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CBS Airs Two College Basketball Games This Weekend

Details of the games are below.

BIG TEN BATTLE BETWEEN MICHIGAN AND OHIO STATE HIGHLIGHTS CBS SPORTS’ COLLEGE BASKETBALL LINE-UP ON SATURDAY, JAN. 28 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 29

CBS Sports’ college basketball schedule continues on Saturday, Jan. 28 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET) with national coverage of *No. 6-ranked Baylor taking on Texas. On Sunday, Jan. 29 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET), CBS Sports broadcasts nationally *No. 4-ranked Ohio State hosts *No. 20-ranked Michigan. 

Verne Lundquist joins CBS Sports’ lead college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg to call the action at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas for the Baylor-Texas contest. Bob Dekas, CBS Sports’ coordinating producer for college basketball, produces and Bob Fishman directs.

Kevin Harlan is joined courtside by Bill Raftery for the call from Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State-Michigan game.  Steve Scheer produces and Bryan Lilley directs.

AT THE HALFÒ, CBS Sports’ halftime studio show, hosted by Tracy Wolfson provides all the day’s news, scores and highlights live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Vin DeVito produces and Jim Cornell directs. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

In addition, CBS Sports will stream the Ohio State-Michigan game, as well as select games from the entire 2011-12 college basketball schedule, live on CBSSports.com. The games are available exclusively on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports Mobile.

That’s it.

NBC Airs 7 Hours of US Figure Skating Championships This Weekend

Throughout the weekend, NBC Sports will have live coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championship from HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. The main event will be the Ladies Free Skate on Saturday night. NBC will have it live at 9 p.m. ET.

Other coverage will be live including the Free Dance on Saturday afternoon and the Men’s Free Skate on Sunday.

Tom Hammond, Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic, Tracy Wilson and Andrea Joyce form the NBC Sports figure skating team. They’ll be on hand for the call of the events.

Universal Sports will also have reairs of NBC’s coverage. Here’s the NBC Sports Group press release.

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS 7 HOURS OF LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2012 U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

“Competing here it is an incredible opportunity to secure your place in history.” – NBC’s Hamilton
“There should be a lot of fireworks in the men’s event.” – NBC’s Hamilton
“USA dance has never been stronger ever in its history than it is now.” – NBC’s Hamilton

NEW YORK – January 26, 2012 – NBC Sports presents seven hours of live coverage of the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships this Saturday (4-6 p.m., ET and 9-11 p.m., ET) and Sunday (3-6 p.m., ET) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Several members of the 2011 U.S. World Team are set to compete, including reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny (Ladies). Richard Dornbush (Men’s) and Ross Miner (Men’s), the current U.S. silver and bronze medalists, respectively, will also compete. Defending pairs champion John Coughlin takes the ice with new partner Caydee Denney. He won last year’s event with former partner Caitlin Yankowskas, while Denney is an Olympian with previous partner Jeremy Barrett. And reigning World champions and 2010 Olympic silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White look for their fourth straight National Championship.

NBC will air seven hours of live coverage, including the senior-level competition in the ladies singles, men’s singles and pairs free skate, with two hours in primetime this Saturday. Additionally, the network will air the two-hour Smuckers Skating Spectacular, an exhibition of champions, on Saturday, Feb. 4.

NBC’s Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), Tracy Wilson (analyst) and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will call the action from the HP Pavilion.

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:

• Saturday, 4-6 p.m. ET – Ladies Short (Tape), Free Dance (Live)
• Saturday, 9-11 p.m. ET – Ladies Free (Live)
• Sunday, 3-6 p.m. ET – Pairs Free (Live), Men’s Free (Live)
• Saturday, Feb. 4, 2-4 p.m. ET – Skating Spectacular – U.S. Figure Skating Exhibition

COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS (RE-AIRS OF NBC’S PROGRAMS)

• Saturday, 7-9 p.m. ET – Ladies Short and Free Dance
• Saturday, 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET – Ladies Free
• Monday, 8 -11 p.m. ET – Men’s Free and Pairs Free

HAMILTON ON WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: “For any kid skating in the U.S. it is a big deal, a huge deal, for whatever level. Being a national champion is being a champion of your country it is a gigantic honor and accomplishment. For a lot of the skaters, competing here it is an incredible opportunity to secure your place in history.”

HAMILTON ON THE COMPETITION
LADIES: “It seems like the ladies championship is always in transition with different skaters rising to the top. Alissa Czisny has established herself as the woman to beat. It will be interesting to see if she will be able to put her injury at the Grand Prix Final in December, behind her.”

MEN: “Jeremy Abbott had a really rough competition last year, coming in 4^th overall, but I think he is the skater to beat this year. There should be a lot of fireworks in the men’s event.”

PAIRS: “There is an interesting story in the pairs competition. Previous champions have retired and their partners have remained. Caydee Denney and John Coughlin are an exciting pair to see, a new pair together, but they are both veterans and U.S. champions with previous partners.”

DANCE: “World champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White are amazing. USA dance has never been stronger ever in its history than it is now.”

That will do it.

UFC on Fox Officially Begins on Saturday

Fox had a brief one fight UFC premiere in November, but on Saturday, the partnership between the two parties begins. Three fights will be seen on Fox starting at 9 p.m. ET with the prelims on Fuel at 5. Chicago’s United Center will be the venue.

Curt Menefee will be the host. Randy Couture and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will join Curt.

As usual, the extremely talkative Mike Goldberg and conspiracy theorist Joe Rogan will be ringside to call the action.

Jay Glazer will be the host for the UFC shows on Fuel.

Light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis will be the main event for the night. We have the Fox Sports press release for you.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

UFC on FOX Officially Begins Partnership with Tripleheader from Chicago Saturday Night

UFC ON FOX TRIPLEHEADER LIVE FROM CHICAGO SATURDAY NIGHT – UFC on FOX officially kicks off  its partnership with a two-hour tripleheader broadcast on Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM ET), live from the United Center in Chicago.  In the night’s main event, former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (21-1-1) takes on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil Davis (9-0-0) to determine the next challenger to the 205-pound title currently held by Jon Jones. The co-main event features middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) battling British star Michael Bisping (23-3-0) for the right to fight champion Anderson Silva.  The action begins with dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia (15-3-0) taking on unbeaten Chris Weidman (7-0-0).  Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan call all the action inside the Octagon and versatile broadcaster Curt Menefee hosts pre- and postfight coverage with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and the aforementioned Jon Jones offering their insights on the action.  During prefight coverage, fans get a special behind-the-scenes look at preparation for their big night in Chicago, including a feature on Rashad Evans as he and his family balance the excitement of being part of the main event in Chicago with the stress and tension of his brother’s impending deployment.

“This is the show that officially starts our deal with FOX and we’re bringing what the fans want – a night packed with great fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re kicking this thing off with an incredible tripleheader. Rashad Evans looked fantastic in his last fight against Tito Ortiz and he wants to get the belt back. But Phil Davis is no joke. He’s undefeated at 9-0 and has stormed through guys like Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson and Rogerio Nogueira. He wants the title shot just as bad as Rashad.”

The weekend’s action kicks off Friday, Jan. 27 (5:00 PM ET) with the live “UFC on FUEL TV: Weigh-in.” Jay Glazer hosts the show while UFC veteran and FUEL TV’s “UFC Tonight” host Kenny Florian steps in as the analyst, commenting on all the activities from Chicago. Two-time MMA Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani interviews fighters backstage. FUEL TV coverage continues Saturday, Jan. 28 (5:00 PM ET) with three hours of live preliminary bouts. Glazer is joined by Florian to introduce the fight, while Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan call the action live inside the Octagon. Helwani will interview fighters live backstage. Following these preliminary matchups on FUEL TV and three main events on FOX Sports, coverage returns to FUEL TV for the post-fight wrap-up show (10:00 PM ET).

History was made in November when the UFC made its broadcast television debut on FOX and a record audience tuned in as challenger Junior dos Santos defeated defending champion Cain Velasquez in a first round knockout to claim the coveted heavyweight crown. More than 5.7 million viewers tuned in to make it the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind on any network since 2003.

