By Ryan Berenz
ESPN at Super Bowl XLV in North Texas
ESPN kicks off its week-long comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers in North Texas Monday, Jan. 31, at 6 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. CT. ESPN’s on-site multiplatform coverage will originate from Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, through Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 6). Highlights:
- Super Bowl-related content across 18 ESPN platforms: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS HD, ESPNU HD, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Mobile properties;
- More than 90 hours of Super Bowl-related programming on domestic television and more than 55 hours of Super Bowl-related programming on ESPN Radio from North Texas;
- ESPN International will air Super Bowl XLV live throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, and much of Europe. In total, ESPN International will deliver live Super Bowl coverage to more than 53 million households in 159 countries and territories. Commentary and analysis will be provided in English, French-Canadian and Spanish;
- More than 30 on-air commentators (hosts, analysts, reporters and contributors) will be in North Texas;
- ESPN’s production operations for Super Bowl week will be based at Sundance Square (195 West 3rd Street) in Fort Worth. The location will include: a main set (62 x 40 ft.) overlooking the historic Chisolm Trail mural, a radio set/stage (28 x 48 ft.), two pod camera locations, and a demo field (20 x 20 ft.). ESPN will also utilize a “Flycam” suspended 42 ft. in the air that will travel the length of a football field and provide aerial views of the set.
What’s New:
- ESPN’s main set at Sundance Square will include an enclosed indoor studio developed by ESPN’s Creative Services team that will utilize virtual elements for the first time, including player cards, statistics, and touchscreen technology;
- Live morning editions of SportsCenter will air from the Super Bowl for the first time with Hannah Storm anchoring from Sundance Square;
- SportsNation (M,W-F, 4 p.m. and Tuesday, 5 p.m., ESPN2) will originate from Super Bowl for the first time with hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd. A special two-hour SportsNation is also planned for Super Bowl Sunday, live from Sundance Square (noon, ESPN2).
- New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who led the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship a year ago, will join ESPN for three days of analysis in North Texas. Payton will appear on SportsCenter Special (Thurs., Feb. 3, at 3 p.m.), SportsCenter Special: The Champions (Fri., Feb. 4, at 3 p.m.), as well as SportsCenter (9 a.m.) and Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m.) on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6.
Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 6):
- ESPN’s weeklong coverage will peak with more than 16 hours of TV and radio coverage on Super Bowl Sunday, beginning with a special edition of Mike & Mike in the Morning at 6 a.m. (ESPN Radio/ESPN2);
- Chris Berman, covering his 29th Super Bowl, will host the special four-hour Super Bowl edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) from Sundance Square with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and Insider Adam Schefter. Tedy Bruschi, Trent Dilfer, and Steve Young – all Super Bowl champions – will also contribute to the show from Fort Worth, while the Monday Night Football team of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden will be joined by Saints head coach Sean Payton at a Cowboys Stadium set in Arlington. In all, ESPN’s Super Bowl Sunday analyst team will feature former players and coaches with a combined 13 Super Bowl rings in 23 appearances in the NFL’s biggest game. Reporters Suzy Kolber (covering Steelers) and Ed Werder (Packers) will provide team updates.
- Postgame coverage on ESPN will begin immediately following the game with Berman, Jackson and Young on the field at Cowboys Stadium for NFL Primetime, followed by a 90-minute SportsCenter;
- ESPN Radio’s “Super Sunday” program lineup will include Mike & Mike in the Morning for the fourth straight year (6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2). Brian Kenny will anchor ESPN Radio’s post-game coverage from 103.3 ESPN Radio in Dallas until 1 a.m.
