NBC Sports Presents Formula One Russian Grand Prix Today

NBCSN, CNBC, and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to present comprehensive coverage of the Formula One Russian Grand Prix this weekend, culminating with race coverage this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on CNBC. Pre-race coverage starts at 7 a.m. ET on CNBC with F1 Countdown.

NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of practice, qualifying, and the Russian Grand Prix.

F1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON CNBC

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) looks for his fourth consecutive win to begin the 2016 F1 season this weekend, and his seventh straight dating back to the 2015 season. This marks the third running of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi - teammate Lewis Hamilton has won both iterations of the race, but Rosberg captured last year's pole. Rosberg's three wins have given him an early lead in the drivers' standings (75 points) ahead of Hamilton (39 points) and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo (36 points), who has finished in fourth place in all three races this season.

Live coverage begins exclusively on NBC Sports Live Extra on Friday morning at 3 a.m. ET with Practice 1, followed by NBCSN's live coverage of Practice 2 at 7 a.m. ET. Live Extra's coverage continues Saturday at 5 a.m. ET with Practice 3, followed by live qualifying at 8 a.m. ET on CNBC. Live Russian Grand Prix coverage begins Sunday morning at 7 a.m. ET on CNBC. NBCSN will air an encore presentation of the race on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

Lead F1 announcer Leigh Diffey will call this weekend's action, and will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, and analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will serve as the team's on-site reporter from Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.

Through three races, NBC Sports Group's coverage of the 2016 Formula One season on NBCSN is averaging 354,000 viewers, up 24% vs. the same point in 2015 (286,000); the 2015 F1 season on NBCSN was the most-watched ever for a single cable network in two decades. NBCSN's most recent F1 presentation, the Chinese Grand Prix on April 17 (1:45-3:52 a.m. ET), averaged 272,000 viewers, up 29% vs. last year's Chinese GP (211,000).

Digitally, F1 on NBC Sports Live Extra is averaging 22,000 uniques and 1.307 million minutes streamed per race through three races, up 161% and 139%, respectively, vs. 2015 through three races (8,500 uniques; 546,000 live minutes).

Following is this week's motorsports coverage schedule on NBCSN:

Date	Program	Network	Time (ET)
Thurs., April 28	Mecum Auctions (Encore)	NBCSN	6:30 p.m.
Fri., April 29	F1 Russian Grand Prix - Practice 1	NBC Sports LiveExtra	3 a.m.
	F1 Russian Grand Prix - Practice 2	NBCSN	7 a.m.
Sat., April 30	F1 Russian Grand Prix - Practice 3	NBC Sports Live Extra	5 a.m.
	F1 Russian Grand Prix - Qualifying	CNBC	8 a.m.
	F1 Russian Grand Prix - Qualifying (Encore)	NBCSN	11 p.m.
Sun., May 1	F1 Countdown	CNBC	7 a.m.
	F1 Russian Grand Prix	CNBC	7:30 a.m.
	F1 Extra	CNBC	10 a.m.
	F1 Russian Grand Prix (Encore)	NBCSN	4 p.m.