FLORIAN:  IT’S TOO EARLY FOR DAVIS TO FIGHT EVANS – FUEL TV’s UFC analyst Kenny Florian doesn’t believe Phil Davis is ready to fight Rashad Evans in the UFC on FOX main event Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00 PM ET) from the United Center in Chicago. “It’s one or two fights too early for Phil Davis to fight Rashad Evans,” said Florian. “Evans’ experience and his ability to put it all together will be the difference. He’s going to win and face [current Light Heavyweight Champ] Jon Jones later this year.” Florian also picks Chael Sonnen over Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman over Demian Maia in the other main card match-ups.

Follow the talent on Twitter at: @jayglazer; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani

DATE	TIME	EVENT	NET
Friday, Jan. 27	5:00 PM	UFC ON FUEL: WEIGH-IN LIVE	FUEL TV
Saturday, Jan. 28	5:00 PM	UFC ON FUEL: PRELIMINARY MATCHES: Dunham vs. Lentz/Russow vs. Einemo Swanson vs. Roop/Oliveira  vs. Wisely Johnson vs. Roller/Beltran vs. Johnson	FUEL TV FOX Deportes
Saturday, Jan. 28	8:00 PM	UFC ON FOX: Maia vs. Weidman Sonnen vs. Bisping Evans vs. Davis	FOX Sports FOX Deportes
Saturday, Jan. 28	10:00 PM	UFC ON FUEL: POST-FIGHT SHOW	FUEL TV

*All times Eastern

That will do it.

NFL Network’s Super Bowl Week Coverage Plans

Ok, NFL Network has come through with another 3,000 plus word press release. This outlines the league-owned sports network’s plans for the entire Super Bowl Week in Indianapolis. It includes the extremely long 8½-hour NFL GameDay Morning pregame show on Super Bowl Sunday, a red carpet on Super Bowl Sunday-eve hosted by Rich Eisen and the lovely Melissa Stark, Super Bowl Media Day, plus NFL GameDay Final immediately following NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast.

In addition, there will live coverage of press conferences all week involving the players, coaches and even Super Bowl halftime performer Madonna. The Madonna press conference will have to be seen because you know she has no clue as to which teams are playing and she’ll say something totally off the wall.

You want the entire NFL Network press release, all 3,053 words? Well here you go.

MORE LIVE SHOWS FROM INDIANAPOLIS & 100+ HOURS OF COVERAGE HIGHLIGHT NFL NETWORK’S SUPER BOWL XLVI PROGRAMMING

LIVE Super Bowl XLVI Media Day Coverage, Super Bowl Live, NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl & 8 ½-Hour NFL GameDay Morning on Super Bowl Sunday
30 On-Air Personalities with Combined 18 Super Bowl Rings Anchor LIVE Coverage from Indianapolis
Super Bowl Champion Packers CB Charles Woodson, Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis, Former Head Coach Jack Del Rio Headline List of Special Guests
Saturday Night Specials – Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Announcement & Debut of Super Bowl Saturday Night – NFL Honors Red Carpet Show Exclusively on NFL Network
Super Bowl XLII & Giants-Patriots Week 9 Game Re-Aired in their Entirety

On the NFL’s biggest stage, NFL Network – the only network dedicated entirely to the sport of football – delivers comprehensive, wall-to-wall coverage of Super Bowl week from Indianapolis. With more than 100 hours of programming featuring 30 on-air personalities with a combined 18 Super Bowl rings, NFL Network is the go-to destination for expert analysis, the latest news and reports, special guest appearances, matchup-related programming and features, and more leading up to Super Bowl XLVI.

Beginning Monday, January 30, NFL Network kicks off from Indianapolis with more than 60 live hours of Super Bowl programming. From live telecasts of original shows such as NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl, Super Bowl Live, NFL GameDay Morning, NFL GameDay Final and The Coaches Show, on-location editions of No Huddle, Playbook and The Rich Eisen Podcast, Super Bowl features and expansive Giants-Patriots-related programming, NFL Network provides all-encompassing inside access to everything inside and outside of Super Bowl XLVI.

“Our fans want more football coverage, analysis and information during Super Bowl week,” said Mark Quenzel, NFL Network senior vice president for production and programming. “Each year we raise the bar with our coverage of the biggest event of the year. We have more Super Bowl rings than ever before, more live Super Bowl shows than ever before and more than 100 hours of programming, including a new Super Bowl Saturday Night Special. We will deliver everything the fans want leading up to when the Giants and Patriots take the field for Super Bowl XLVI.”

On Super Bowl Sunday, February 5 at 9:00 AM ET, NFL Network is LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium with an 8 ½-hour edition of NFL GameDay Morning – the longest and most comprehensive pregame show on television. Host Rich Eisen and analysts Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin are joined by a team of reporters and guest analysts to preview the matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, provide the latest news reports and injury updates, pregame interviews with coaches and special guests, and more. Additionally, Super Bowl champion and 2009 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers joins to offer his insight and analysis.

This year, NFL Network’s Super Bowl coverage features more LIVE on-location shows in the network’s history. New this year is Super Bowl Saturday Night, the one-hour red carpet show hosted by Rich Eisen and Melissa Stark on Saturday, February 5 at 8:00 PM ET, leading up to the inaugural NFL Honors awards show. Additional live shows include the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Announcement on Saturday, February 5 at 5:30 PM ET, The Coaches Show Monday through Friday at 6:30 PM ET, and daily Super Bowl Live and NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl news and information shows.

Anchoring the live Super Bowl programming is an all-star talent roster of 30 on-air personalities who collectively hold 18 Super Bowl rings, 42 Pro Bowl nods and multiple Emmy award nominations. Among the NFL Network roster of talent on-hand in Indianapolis is former three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots Willie McGinest and former New England fullback Heath Evans. Additionally, former Super Bowl champions Deion Sanders, Joe Theismann, Daryl Johnston and Brian Billick offer their experiences participating in the Super Bowl.

Analysts Mike Mayock, Jamie Dukes, Sterling Sharpe, Jay Glazer and Brian Baldinger provide further analysis, while reporters Michael Lombardi, Jason La Canfora, Albert Breer, Steve Wyche, Melissa Stark, Lindsay Soto, Stacey Dales, Steve Cyphers have the city of Indianapolis covered with reports from both team hotels, the Super Bowl Media Center, NFL Experience and additional locations.

Tuesday, January 31 is Super Bowl Media Day at Lucas Oil Stadium and NFL Network brings viewers exclusive live coverage from 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM ET as the New York Giants and New England Patriots face the media. Host Rich Eisen is joined by Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp at the desk, while Deion Sanders and Lindsay Soto roam the scene, providing interviews with players and coaches. Between the Giants and Patriots media sessions, host Scott Hanson and analysts Willie McGinest and Jay Glazer offer further analysis and reflect on their own experiences participating in Media Day.

New this year, Eisen takes his wildly popular The Rich Eisen Podcast on the road for a special Super Bowl television edition on Thursday, February 2 at 12 Midnight ET. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who will call Super Bowl XLVI on NBC, will be on the podcast along with other guests from the NFL and the world of entertainment.

NFL Network presents full game re-airs of the Giants’ victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Tuesday, January 31 at 8:00 PM ET and the teams’ Week 9 meeting this season on Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 PM ET. Additionally, on Friday, February 3, NFL Network re-airs the NFL Films-produced documentaries Brady 6 at 8:00 PM ET and both parts of the critically acclaimed Bill Belichick: A Football Life at 9:00 PM ET.

For the first time, NFL.com is live at the Super Bowl with NFL.com Live at Super Bowl XLVI. Host Dave Dameshek is joined by Adam Rank, Elliot Harrison and Jason Smith live from Radio Row Wednesday through Friday from 1:00 – 4:00 PM ET, providing analysis of the upcoming matchup and interviews with special guests such as New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, actor Adam Sandler and more.

2012 marks NFL Network’s ninth year broadcasting live from the Super Bowl site and with each passing year, the only network dedicated to football continues to raise the bar in providing football fans with the comprehensive, round-the-clock coverage they crave. With NFL Network programming and content available on television and via Verizon mobile devices, football fans are only a click away from all the action in Indianapolis with reports and interviews on NFL.com, and NFL Media personalities will also be sharing Super Bowl week from their unique perspective on Twitter.

