HDNet Announces Broadcast Team for UFL Game Coverage

HDNet Announces Broadcast Team for UFL Game Coverage

Broadcast Vets Paul Maguire and Kenny Rice team up in the booth to call the action on HDNet Ron Kruck and Natalie Taylor report from the sidelines.

DALLAS, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- HDNet today announced its broadcast team for the network's upcoming coverage of UFL Football. The UFL is a new professional football league that features high quality football in under-served markets at affordable prices. HDNet's UFL broadcast team is made up of four experienced broadcasters who have covered pro football, in addition to many other sports on a national level. Longtime football announcer and former Buffalo Bills great Paul Maguire will join HDNet's own Kenny Rice in the broadcast booth, while Ron Kruck will cover duties as sideline reporter, along with Natalie Taylor.

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"This is an amazing broadcast team with an incredible amount of football knowledge," said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. "Their high level of both experience and enthusiasm will add depth to our broadcasts and excitement for our fans."

"The UFL is extremely pleased to have five of our games broadcast on HDNet and to have such a talented group of broadcasters working with us," added Frank Vuono, COO of the UFL.

Paul Maguire followed a stand-out career in the AFL with nearly 40 years in television, including covering four Super Bowls (XXIII, XXX, XXII, XXVII) and serving as a member of NBC's lead NFL broadcast team with Dick Enberg. Maguire also provided his candor and insight to NFL Sunday Night Football on ESPN, and worked as an analyst for college football on ABC. Maguire played in six AFL Championship games with the San Diego Chargers ('60-'63) and Buffalo Bills ('64-'70) during his eleven-year career as a punter and linebacker. He was a member of three championship teams ('63,'64,'65) and was named to the Bills Silver Anniversary All-Time Team in 1984 as a punter. Maguire still holds the Bills' season punting average record (42.1). He is one of only twenty players who were in the AFL for its entire existence. His outstanding collegiate career at The Citadel includes leading the nation in touchdown receptions his senior year. Maguire is in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame,

An award-winning sportscaster, Kenny Rice hosts the popular HDNet program, Inside MMA. Rice has called play-by-play for Harvard-Yale football and both the Wooden Classic and Wooden Tradition college basketball tournaments, plus boxing and MMA - all for HDNet. For NBC, Rice covers the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and has covered the 2004 (boxing) and 2008 (equestrian) Olympics as well as the US Olympic Trials in both Triathlon and Equestrian. Rice has reported on the NFL for NBC's Football Night in America and has called track and field, rugby and basketball for the 2008 Paralympic Games. He has also called the Pro Bull Riders World Finals. He hosted horse racing for ESPN ('97-'06) including the Irish Derby and was a co-host of college basketball Midnight Madness for the debut of ESPNU.

Ron Kruck is an integral member of HDNet's ground breaking MMA coverage, interviewing the sport's biggest stars, in addition to breaking stories and special features from Kruck's Korner on Inside MMA. He has also covered boxing and college football for the network. Kruck has reported on the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs, Major League Baseball and the NBA Playoffs as well as the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, US Olympic Trials, the Fiesta and Orange Bowls. In addition, Kruck covered University of Colorado football and basketball.

Natalie Taylor is co-host of SEC-TV for Fox Sports South and hosts SEC College Football & Basketball Previews for Sports South. She has worked for HDNet as a pit and feature reporter for NASCAR's Camping World Series and a sideline reporter for the network's college football and basketball broadcasts. She's also reported on Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons for Comcast Sports Southeast.

HDNet will broadcast five games from the "Premiere" season of the United Football League beginning on October 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET when the Florida Tuskers take on the New York Sentinels at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. Each live telecast will be produced and aired in true high definition. The complete schedule for UFL games on HDNet follows:

   Saturday,   October 10    Florida Tuskers vs. New York Sentinels        7:00 p.m. ET   Saturday,   October 17    New York Sentinels vs. California Redwoods    9:00 p.m. ET   Friday,   October 30    Las Vegas Locomotives vs. Florida Tuskers     7:00 p.m. ET   Saturday,   November 14   Las Vegas Locomotives vs. California Redwoods 9:00 p.m. ET   Friday,   November 20   New York Sentinels vs. Las Vegas Locomotives  9:00 p.m. ET    

The United Football League is a new professional football league that will kick-off its "Premiere" season this October. Featuring high-quality traditional football played by world-class athletes and former NFL coaches, the UFL's "Premiere" season teams include the California Redwoods, Florida Tuskers, Las Vegas Locomotives and New York Sentinels. The UFL's goal is to provide fans with affordable, innovative and entertaining game-day experiences. The UFL's games, which will be broadcast live on VERSUS and HDNet, will culminate with a Championship Game on November 27th in Las Vegas. Tickets are now on-sale in all markets and can be purchased by calling 877.UFL.2009 or visiting www.ufl-football.com.

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net, twitter.com/hdnet) is the independent network with unique and provocative content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring five regular season games from the Premiere Season of the United Football League. HDNet also features the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com, twitter.com/hdnetfights). "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "New York Confessions," "Deadline" and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com, twitter.com/hdnetmovies) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt and Robin Williams.

Upcoming Sneak Previews include "Ong Bak 2: The Beginning" starring and directed by Tony Jaa.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies presents viewers with over one hundred films and an average of twenty-five "HD Premieres" each month. HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliated companies. To receive HDNet information via email, simply go to www.hd.net/listpage.

About The UFL

The UFL was developed to fulfill the unmet needs of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football by providing a high quality traditional football league comprised of world class professional football players. The UFL will serve the communities with pride, dedication and passion, and uphold a leadership role in the development of football worldwide. The UFL will provide every fan with an affordable, accessible, exciting and entertaining game experience. Scheduled to debut in October 2009, the UFL's headquarters is in New York, N.Y. and has satellite offices in Jacksonville, Fla. and Rutherford, N.J. The UFL is led by Commissioner Michael Huyghue, COO Frank Vuono and is being funded by a consortium of investors including UFL Founder Bill Hambrecht, Tim Armstrong, Bill Mayer, Paul Pelosi and the Tampa Bay Rays. For more information on the UFL and how to purchase tickets for the UFL's "Premiere" season, please visit www.ufl-football.com. For group ticket sales, please call 877.UFL.2009.

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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080324/HDNETLOGO
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: HDNet

CONTACT: Colette Carey of HDNet, +1-303-542-5576, ccarey@hd.net; or
Rachel Gary of UFL, +1-973-477-8439, rachel.gary@ufl-football.com

Web Site: http://www.hd.net/
http://www.ufl-football.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment