U.S. Figure Skating announced today that American Cruise Lines has become the official cruise line of U.S. Figure Skating and will serve as the presenting sponsor of 2019 Skate America, set to take place in Las Vegas from October 18-20. The one-year partnership, which was negotiated together with Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, U.S. Figure Skating’s sponsorship agency of record, is the first between U.S. Figure Skating and American Cruise Lines, a company offering the finest U.S. River & Coastal cruises to over 25 states, aboard their fleet of new, American-built small ships.
The first stop of the annual International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines, will feature 60 of the top skaters from around the world at the Orleans Arena. The event will be headlined by the United States’ two-time reigning World champion Nathan Chen, Olympian Bradie Tennell, reigning U.S. pairs champions Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, and two-time World medalist ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue. Past Skate America titlists include Chen, five-time World champion and two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan, and Olympic champions Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Evan Lysacek, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
“We are excited to welcome American Cruise Lines to the figure skating family,” U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director David Raith said. “Skate America has a long history of excellence and a partnership with American Cruise Lines is a natural fit, as the all-American based cruise line has become synonymous with excellence, winning award after award in the cruise industry.”
American Cruise Lines is the largest and most the highly acclaimed U.S. cruise line, winning 14 industry awards in 2018, including Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Award for Top Small Cruise Lines and Cruise Critic’s Cruisers’ Choice Award for Best River Line in the U.S. & Canada. In additional to serving as the official cruise line of U.S. Figure Skating and the presenting sponsor of 2019 Skate America, American will receive a robust media schedule during figure skating coverage on NBC and NBCSN throughout the season. NBCUniversal will provide extensive coverage of 2019 Skate America, including windows on NBC Sunday, Oct. 20 (noon-1 p.m. p.m. ET) and Saturday, Oct. 26 (4:30-6 p.m. ET) and primetime coverage on NBCSN Saturday, Oct. 19.
“American Cruise Lines is proud to partner with U.S. Figure Skating and looks forward to a great season of thrilling performances, starting with Skate America,” said David Luxeder, Director of Brand Development for American Cruise Lines.
The season-long partnership will provide American Cruise Lines the opportunity to connect with figure skating fans and the organization’s members across all U.S. Figure Skating mediums and through customized grassroots initiatives, with on-site activation opportunities at 2019 Skate America and the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which are set to take place in Greensboro, North Carolina. from January 20-26.
Single-session tickets for 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines go on sale Thursday. Ticket pricing starts at $30 and are available at www.2019skateamerica.com/tickets, the Orleans Arena box office or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Fees may apply. In addition to single-session tickets, fans will also be able to purchase discipline-specific packages.
A full schedule of coverage of 2019 Skate America on NBCUniversal and the Figure Skating Pass on NBC Sports Gold, and the entire slate of 2019 Grand Prix events, will be released at a later date.