Highlights of NFL Network’s Super Bowl XLVI programming will include:

• Monday, January 30 through Saturday, February 5 at 7:00 PM ET, NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl recaps the day’s action, provides the latest news reports, features on-air appearances by special guests and breaks down the key matchups leading up to kickoff of Super Bowl XLVI. Hosts Andrew Siciliano and Kara Henderson anchor the show from the NFL Experience.
• Super Bowl Live airs Monday, January 30 from 2:00 – 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 1 & Thursday, February 2 from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET, and Friday, February 3 from 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM ET from the NFL Experience and Super Bowl Media Center with up-to-the-minute reports, analysis and interviews.
• Super Bowl Saturday Night, one-hour red-carpet show on Saturday, February 4 at 8:00 PM ET leading up to the inaugural NFL Honors awards show on NBC. Rich Eisen and Melissa Stark report from the red carpet at the Murat Theater.
• Live 8 ½-hour NFL GameDay Morning pregame show beginning at 9:00 AM ET on Super Bowl Sunday from Lucas Oil Stadium and the pregame tailgate at NFL Experience. The longest pregame show on television also includes live reports from both team hotels and Super Bowl Village.
• 90 minutes of NFL GameDay Final post-Super Bowl coverage live from Lucas Oil Stadium, featuring postgame analysis, interviews with players and coaches, and players from the winning team on-set.
• Four-and-a-half hours of exclusive live coverage from Super Bowl Media Day at Lucas Oil Stadium Tuesday, January 31, beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
• NFL-related press conferences live, including team arrivals, player availability, AFC & NFC head coach press conferences (Friday, February 3), Madonna Super Bowl halftime entertainment press conference Thursday, Feb. 2 at 2:00 PM ET, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year press conference Friday, Feb. 3 at 9:00 AM ET, Don Shula Coach of the Year press conference Friday, Feb. 3 at 9:15 AM ET and Commissioner Goodell’s Super Bowl press conference Friday, Feb. 3 at 11:30 PM ET.
• Rich Eisen takes his wildly popular The Rich Eisen Podcast on road to Indianapolis with a special on-location television edition on Thursday, February 2 at 12 Midnight ET. Guests include Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who will call Super Bowl XLVI on NBC.
• Super Bowl champions Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp and Willie McGinest discuss and debate all of the hot topics leading up to the big game in front of a live-audience on No Huddle Thursday, February 2 at 10:00 PM ET.
• Four episodes of The Coaches Show Tuesday, January 31 through Friday, February 3 at 6:30 PM ET LIVE from the NFL Media Center featuring Brian Billick, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis (Tuesday & Wednesday) and former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio (Thursday & Friday).
• Three episodes of Playbook from the NFL Experience in Indianapolis on Wednesday, February 1 through Friday, February 3 at 6:00 PM ET with Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger, and Joe Theismann providing X-O analysis on the game plan using all-22 game film and insight straight from the players.
• Exclusive Pro Football Hall of Fame Announcement Show in primetime, Saturday, February 4 at 5:30 PM ET.
• On Tuesday, January 31, re-live two classic Super Bowls with a complete game re-air of Super Bowl XLII between the Giants and Patriots at 8:00 PM ET & complete game re-air of Super Bowl XXXVI between the Patriots and St. Louis Rams at 12 Midnight ET.
• The Giants’ Week 9 victory over the Patriots airs in its entirety Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 PM ET.
• On Wednesday, February 1 at 12 Midnight ET, The NFL Season: A Biography concludes with a one-hour edition, followed by Sound FX: Best of the 2011 Season.
• Re-live the previous 45 Super Bowls on Saturday, February 4 at 10:00 PM ET on Sound FX: Super Bowls I-XLV, featuring the best on-field sights and sounds from every game.
• Live coverage from AFC team and NFC team hotels, including the Patriots’ arrival on Sunday, January 29 and the Giants’ arrival on Monday, January 30.
• On Friday, February 3, NFL Network re-airs the NFL Films-produced documentaries Brady 6 at 8:00 PM ET and both parts of the critically acclaimed Bill Belichick: A Football Life at 9:00 PM ET.

Guest scheduled to appear on NFL Network:

• Tuesday, Jan. 31 – Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on The Coaches Show
• Wednesday, Feb. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on The Coaches Show
• Thursday, Feb. 2 – Former head coach Jack Del Rio on The Coaches Show
• Friday, Feb. 3 – Former head coach Jack Del Rio on The Coaches Show
• Sunday, Feb. 5  - Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson as special Guest analyst on NFL GameDay Morning

***More Guests Announced During Super Bowl Week

NFL Network & NFL.com Super Bowl Talent    Twitter handle

Brian Billick	Analyst	@CoachBillick	1 Super Bowl ring
Heath Evans	Analyst	@heathevans	1 Super Bowl ring
Marshall Faulk	Analyst	@marshallfaulk	1 Super Bowl ring
Michael Irvin	Analyst		3 Super Bowl ring
Daryl Johnston	Analyst	@DarylJohnston	3 Super Bowl rings
Michael Lombardi	Analyst	@michaelombardi	1 Super Bowl rings
Willie McGinest	Analyst	@WillieMcGinest	3 Super Bowl rings
Deion Sanders	Analyst	@DeionSanders	2 Super Bowl ring
Warren Sapp	Analyst	@QBKilla	1 Super Bowl ring
Joe Theismann	Analyst	@Theismann7	1 Super Bowl ring
Kurt Warner	Analyst	@kurt13warner	1 Super Bowl ring
Brian Baldinger	Analyst
Albert Breer	Reporter	@AlbertBreer
Fran Charles	Host	@fran_charles
Steve Cyphers	Reporter
Stacey Dales	Reporter	@StaceyDales
Jamie Dukes	Analyst	@jamiedukes
Rich Eisen	Host	@richeisen
Alex Flanagan	Host	@Aflanny
Jay Glazer	Analyst	@Jay_Glazer
Scott Hanson	Reporter	@hansonscott
Kara Henderson	Host	@KaraHenderson
Jason La Canfora	Reporter	@JasonLaCanfora
Steve Mariucci	Analyst	@SteveMariucci
Mike Mayock	Analyst
Sterling Sharpe	Analyst
Andrew Siciliano	Host	@AndrewSiciliano
Lindsay Soto	Host	@lindsaysoto
Melissa Stark	Reporter
Steve Wyche	Reporter	@wyche89

Detailed Day-by-Day Coverage (all times ET):

Monday, January 30
8:00 AM – Game of the Week: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers – Super Bowl XXXVIII
9:00 AM – Game of the Week: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl XXXIX
10:00 AM – America’s Game: 1986 New York Giants
11:00 AM – America’s Game: 1990 New York Giants
12 NOON – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots
1:00 PM – America’s Game: 2004 New England Patriots
2:00 PM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE

• New York Giants team arrival
• Team availability (3:30 PM ET)
• Team availability (4:30 PM ET)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowls
9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Teams That Didn’t Win the Super Bowl
10:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Players to Never Have Played in a Super Bowl
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl Classic: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills – Super Bowl XXI
3:00 AM – America’s Game: 1990 New York Giants

Tuesday, January 31
9:00 AM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium
9:30 AM – Super Bowl XLVI Media Day: New England Patriots availability – LIVE
11:00 AM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium
12 NOON – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New York Giants availability – LIVE
1:30 PM – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New England Patriots availability – ENCORE
3:00 PM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – ENCORE
4:00 PM – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New York Giants availability – ENCORE
5:30 PM – America’s Game: 2007 New York Giants
6:30 PM – The Coaches Show – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Super Bowl Classic: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – Super Bowl XLII
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl Classic: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams – Super Bowl XXXVI
3:00 AM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

Wednesday, February 1
8:00 AM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE coverage of New England Patriots & New York Giants team availability
11:00 AM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE from NFL Experience & Super Bowl Media Center

• Player of the Year announcement

6:00 PM – Playbook
6:30 PM – The Coaches Show – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Full Game Re-Air: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – Week 9, 2011
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – The NFL Season
1:00 AM – Sound FX: Best of 2011 Season
2:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Biggest Upsets
3:00 AM – Playbook
3:30 AM – Sound FX: Bill Belichick

Thursday, February 2
8:00 AM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE coverage of New England Patriots & New York Giants team availability
11:00 AM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE from Super Bowl Media Center

• Madonna press conference

6:00 PM – Playbook
6:30 PM – The Coaches Show – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Super Bowl Commercials
9:00 PM – Game of the Week: New England Patriots at New York Giants – Week 17, 2007
10:00 PM – No Huddle
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – The Rich Eisen Podcast
12:30 AM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots
1:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowl Performances
2:00 AM – No Huddle
3:00 AM – Playbook
3:30 AM – Sound FX: Michael Strahan