ESPN – ESPN2 – ESPNEWS – ESPNU – ESPN Classic
ESPN’s primary host location throughout Super Bowl week will be an outdoor set – open for public viewing – at Sundance Square in Fort Worth. Planned highlights:
- SportsCenter (Monday, Jan. 31 – Sunday, Feb. 6) – daily editions of ESPN’s flagship news, information and highlights show with anchors Mike Greenberg, Steve Levy, Stuart Scott, and Storm, joined by Mortensen, Schefter, reporters Kolber and Werder, and analysts Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, Young, etc.; Additionally, Storm and three-time Super Bowl Champion Darren Woodson will report from NFL media day, Tuesday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. – noon on ESPN;
- SportsCenter Special: The Champions (Friday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m., ESPN) – Tirico hosts this special with all of ESPN’s NFL analysts in North Texas who have won Super Bowl rings (Bruschi, Dilfer, Ditka, Gruden, Johnson, Mark Schlereth, Woodson and Young), and Saints Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton. In all, members of The Champions panel – with a combined 19 rings in 25 Super Bowl appearances – will discuss their personal experiences of playing in the NFL title game and what they expect for Super Bowl XLV;
- NFL Quarterbacks Field Pass (Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 p.m., ESPN2) – Part of ESPN’s “Year of the Quarterback” initiative, this one-hour NFL Films all-access special includes footage and audio from the 2010-11 NFL season, featuring quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Jay Cutler, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Super Bowl starters Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and Michael Vick. Super Bowl legends Troy Aikman, John Elway and Steve Young will also be highlighted;
- “I Am a World Champion,” presented by Bing, is a feature series offering first-person narratives from the quarterbacks who have led their team to victory and walked off the field World Champions. The original content, which showcases the quarterback’s travails and triumphs, will run during NFL Live and afternoon editions of SportsCenter and will also be available online;
- SportsCenter Special and NFL Live (Monday, Jan. 31 – Thursday, Feb. 4, 3-4:30 p.m.) – Trey Wingo and Tirico will host these back-to-back daily shows throughout Super Bowl week;
- SportsNation (M-F, 4 p.m., ESPN2) will originate live from Sundance Square all week beginning Monday, Jan. 31. Hosts Cowherd and Beadle will be joined by special guests all week. Shows will include Super Bowl-themed polls and games, and animals from a local zoo will make Super Bowl picks. A special two-hour SportsNation is also planned for Super Bowl Sunday, at noon ET live from Sundance Square on ESPN2.
- NFL Matchup (Sunday, Feb. 6, 3 and 6:30 a.m., ESPN and 5:30 a.m., ESPN2) – the popular 30-minute X’s and O’s analysis show hosted by Sal Paolantonio with Merril Hoge and Jaworski will preview the Super Bowl from North Texas;
- Rome is Burning (M-F, 4:30 p.m., ESPN) – current and former NFL players will join host Jim Rome live from Sundance Square each day to discuss the Super Bowl;
- Around the Horn (M-F, 5 p.m., ESPN) – daily panelists will opine from North Texas;
- Pardon the Interruption (M-F, 5:30 p.m., ESPN) – co-host Michael Wilbon and ‘Five Good Minutes’ guests will participate from North Texas;
- Sports Reporters (Sunday, Feb. 6, at 8:30 a.m., ESPN) – John Saunders will host the popular Sunday morning sports journalism and discussion program from Fort Worth with panelists Mike Lupica (New York Daily News), William C. Rhoden (New York Times) and Bob Ryan (Boston Globe). The show’s traditional “Parting Shots” segment will feature each reporter’s most memorable moment from the 2010 NFL season.
- Mike & Mike in the Morning (M-F, 6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2) – Co-hosts Mike Golic and Greenberg will kick off ESPN Radio’s on-site coverage live from Sundance Square in Fort Worth on Monday, Jan. 31, followed by The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m. – 1 p.m./ESPNU), and co-hosts Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo on The Scott Van Pelt Show (1-4 p.m./ 2-3 p.m. on M, W-F, ESPN2). Each program will feature NFL guests and experts on-set with the hosts throughout the week;
- First Take (M-F, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., ESPN2) – will include Super Bowl-related interviews and previews all week;
- ESPNEWS will offer all the news each day leading up to Super Bowl XLV, including the Hall of Fame announcement live on Saturday and extensive pre and postgame reporting on Super Bowl Sunday, including interviews, news conferences, highlights and analysis;
- Starting Tuesday, Feb. 1, ESPN Classic will air a variety of ESPN Super Bowl-themed programming from the SportsCentury, 30 for 30, Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame and Who’s #1 series, along with interview shows hosted by Dick Schaap, Roy Firestone, Jim Rome and Rick Reilly in Homecoming. The week will culminate with 39 consecutive hours of NFL-related programming starting Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
ESPN Radio – ESPNRadio.com
ESPN Radio’s weekday Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m. ), The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) and The Scott Van Pelt Show (1-4 p.m.) will all originate from Sundance Square in Fort Worth during Super Bowl week. Guests visiting the sets will include current and former NFL players and coaches, celebrities, and newsmakers from the sports world. Capitalizing on ESPN Radio’s presence in North Texas throughout Super Bowl week will be sponsors AT&T, Dodge, H&R Block, JC Penney, Tabasco and Yellowbook.
