
one yet.”
Ensuing episodes of 24/7 PENGUINS/CAPITALS: ROAD TO THE NHL WINTER
CLASSIC debut on subsequent Wednesdays – Dec. 22 and 29 and Jan. 5 –
at 10:00 p.m., with an immediate encore play at 11:00 p.m. The Jan. 5
series finale debuts four days after the Classic, with cameras
tracking all the drama and excitement surrounding the Capitals and
Penguins on game day. All four episodes will have multiple replay
dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.
The series will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with
in-depth interviews of coaches, players and front-office personnel, as
the Caps and Penguins battle through their December schedules, meeting
twice in one week, including the first-ever NHL game at Heinz Field.
24/7 PENGUINS/CAPITALS: ROAD TO THE NHL WINTER CLASSIC is HBO Sports’
first reality foray into pro hockey. The acclaimed “24/7” franchise
began in 2007 with “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7,” followed by seven
additional boxing installments. Last January, HBO Sports extended the
“24/7” franchise with “24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona,” which
chronicled the NASCAR champion’s preparations for the 2010 Daytona
500.