Friday, February 3
8:00 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast
8:30 AM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE coverage of Super Bowl press conferences

• New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick press conference
• NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year press conference
• NFL Don Shula Coach of the Year press conference
• New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin press conference
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell press conference

12:30 PM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE from Super Bowl Media Center
6:00 PM – Playbook
6:30 PM – The Coaches Show – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Brady 6
9:00 PM – Bill Belichick: A Football Life – Part I
10:00 PM – Bill Belichick: A Football Life – Part II
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl Classic: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – Super Bowl XLII
3:00 AM – Playbook
3:30 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast

Saturday, February 4
7:00 AM – No Huddle
8:00 AM – Bill Parcells: A Life in Football
9:30 AM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots
10:00 AM – Brady 6
11:00 AM – Playbook
12 NOON – Super Bowl Commercials
1:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowls
2:00 PM – Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
2:30 PM – NFL Replay: New York Giants at New England Patriots – Week 9, 2011
5:00 PM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE from Super Bowl Media Center
5:30 PM – Hall of Fame Announcement Show: Class of 2012 – LIVE from Super Bowl Media Center
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Super Bowl Saturday Night – LIVE from Murat Theater
9:00 PM – Playbook
10:00 PM – Sound FX: Super Bowls I-XLV
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl
12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Honors
2:00 AM – Full Game Re-Air: New York Giants at New England Patriots – Week 9, 2011

Sunday, February 5
9:00 AM – NFL GameDay Morning – LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium
5:30 PM – NFL Follies: The New Year Mis-Tackular
6:30 PM – NFL GameDay StatZone
10:00 PM – NFL GameDay Final – LIVE split edition from Lucas Oil Stadium and NFL Network Los Angeles studios

That will do it.

Weekend Viewing Picks

Saturday, January 28

College Basketball Viewing Picks

College Football
2012 Senior Bowl, Mobile AL
North vs. South — NFL Network, 4 p.m.

College Hockey
Maine at Boston University — CBS Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at St. Cloud State — Fox Sports North, 8 p.m.
Wisconsin at North Dakota — Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus, 8 p.m.

FA Cup
Queens Park Rangers vs. Chelsea — Fox Socer Plus, 6:55 a.m.
Liverpool vs. Manchester United — Fox Soccer, 7:30 a.m.

4th Round
Leicester City vs. Swindon — Fox Soccer Plus, 9:55 a.m.
Derby County vs. Stoke City — Fox Soccer, 10 a.m.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Newcastle United — Fox Soccer, noon

Figure Skating
U.S. Figure Skating Championships, San Jose, CA
Ladies Short Program/Free Dance — NBC, 4 p.m.
Ladies Free Skate — NBC, 9 p.m.

Golf
European PGA Tour: Abu Dhabi Championship, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 4 a.m.
PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, 3rd Round — Golf Channel, 1 p.m./CBS, 3 p.m.

Mixed Martial Arts
UFC: Evans vs. Davis Prelims — Fuel, 5 p.m.
UFC: Evans vs. Davis — Fox, 8 p.m.

Motor Sports
24 Hours of Daytona — Speed, 2:30 p.m.

NBA
Sacramento at Utah — NBA TV, 9 p.m.

NHL
2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition, Ottawa, Canada
Team Alfredsson vs. Team Chara — NBC Sports Network/CBC, 7 p.m.

2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Preview — NHL Network, 4 p.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Recap — NHL Network, 10 p.m.

Skiing
FIS Alpine World Cup, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Women’s Downhill — Universal Sports, 11 a.m. (same day coverage)

FIS Alpine World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Men’s Downhill — Universal Sports, 2 p.m. (same day coverage)

Tennis
Australian Open, Women’s Final: Victoria Azarenka vs. Maria Sharapova — ESPN2, 3:30 a.m.
Australian Open, Men’s Doubles Final: Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan vs. Leander Paes/Radek Stepanek — Tennis Channel, 5:30 a.m.

Entertainment
Giada at Home: Game Day Favorites — Food Network, 11:30 a.m.
French Food at Home: Cooking for One — Cooking Channel, noon
Ultimate Factories: Frito Lay — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
The Fades — BBC America, 9 p.m.
Namath — HBO, 9 p.m.
48 Hours Mystery: A Fatal Attraction — CBS, 10 p.m.
Iron Chef America: Tailgate Showdown — Food Network, 10 p.m.
An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List: Trans-Siberian Express — Discovery Science, 10 p.m.
The Graham Norton Show — BBC America, 10:15 p.m.
Would You Rather with Graham Norton? — BBC America, 11 p.m.

Sunday, January 29

College Basketball Viewing Picks

FA Cup
Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough — Fox Soccer Plus, 8:30 a.m.
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa — Fox Soccer, 11 a.m.

Figure Skating
U.S. Figure Skating Championships, San Jose, CA
Pairs Free Skate/Men’s Free Skate — NBC, 3 p.m.

Golf
European PGA Tour: Abu Dhabi Championship, Final Round — Golf Channel, 4 a.m.
PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, Final Round — Golf Channel, 1 p.m./CBS, 3 p.m.

Motor Sports
24 Hours of Daytona — Speed, 9 a.m.

NBA
Chicago at Miami — ABC, 3:30 p.m.
San Antonio at Dallas — ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

NFL
2012 Pro Bowl, Honolulu, HI
AFC vs. NFC — NBC, 7 p.m.

NFL Total Access: 2012 NFL Pro Bowl Pregame — NFL Network, 4 p.m.

NHL
2012 NHL All-Star Game, Ottawa, Canada
Team Alfredsson vs. Team Chara — CBC/NBC Sports Network, 4 p.m.

NHL Tonight: 2012 NHL All-Star Game Preview — NHL Network, 1 p.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 NHL All-Star Game Edition — NHL Network, 7 p.m.

Olympics
CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Soccer Qualifying Tournament, Vancouver, Canada
Final
NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.

Skiing
FIS Alpine World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Men’s Super G — Universal Sports, 11 a.m. (same day coverage)

FIS Alpine World Cup, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Women’s Super Combined/Giant Slalom — Universal Sports, 2 p.m. (same day coverage)

Tennis
Australian Open, Mixed Doubles Final — Tennis Channel, 12:30 a.m.
Australian Open, Men’s Final: Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic — ESPN2, 3 a.m.

Track & Field
MSG U.S. Open — ESPN2, 7 p.m.

Entertainment
CBS News Sunday Morning — CBS, 9 a.m.
10 Dollar Dinners with Melissa: Big Buffalo, Ten Bills — Food Network, 9 a.m.
60 Minutes — CBS, 7 p.m.
Once Upon A Time — ABC, 8 p.m.
18th Annual Screen Actor Guild Awards — TBS, 8 p.m.
Downton Abbey — PBS, 9 p.m.
Luck (series premiere) — HBO, 9 p.m.
Shameless — Showtime, 9 p.m.
Drugs, Inc.: Pill Nation — National Geographic Channel, 9 p.m.
Snapped: Courtenay Savage — Oxygen, 9 p.m.
House of Lies — Showtime, 10 p.m.
Alaska State Troopers: Storm of the Century — National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.
Californication — Showtime, 10:30 p.m.

ESPN Plans Three-Ring Circus For Super Bowl Week

Well, not really, but after reading this long press release from ESPN, you think that’s what the network is staging for its programming from Indianapolis all next week for the Super Bowl.

Not only do you have the Mothership sending Chris Berman to cover his 30th Big Game plus a whole slew of analysts, but you have an outdoor set in downtown Indy situated near Lucas Oil Stadium where Super Bowl XLVI is being played, several ESPN talk shows like SportsNation originating from there, ESPN Radio shows like Mike and Mike will be live.

There’s a carnival act that will be on hand as well. That I’m not kidding about.

Check out the over 2,300-word press release from ESPN.