103.3 ESPN Radio in Dallas
Locally, ESPN Radio’s owned-and-operated 103.3 ESPN Radio in Dallas will broadcast its weekday Ben and Skin Show (9 a.m.-noon CT), Coop and Nate Show (2-3 p.m.) and Galloway and Company (3-7 p.m.) from the “103.3 Stage” in Sundance Square. The station will also host an interactive area featuring NASCAR simulators, a football-toss game, PS3’s to play “Madden 11” and a podcast center to sample ESPNDallas.com’s new apps for the iPad, iPhones and other devices.
Additionally, 1540 AM ESPN Deportes programming will originate from its stage throughout Super Bowl week: Al Despertar (4-7 a.m.); Frecuencia Deportiva with Xavier Olalde (7-8 a.m.); Charla Deportiva with Luis Fernando Perez (11 a.m.-noon); Zona ESPN with Renato Bermudez (noon-2 p.m.); Jorge Ramos y Su Banda (Friday 3-6 p.m.).
For the fourth straight year, Mike & Mike in the Morning will kick off the special “Super Sunday” lineup (6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2 from 6-8 a.m.). Kenny will anchor ESPN Radio’s post-game coverage from Dallas until 1 a.m.
ESPNRadio.com will provide live audio and video streaming of ESPN Radio programs throughout Super Bowl week, as well as on-demand highlights of every show and every interview.
ESPN.com and ESPN Mobile Products
ESPN.com will provide complete coverage and analysis of the game, teams, players, coaches and the entire Super Bowl scene from North Texas. Coverage will appear on Page 1, the main NFL page, as well as on the 2011 edition of Super Bowl Central. ESPN.com will feature daily chats with ESPN.com writers and others, as well as regular video reports throughout the week. In addition, Monday-Friday of Super Bowl Week, ESPN.com will feature a five to 10-minute video show from the Super Bowl called Total Countdown Daily.
ESPN’s award-winning roster of contributors will be part of Super Bowl coverage, including senior NFL writer John Clayton, as well as Gene Wojciechowski, Greg Garber, Elizabeth Merrill, the NFL Blog Network and Scouts Inc., who will provide insight, commentary, breaking news and analysis of all facets of the Super Bowl XLV match-up. Other coverage highlights:
- Interactive presentations called Inside a Moment in Time that take readers inside Giants wide receiver David Tyree’s amazing catch in Super Bowl XXII against the Patriots and William “The Refrigerator” Perry’s one-yard run in Super Bowl XX, also against the Patriots. The presentations include video interviews with Tyree, Perry, Rodney Harrison, Jim McMahon, Mike Ditka, Jim Covert, Tom Thayer and others;
- ESPN Texas: Road to Super Bowl XLV blog, which will feature reports from ESPN.com’s blog network;
- Coverage from the experts at ESPNDallas.com integrated into ESPN.com’s coverage;
- A feature that allows readers to select an all-time Super Bowl team;
- Complete coverage of Media Day, with users able to interact with bloggers on the scene;
- Stories highlighting one player from each of the 44 teams that have earned Super Bowl rings;
- In-depth analysis, scouting reports and rankings of all 106 players on the Super Bowl rosters from Scouts Inc.
- ESPNDallas.com will have the reporters and columnists who know Dallas-Fort Worth best covering every aspect of Super Bowl XLV and all the events that lead up to the game. While assisting ESPN.com in coverage of both teams, ESPN Dallas will use its expertise on the area, events and people pulling everything together to provide the ultimate local coverage of how the Metroplex is fairing as host. Anchoring the online coverage are Calvin Watkins, Todd Archer and Tim MacMahon, who provide more than 25 years experience covering the NFL and the sports scene in North Texas.
ESPN Mobile will also provide fans on the go with alerts on updates and news throughout the game. Additionally, fans can access the latest action through the ESPN mobile Web site and up to the minute scores via the ESPN ScoreCenter mobile app.