ESPN at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis

110+ Hours of Television and Radio Programming
25+ On-air Commentators with 19 Super Bowl Rings
30^th Super Bowl for Host Chris Berman

ESPN’s live coverage leading up to Super Bowl XLVI begins Monday, Jan. 30, at 6 a.m. ET from Pan American Plaza in Indianapolis and continues through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, when the New England Patriots face the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium. Highlights:

• More than 110 hours of television and radio programming;
• More than 25 on-air commentators (hosts, analysts, reporters and contributors) on site in Indianapolis – in all, an analyst team of former players and coaches with a combined 19 Super Bowl rings in 29 appearances in the NFL’s biggest game;
• Content across 18 ESPN platforms: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS HD, ESPN Deportes HD, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine, WatchESPN, and ESPN Mobile properties; and
• Super Bowl XLVI aired live in more than 68 million households in 162 countries and territories via ESPN International.

All shows originating from Pan Am Plaza will be available for free public viewing. The on-site operation includes:

• A 62-by-40-foot outdoor set, enclosed in glass and overlooking Lucas Oil Stadium;
• A 24-by-48-foot demo field;
• Aerial views via a “flycam” that spans 300 feet and is suspended 30 feet in the air;
• Two 16-by-9-foot LED screens for fan viewing of ESPN’s on-site programs; and
• Two pod camera locations at Pan Am Plaza that showcase the downtown skyline, Union Station and the stadium.

New in 2012:

• Themed SportsCenter Specials (M-F, 3-4 p.m., ESPN): Host Steve Levy and NFL Insiders John Clayton, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter discuss the latest league news Monday and Tuesday; Mike Tirico, Trent Dilfer and Merril Hoge discuss safety and head injuries Wednesday; the Monday Night Football team of Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski preview the Super Bowl matchup Thursday; and, on Friday, ESPN’s Super Bowl champion analysts – Tedy Bruschi, Dilfer, Mike Ditka, Gruden, Keyshawn Johnson, Jerry Rice, Mark Schlereth and Steve Young – talk with Tirico about playing in the NFL’s title game.
• SC Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm (Tues., Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., ESPN2): ESPN’s Hannah Storm conducts one-on-one interviews in this one-hour special with some of the NFL season’s biggest newsmakers: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton, Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, and Colts owner Jim Irsay.
• Bill Parcells’ Super Bowl Confidential (Wed., Feb. 1, 7 p.m., ESPN): Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells discusses all facets of the Super Bowl with Tirico, drawing upon his more than 30 years of experience, including leading both the Giants (1986 and 1990) and Patriots (1996) to the Super Bowl, and his relationships with this year’s head coaches, Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick, both of whom he mentored when they served as assistant coaches on his teams.
• NFL32 (M-F, 6 p.m., ESPN2), which debuted in September, is a social media-driven NFL discussion show featuring host Suzy Kolber, NFL Insider Mortensen and a rotating cast of ESPN analysts and guests while engaging with fans via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
• NFL Kickoff (Friday, 7-9 p.m., ESPN2) with host Trey Wingo, and NFL analysts Bruschi and Schlereth. The show will cover team news, strategies, and injuries.
• NFL Live expanded to one hour this year (previously 30 minutes) and will air daily from Indianapolis during Super Bowl week with host Wingo, and a rotating cast of ESPN NFL analysts (M-F, 4-5 p.m., ESPN).
• SportsNation (M-F, 5-6 p.m., ESPN2) will originate from ESPN’s demo field with hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd. Two acts that will be part of the show all week: the Blue Monkey Sideshow carnival act for SN’s ‘Halftime Show’ and Indy’s own “The Twin Cats” will be the show’s official house band.

Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5 A special Sunday 6-10 a.m. edition of Mike & Mike from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios can be heard and/or watched on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN2 (6-9 a.m.) and ESPNEWS (9-10 a.m.). The show will provide a comprehensive live game-day preview of the Super Bowl in addition to Mike & Mike’s best interviews from Super Bowl week in Indianapolis. Mike Tirico will host SportsCenter from Lucas Oil Stadium the morning of the Super Bowl (9-10 a.m., ESPN) with analysts Merril Hoge, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski. Covering his 30th Super Bowl, Chris Berman will host the special four-hour Super Bowl edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) from Pan Am Plaza with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, and Keyshawn Johnson. The Monday Night Football team of Tirico, Gruden and Jaworski will join the crew from Lucas Oil Stadium, with Super Bowl champions Tedy Bruschi, Trent Dilfer, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will also contribute reports. Reporters Rachel Nichols (covering the Giants) and Ed Werder (Patriots) will provide team updates. Postgame coverage on ESPN includes Berman, Jackson and Young on NFL Primetime (10:30-11:30 p.m.), followed by Stuart Scott, Steve Levy, Carter, Dilfer, and Johnson on SportsCenter (11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.).

ESPN Programming
Throughout Super Bowl week, a host of ESPN studio shows will originate from Pan Am Plaza in Indianapolis. The schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	Show	Network
Mon, Jan. 30 – Thurs, Feb. 2	6-10 a.m.	Mike & Mike in the Morning	ESPN Radio/ESPN2
	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	SportsCenter AM	ESPN
	10 a.m.-1 p.m.	The Herd with Colin Cowherd	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	1-4 p.m.	Scott Van Pelt Show	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	3-4 p.m.	SportsCenter Special	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live	ESPN
	5-6 p.m.	SportsNation	ESPN2
	5-6 p.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
	6-7 p.m.	NFL 32	ESPN2
	8-9 p.m.	ESPN International coverage
	9-10 p.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
Fri, Feb. 3	6-10 a.m.	Mike & Mike in the Morning	ESPN Radio/ESPN2
	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	SportsCenter AM	ESPN
	10 a.m.-1 p.m.	The Herd with Colin Cowherd	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	1-2 p.m.	NFL Semanal	ESPN Deportes
	1-4 p.m.	Scott Van Pelt Show	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	3-4 p.m.	SportsCenter Special	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live	ESPN
	5-6 p.m.	SportsNation	ESPN2
	5-6 p.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
	6-7 p.m.	NFL 32	ESPN2
	7-9 p.m.	NFL Kickoff	ESPN2
	10-11 p.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
Sat, Feb. 4	10-11 a.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
	1-2:30 p.m.	ESPN International coverage
	6-7 p.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
Sun, Feb. 5	9-10 a.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN
	10 a.m.-2 p.m.	Sunday NFL Countdown	ESPN
	10:30-11:30 p.m.	NFL Primetime	ESPN
	11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.	SportsCenter	ESPN

Note: Interview segments for First Take, Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption and other ESPN programs will also originate from Indianapolis.

ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio will air more than 50 hours of live programming from Indianapolis prior to Super Bowl XLVI.

Super Bowl Week: Monday, Jan. 30-Friday, Feb. 3
ESPN Radio’s weekday Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m.), The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m.-1 p.m.), The Scott Van Pelt Show (1-4 p.m.), and co-host Mark Schlereth’s half of Hill & Schlereth (7-10 p.m.), co-hosted by Mike Hill in Bristol, will originate from Indianapolis during Super Bowl week.

Mike & Mike with co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, and The Herd with Cowherd, will be open for public viewing at ESPN’s main set in Pan Am Plaza, surrounded by the NFL Super Bowl Village events. Van Pelt, with Ryen Russillo, and Schlereth, will broadcast their shows from the adjacent Pan Am Building. Mike & Mike is simulcast on ESPN2, while The Herd and Van Pelt are simulcast on ESPNEWS. All shows are streamed live on ESPN.com and available via ESPN Podcast.

Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5:
A special Sunday 6-10 a.m. edition of Mike & Mike from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios can be heard and/or watched on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN2 (6-9 a.m.) and ESPNEWS (9-10 a.m.). The show will provide a comprehensive live game-day preview of the Super Bowl in addition to Mike & Mike’s best interviews from Super Bowl week in Indianapolis.

ESPNRadio.com will carry ESPN Radio programming live.

ESPN.com
ESPN.com will provide complete reporting and analysis of the game, teams, players, coaches and the entire Super Bowl scene from Indianapolis on Page 1 and the main NFL page, as well as on the 2012 edition of Super Bowl Central. ESPN.com will also present chats with ESPN.com writers and others, as well as video reports throughout the week.

ESPN’s roster of journalists will be on hand, including senior NFL writer John Clayton, as well as Adam Schefter, Ashley Fox, Elizabeth Merrill, the NFL Blog Network and Scouts Inc. They will provide insight, commentary, breaking news and analysis of all facets of the Super Bowl XLVI matchup. Other highlights:

• NFL Any Era team: ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine put together a 20-member panel of Pro Football Hall of Famers to select an NFL Any Era team — current players who the stars of yesterday most admire for their toughness, grit and skill. ESPN.com will reveal four players a day, culminating with the final four on Friday, Jan. 27. The presentation includes a video roundtable with Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, John Randle and James Lofton, as well as a video interview with the No. 1 player;
• Interactive presentation Inside a Moment in Time takes readers inside John Elway’s famous “Helicopter Run” in Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers. The presentation has video interviews with Elway, Rod Smith, Eugene Robinson and more;
• Road to Indy blog: reports from ESPN.com’s blog network;
• Complete coverage of Media Day, where users can interact with bloggers on the scene;
• Super Bowl rings presentation highlighting one player from each of the 45 teams who have earned Super Bowl rings; and
• In-depth analysis, scouting reports and rankings of all 106 players on the Super Bowl rosters from Scouts Inc.

ESPN Mobile will provide fans on-the-go with alerts, 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 XLVI live to more than 68 million households in 162 countries and territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Brazil, 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, Portuguese and Spanish. Highlights:

• The game will be seen in HD in Australia, Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean;
• ESPN International’s SportsCenter production team will report throughout the week to Latin America and throughout the Pacific Rim;
• ESPN Latin America will also air daily editions of NFL Semanal;
• ESPN Brazil will air live the pre-game Abre o Jogo Super Bowl XLVI directly from Lucas Oil Stadium, along with a dedicated live Twittcam @espnagora behind the scenes and commentary from on-air duo Everaldo Marques and Paulo Antunes;
• Live coverage on Super Bowl Sunday in Latin America will begin at 3 p.m. with an extended pregame: NFL Esta Noche: Previo Super Bowl XLVI EN VIVO, followed by the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI at 6 p.m.; and
• Spanish-language Emmy nominee and play-by-play announcer Álvaro Martín, analyst and former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning kicker  Raúl Allegre, NFL Esta Noche hosts Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega, and reporters John Sutcliffe, Goga Ruiz and Ciro Procuna will report daily on Spanish-language editions of SportsCenter, Radio Formula, Nacion ESPN and Los Capitanes.

ESPN DEPORTES
ESPN Deportes will offer the most comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl XLVI on Spanish-language television in the U.S. The network will have a team of reporters and commentators in Indianapolis all week for nightly segments on SportsCenter and live feeds during Los Capitanes and Nación ESPN. Additionally, ESPN’s signature Spanish-language NFL news and analysis program, NFL Esta Noche, will air a special Saturday edition from Indianapolis 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 Super Bowl reporting beginning Sunday, January 29. It will be heard during the regularly scheduled weekday programs ESPN Al Despertar, Zona ESPN and two special editions of the NFL show El Ultimo Pase.

ESPNdeportes.com, the Spanish-language Web site, will provide complete reporting and highlights from Indianapolis all week, including daily Cover It Live chats with ESPN Deportes’ on-site commentators, including Álvaro Martin, Raúl Allegre, Lalo Varela, Ciro Procuna and John Sutcliffe.

Spanish-language fans can also follow the action via social media on the network’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Extensive coverage of Super Bowl week will also include fan polls, blogs, video reports, chats and exclusive video.

espnW
Kate Fagan will report daily from the Super Bowl for espnW.com starting Monday, Jan. 30. She will cover a variety of topics including Media Day and will preview Madonna’s much anticipated halftime show.

*All times ET unless otherwise noted.

And next, we have another over 3,000-word press release from NFL Network on its plans for next week. Keep it here.

College Basketball Viewing Picks For 01/28 & 01/29/2012, All Times Eastern

Men’s schedule courtesy of Matt’s College Sports on TV

Saturday, January 28

College GameDay live from Tucson, AZ — ESPNU, 10 a.m./ESPN, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.

11 a.m.
Ball State at Ohio — ESPNU

noon
Wake Forest at Clemson — ACC Network
Hofstra at Northeastern — Comcast SportsNet New England/MSG Plus/The Comcast Network
St. John’s at Duke — ESPN
Marquette at Villanova — ESPN2

Women’s: Notre Dame at St. John’s — Big East Network: MASN/Root Sports Pittsburgh/SNY

12:30 p.m.
Women’s: Kansas State at Oklahoma State — Fox Sports Net (national)

1 p.m.
Texas at Baylor — CBS
West Virginia at Syracuse — ESPNU
George Washington at Fordham — YES

Women’s: St. Bonaventure at LaSalle — CBS Sports Network

1:30 p.m.
Texas Tech at Missouri — Big 12 Network
Arkansas at Alabama — SEC Network
Mississippi State at Florida — SEC Network

2 p.m.
St. Louis at UMass — A-10 Network: Comcast SportsNet New England/CSS
James Madison at George Mason — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Delaware at Drexel — The Comcast Network

2:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Maryland — ACC Network

3 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Morehead State — ESPNU
Tulsa at SMU — Fox Sports Net (national)

Women’s: Purdue at Iowa — Big Ten Network

3:30 p.m.
Wyoming at Boise State — the mtn.

4 p.m.
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech — Big 12 Network
William & Mary at Old Dominion — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/Comcast SportsNet New England/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/CSS
Georgetown at Pittsburgh — ESPN
Purdue at Northwestern — ESPN2
Colorado at UCLA — Fox College Sports Pacific/Fox Sports Prime Ticket
San Diego State at Colorado State — NBC Sports Network
Kentucky at LSU — SEC Network

5 p.m.
Colgate at Holy Cross — CBS Sports Network
Northern Iowa at Illinois State — ESPNU
Washington State at Arizona State — Fox College Sports Atlantic/Root Sports Northwest/Fox Sports Arizona

Women’s: Rice at Houston — Fox Sports Net (national)

5:30 p.m.
Women’s: Western Kentucky at Florida International — Fox College Sports Central

6 p.m.
Cincinnati at Rutgers — Big East Network: Altitude/Fox Sports Ohio/MASN/SNY
Auburn at Tennessee — ESPN2
TCU at New Mexico — the mtn.

7 p.m.
URI at Dayton — Cox Sports RI
Washington at Arizona — ESPN
Butler at Wisconsin-Green Bay — ESPNU
Xavier at Charlotte — Fox College Sports Atlantic/Fox Sports Ohio
South Carolina at Mississippi — Fox Sports Net (regional)

Women’s: Oregon at Oregon State — Fox Sports Net (national)

7:30 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Florida International — Fox College Sports Central

8 p.m.
Louisville at Seton Hall — Big East Network: MASN/SNY
Illinois at Minnesota — Big Ten Network
Virginia at NC State — ESPN2
UNLV at Air Force — the mtn.

9 p.m.
St. Mary’s at BYU — ESPNU
Wichita State at Drake — Fox College Sports Central/Comcast SportsNet Chicago/Fox Sports Midwest

9:30 p.m.
Fresno State at New Mexico State — WAC Sports Network/Fox Sports Arizona Plus

10 p.m.
Hawaii at Idaho — ESPN Plus

11 p.m.
Cal State-Fullerton at Long Beach State — ESPNU
Utah at USC — Fox College Sports Pacific/Fox Sports Prime Ticket

Sunday, January 29

noon
Notre Dame at UConn — Big East Network: Altitude/Bright House/Cox Sports Television/MASN/SNY
New Hampshire at Vermont — CBS Sports Network

Women’s: Marshall at Tulane — Fox Sports Net (national)

1 p.m.
Miami (FL) at Boston College — ACC Network
Michigan at Ohio State — CBS

Women’s: Ohio State at Minnesota — Big Ten Network
Women’s: NC State at Virginia Tech — Fox Sports Net (regional)

1:30 p.m.
Women’s: Rutgers at Georgetown — ESPNU

2 p.m.
Women’s: Charlotte at Temple — CBS Sports Network
Women’s: Iowa State at Texas A&M — Fox Sports Net (national)
Women’s: Auburn at Mississippi — Fox Sports Net (regional)

3 p.m.
Women’s: Penn State at Michigan State — ESPN2

3:30 p.m.
Women’s: Florida State at Virginia — ESPNU

4 p.m.
Women’s: UCLA at Colorado — Fox Sports Net (national)

5 p.m.
Women’s: Tennessee at Georgia — ESPN2

6 p.m.
Iowa at Indiana — Big Ten Network
Georgia Tech at North Carolina — ESPNU

6:30 p.m.
Oregon State at Oregon — Fox Sports Net (national)

8 p.m.
Indiana State at Evansville — ESPNU

8:30 p.m.
Stanford at Cal — Fox Sports Net (national)

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Basketball
Men’s
Iona at Fairfield — ESPNU, 7 p.m.
Boston University at Fairfield — ESPNU, 9 p.m.