ESPN International
ESPN International will air Super Bowl XLV live to more than 53 million households in 159 countries and territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, and much of Europe. Commentary and analysis will be provided in English, French-Candian and Spanish. Highlights:
- For the second year, ESPN International will host the “Super Bowl at Sea” Viewing Party for clients and VIPs. The network will feature a shipboard pregame show, and live telecast of the game from aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise. The four-day Caribbean cruise will depart from Miami on Feb. 3 and return Feb. 7;
- Coverage of the game in HD in Australia, Latin America, and the Caribbean;
- ESPN International’s SportsCenter production team will provide reports throughout the week to Latin America and throughout the Pacific Rim;
- ESPN Latin America will also present daily editions of NFL Semanal;
- Live coverage on Super Bowl Sunday in Latin America will begin at 3:30 p.m. with Cronómetro: Super Bowl Special, followed by SportsCenter: Super Bowl Special (4 p.m.), NFL Esta Noche Super Bowl Pregame (5 p.m.) and the telecast of Super Bowl XLV (6 p.m.).
- Spanish-language coverage will feature Spanish-language Emmy nominee Álvaro Martín (play-by-play), analyst and former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning kicker Raul Allegre, NFL Esta Noche hosts Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega, and reporters John Sutcliffe and Ciro Procuna. They will offer daily reports from Sundance Square on Spanish-language editions of SportsCenter and Radio Formula programs, and Los Capitanes throughout Super Bowl week.
ESPN DEPORTES – ESPN DEPORTES RADIO – ESPNDEPORTES.COM
ESPN Deportes will offer the most comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl XLV on Spanish-language television in the U.S. The network will have a team of reporters and commentators in North Texas all week who will present nightly segments of SportsCenter, and live feeds during Los Capitanes and Jorge Ramos y Su Banda. ESPN’s signature Spanish-language NFL news and analysis program, NFL Esta Noche, will air a special Friday edition from Sundance Square with hosts Allegre, Martín, Procuna and Sutcliffe.
ESPN Deportes Radio, the only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network in the U.S., will provide special NFL coverage and commentary on Super Bowl XLV beginning Sunday, January 30 through Sunday, Feb. 6, including on-site coverage during the regularly scheduled weekday programs. In addition, ESPNDeportesRadio.com will provide live audio of ESPN Deportes Radio programs throughout Super Bowl week, as well as highlights of radio’s special coverage. ESPNdeportes.com, the network’s Spanish-language Web site, will provide complete coverage from Texas all week, including the ‘Daily Journal’ developed by Gustavo Fillol, ESPN Deportes’ NFL editor. Sports fans will be able to send questions and comments to ESPN Deportes’ analysts and NFL players. The questions and answers will be posted on ESPNdeportes.com and the network’s social media pages: Facebook (www.facebook.com/ESPNDeportes) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/ESPNDeportes). ESPNDeportes.com’s editor Sebastián Martínez Christensen will provide exclusive video coverage from North Texas. The online coverage will also include blogs, video reports, chats featuring ESPN Deportes’ on-site talent including Martin, Allegre, Lalo Varela, Procuna and Sutcliffe.
ESPN The Magazine
Everything IS BIGGER in Texas: ESPN The Magazine‘s “NEXT” event takes over River Ranch in Fort Worth on Friday, Feb. 4. The private, VIP event will feature a special performance by Kid Rock with DJ sets by Rev Run & DJ Rukus. Handling red carpet VIP Tent interviews for the night will be Snoop Dogg and Nelly. The event celebrates the Magazine’s NEXT issue and showcases what’s NEXT in sports, technology, lifestyle, and, of course, what’s NEXT from ESPN.
On Saturday, Feb. 5, the “NEXT” Ranch will host a tailgate session open to the public. The official Decision Engine of ESPN The Magazine’s 2011 NEXT event, Bing will also be presenting an open-to-the-public panel of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks including Joe Montana, Doug Williams and Kurt Warner at 2 p.m. CT.
ESPN’s Friday Night Fights Presents Super Brawl 2011
ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 will originate from the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena during Super Bowl weekend. The main event on the February 4 Super Brawl 2011 show will feature former world champion and current #8 world ranked junior middleweight Sergio Mora (22-1-2) meeting Fort Worth’s Brian Vera (17-5), whose last fight was a September draw with future boxing Hall-of-Famer Sugar Shane Mosley. Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside calling the action beginning at 9 p.m. Studio host Brian Kenny will also be in Fort Worth, presenting special Super Bowl-related guests and all the latest boxing news and highlights.
*All times ET unless otherwise noted.