College Hockey
Colgate at Cornell — CBS Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
Yale at Harvard — NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
New Hampshire at Boston College — NESN, 7:30 p.m.
St. Cloud State at Minnesota — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Wisconsin at North Dakota State — Fox College Sports Central/Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus, 8:30 p.m.

FA Cup
Watford vs. Tottenham Hotspur — Fox Socer Plus, 2:40 p.m.
Everton vs. Fulham — Fox Soccer, 3 p.m.

Golf
European PGA Tour: Abu Dhabi Championship, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 3 a.m.
PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, 2nd Round — Golf Channel, 3 p.m.

Mixed Martial Arts
UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit — FX, 11 p.m..

MLB
Clubhouse Confidential — MLB Network, 5:30 p.m.
Hot Stove Live — MLB Network, 6 p.m.

NBA
New York at Miami — ESPN, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Golden State — NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.

NHL
2012 NHL All-Star Media Day — NHL Network, 3 p.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 NHL All-Star Media Day Recap — NHL Network, 6 p.m.

Olympics
CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Soccer Qualifying Tournament, Vancouver, Canada
Semifinal
United States vs. Costa Rica — Universal Sports, 8 p.m.

Sports Talk
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV)/Fox Sports Net, 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
The Scott Van Pelt Show — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
NBC SportsTalk — NBC Sports Network, 6 p.m.
CNBC Sports Biz: Game On! — NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.

Tennis
Australian Open, Men’s Semifinal: Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray — ESPN2, 3:30 a.m.

Australian Open Today — Tennis Channel, 6 a.m.

Entertainment
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Friends and Enemies — Cartoon Network, 8 p.m.
Alaska Wing Men: Grizzly 911 — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Primetime: What Would You Do? — ABC, 9 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted — Lifetime (The Network That Hates Men), 9 p.m.
On Freddie Roach — HBO, 9:30 p.m.
Portlandia: Grover — Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.
20/20 — ABC, 10 p.m.
Dateline NBC — NBC, 10 p.m.
Spartacus: Vengeance (season premiere) — Starz, 10 p.m.

NBC Kicks Off Super Bowl Week With the 2012 Pro Bowl From Hawaii

NBC starts Super Bowl Week with the airing of the 2012 Pro Bowl live from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI. Calling the game live will be Dan Hicks and Mike Mayock. Doug Flutie (!), coming over from NBC Sports Network, joins Hicks and Mayock in the booth. Roaming the sidelines will be Alex Flanagan and Randy Moss (the white bald guy, not the former NFL wide receiver).

Bob Costas, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison will be seen live during halftime doing the studio segment live from the NBC Sports Super Bowl set in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Five quarterbacks will be wired for live sound and so will linebacker Ray Lewis. Plenty of stuff to attract viewers on Sunday.

We have the press release from NBC Sports.

NBC SPORTS’ SUPER BOWL WEEK KICKS OFF WITH LIVE PRIMETIME COVERAGE OF 2012 NFL PRO BOWL, SUNDAY 7 P.M. ET

Bob Costas, Tony Dungy & Rodney Harrison Host Pre-Game, Halftime and Post-Game Coverage from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Site of Super Bowl XLVI
Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Ray Lewis Will Wear Microphones Throughout the Game
Access to Coach/QB Radio Transmissions Highlight NBC’s Production

NEW YORK – January XX, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI Week on NBC begins this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with the NFL’s top stars competing in the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. The NFL’s All-Star Game will take place once again at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii and is the signature event to start the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, to be played between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 5, on NBC.

Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Mike Mayock and Doug Flutie (analysts), Alex Flanagan and Randy Moss (sideline reporters) call the action from Aloha Stadium.

Football Night in America’s Bob Costas, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage from inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI.

The 43-man teams are comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus five specialists, including a long snapper. The AFC All-Star team will be led by Gary Kubiak and the coaches from the Houston Texans while Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers’ coaching staff will guide the NFC Pro Bowl squad.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees lead the NFC against the NFL’s leading rusher Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.

PRO BOWL PRODUCTION ELEMENTS: Five quarterbacks in the game – Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Cam Newton and Philip Rivers, along with Ray Lewis – will wear microphones during the game. In addition, NBC will have access to coach-quarterback radio transmission and will deploy its ‘stedi-cam’ operator into the teams’ huddles.

NBC Sports’ Notre Dame Football producer Rob Hyland, who worked as the Sunday Night Football replay producer for three years under SNF producer Fred Gaudelli, will produce the game. Artie Kempner, who directs NFL games for NFL Network and Fox, and who directed Super Bowl XLII, will direct.

NBC AND THE PRO BOWL: Sunday’s broadcast marks fourth time ever and the second time in three years that NBC has broadcast the Pro Bowl. The last NBC broadcast of the Pro Bowl was the week after Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009. Prior to that NBC’s last Pro Bowl broadcast was on Jan. 20, 1974 from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City when the AFC, coached by then Raiders coach and former NBC analyst John Madden, defeated the NFC 15-13 on five Garo Yepremian field goals. Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis called the game for NBC. The only other time the Pro Bowl was on NBC was two years earlier, on Jan. 23, 1972, when the AFC defeated the NFC 26-13. That game took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

PRO BOWL STARTERS:

AFC OFFENSE
QB — Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
RB — Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
FB — Vonta Leach, Ravens
WR — A.J. Green, Bengals
WR — Mike Wallace, Steelers
TE — Antonio Gates, Chargers
T — Joe Thomas, Browns
T — D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets
G — Ben Grubbs, Ravens
G — Marshal Yanda, Ravens
C — Nick Mangold, Jets

AFC DEFENSE
DE — Elvis Dumerville, Broncos
DE — Dwight Freeney, Colts
DT — Haloti Ngata, Ravens
DT — Richard Seymour, Raiders
OLB — Tamba Hali, Chiefs
OLB — Von Miller, Broncos
ILB — Ray Lewis, Ravens
CB — Darrell Revis, Jets
CB — Champ Bailey, Broncos
FS — Ed Reed, Ravens
SS — Eric Weddle, Chargers

AFC SPECIAL TEAMS
P — Shane Lechler, Raiders
K — Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders
KR — Antonio Brown, Steelers
ST — Montell Owens, Jaguars

NFC OFFENSE
QB — Aaron Rodgers, Packers
RB — LeSean McCoy, Eagles
FB — Michael Robinson, Seahawks
WR — Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
WR — Steve Smith, Panthers
TE — Jimmy Graham, Saints
T — Jason Peters, Eagles
T — Joe Staley, 49ers
G — Jhari Evans, Saints
G — Carl Nicks, Saints
C — Ryan Kalil, Panthers

NFC DEFENSE
DE — Jared Allen, Vikings
DE — Jason Babin, Eagles
DT — Justin Smith, 49ers
DT — Jay Ratliff, Cowboys
OLB — DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
OLB — Clay Matthews, Packers
ILB — Patrick Willis, 49ers
CB — Charles Woodson, Packers
TBA
FS — Earl Thomas, Seahawks
SS — Adrian Wilson, Cardinals

NFC SPECIAL TEAMS
P — Andy Lee, 49ers
K — David Akers, 49ers
KR — Patrick Peterson, Cardinals
ST — Corey Graham, Bears

That will do it.

Hannah Storm Gets Her Own Interview Special on ESPN

Next Tuesday, ESPN will air a one-hour interview special hosted by SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm. During the special, Hannah talks with four of the biggest newsmakers in the NFL, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

Hannah speaks to each man in relaxed settings such as a restaurant, a park, a training facility and a museum.

The special airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, January 31 on ESPN2.

Not only do we have the press release, but we also have some pictures and a video preview. Not bad, huh? Here’s the press release with some pictures.

SportsCenter Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm

In-depth interviews with Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Ndamukong Suh and Jim Irsay; Airs Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Before the 2011 NFL season culminates with Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, SportsCenter Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm (Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2) will highlight some of the biggest newsmakers of the year in pro football. The one-hour special’s long-format interviews will offer a personal look inside some of the sport’s biggest stars, as well as the team owner hosting Super Bowl XLVI, who is also facing the biggest decision of the NFL offseason:

Hannah interviews Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the local restaurant in Green Bay where he has eating every week since his rookie season.

• Aaron Rodgers – The Green Bay Packers star quarterback and favorite for the 2011 NFL MVP takes Storm to historic Lambeau Field and to the local restaurant where he has eaten every week since his rookie season. During their far-ranging conversation, Rodgers discusses how his life has changed since last year’s Super Bowl title, how he handled the Brett Favre transition, his pranks, his personal life and what he wants his legacy to be.

Hannah talks with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton at Welcome All Park in the Atlanta area where Newton played football during his childhood.

• Cam Newton – The Carolina Panthers quarterback and leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year in his only national television interview of the season visits Welcome All Park in the Atlanta area where he played football during his childhood. Newton talks about the difficulties he encountered this season and apologizes for his behavior after a loss to the divisional rival Falcons, his hometown team. He also discusses at length the criticism aimed at him prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, as well as the pay-for-play investigation of his father during his final season at Auburn.

Hannah (l) interviews Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh in the weight facility he funded at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

• Ndamukong Suh – The Detroit Lions dominating defensive lineman tours his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with Storm, where he shows her the weight room facility he funded. In the only in-depth one-on-one interview since his Thanksgiving Day stomping incident, Suh discusses what happened in detail that day and in other incidents involving Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler. He speaks openly about his private meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and addresses the criticism directed towards him. He talks about being labeled ‘the NFL’s dirtiest player’ and how he plans to change that image by bringing the Lions back to prominence and by continuing to be among the most charitable athletes in sports.

Hannah with Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay at the Indiana State Museum.

• Jim Irsay – In a rare sit-down, the Colts owner and CEO shares his personal collection with Storm, which is on display at the Indiana State Museum through Super Bowl. Items include Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” scroll and a collection of rare guitars – including one given to him by Steve Stills that he plays a rendition of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.” The outspoken Irsay talks about the franchise’s decisions regarding Peyton Manning’s future and how the team will handle the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He also delves into his often painful childhood, the relationship with his father, Bob Irsay, and his own battle with addiction.

“This is a project I’m very passionate about and one I’ve wanted to do for several years; it’s a classic format that offers fans a more intimate look at their favorite sports stars beyond the statistics and labels that are often used to define them,” said Storm. “It was revealing to see some of the biggest names in the NFL open themselves up, both in our interviews and by taking our ESPN cameras to places that were very personal to them. I think that viewers will walk away understanding how complex and fascinating each of these highly accomplished four men are.”

And here’s the video preview.

That will do it.

Almost 23 Million People Listened to the NFL Conference Championship Gamess

Dial Global, the owner of Westwood One Radio and the national rightsholder of the National Football League, says 22.9 million people listened to the AFC and NFC Championship Games.

A study conducted for Dial Global found a majority listened to the games on terrestrial radio, but also through satellite radio and via the Verizon NFL Mobile app.

This study was conducted via telephone surveys. I’m not sure how the research determined that 22.9 million people listened, but there’s a formula to calculate this.

Here’s the press release.

Nearly 23 Million Tune Into The AFC/NFC 2012 NFL Playoffs On The Radio

– In the first study of its kind, radio broadcasts of NFL games are found to attract a vast number of listeners –

NEW YORK, NY, January 24, 2012 –  Dial Global (NASDAQ: DIAL), announced today that 22.9 million people tuned in to hear radio broadcasts of the Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots AFC Championship and New York Giants vs. San Francisco Forty-Niners NFC Championship games on Sunday, January 22, 2012.

Dial Global, which broadcasts nearly 100 NFL games and exclusively broadcasts all NFL primetime games, the Playoffs and the Super Bowl to a national audience, commissioned the study which was conducted by Edison Research. The study also found that the overwhelming majority of listeners tuned in to the games via AM or FM radio; alternative methods of listening included Sirius XM and the Verizon Mobile App.

The Edison Research study is the first ever of its kind, designed to accurately measure the number of people that tuned in to hear NFL conference championship broadcasts and make this information available within two days of the event’s conclusion.  According to this one-night poll, an estimated 22.9 million people listened to either or both of the NFL conference championship games on the radio this past Sunday.  The national survey was conducted via live telephone interviews by Edison Research on January 23^rd, 2012.

“This type of focused study and strategic attention to the business exemplify our commitment to being the most innovative and service focused company in the industry supporting our affiliates and advertisers.” said David Landau, Co-President CEO of Dial Global.

“People think of football as a television-only event.  This survey shows that in addition, many millions of people are seeking out coverage of the games on the radio,” said Larry Rosin, Edison Research President.  “The overwhelming majority of radio listeners to the games listened on AM or FM radio, but the survey did show usage of Sirius XM and the Verizon Mobile App as alternative methods to listen to the games.”

The survey’s findings highlight the continued demand for radio broadcast coverage of live events, including live sporting events. Dial Global is the network radio home to some of the biggest, most widely-followed sports in America including: NFL Football, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball and The Final Four, The Masters Tournament, MRN/NASCAR Radio and the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London.

That’s it.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

College Basketball
Men’s
Navy at Lehigh — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
NC State at North Carolina — ESPN, 7 p.m.
Florida at Mississippi — ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Nebraska at Iowa — ESPNU, 7 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic — Fox College Sports Pacific, 7 p.m.
Fresno State at Louisiana Tech — WAC Sports Network, 7 p.m.
William & Mary at James Madison — Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic/The Comcast Network, 8 p.m.
New Jersey Institute of Technology at North Dakota — Fox College Sports Atlantic, 8 p.m.
South Dakota at Oral Roberts — Fox College Sports Central, 8 p.m.
Washington at Arizona State — Fox College Sports Pacific/Fox Sports Arizona/Root Sports Northwest, 8:30 p.m.
Indiana at Wisconsin — ESPN2, 9 p.m.
Boston College at Virginia — ESPNU, 9 p.m.
Hawaii at Utah State — ESPN Plus, 9 p.m.
Nevada at New Mexico State — WAC Sports Network, 9 p.m.
Utah at UCLA — Fox College Sports Pacific/Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket, 10:30 p.m.
Washington State at Arizona — Fox Sports Net (national), 10:30 p.m.
Gonzaga at Portland — ESPN2, 11 p.m.

Women’s
Illinois at Michigan State — Big Ten Network, 6 p.m.
Ohio State at Indiana — Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga — CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

College Football
2012 Senior Bowl Practice — NFL Network, 11 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

College Sports
A Memorial for Joe Paterno — Big Ten Network, 2 p.m.
Joe Paterno Memorial — ESPN/ESPNU, 2 p.m.

Golf
European PGA Tour: Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, 1st round — Golf Channel, 4 a.m.
PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, 1st round — Golf Channel, 3 p.m.

MLB
Clubhouse Confidential — MLB Network, 5:30 p.m.
Hot Stove Live — MLB Network, 6 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Braves vs. Marlins — MLB Network, 9 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Brewers vs. Nationals — MLB Network, 9:30 p.m.

NBA
Boston at Orlando — TNT, 8 p.m.
Memphis at Los Angeles Clippers — TNT, 10:30 p.m.

Inside the NBA — TNT, 1 a.m.

NFL
The Rich Eisen Podcast — NFL Network, noon
2012 AFC Pro Bowl Practice — NFL Network, 2:30 p.m.
2012 NFC Pro Bowl Practice — NFL Network, 4 p.m.

NHL
NHL Live From the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft — NHL Network, 5 p.m.
2012 NHL Player All-Start Fantasy Draft Preview — NHL Network, 7 p.m.
2012 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft Preshow — NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
2012 NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft Preview Special — TSN, 7:30 p.m.
2012 NHL Fantasy Draft — NBC Sports Network/TSN, 8 p.m.
NHL Tonight: All-Star Fantasy Draft Recap — NHL Network, 9:30 p.m.

Sports Talk
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV)/Fox Sports Net, 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
The Scott Van Pelt Show — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
NBC SportsTalk — NBC Sports Network, 6 p.m.

Tennis
Australian Open, Men’s Semifinal: Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal — ESPN2, 3:30 a.m.
Australian Open, Mixed Doubles Semifinals and Women’s Doubles Final: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci vs. Svetlana Kutznetsova/Vera Zvonareva — Tennis Channel, 11:30 p.m.

Entertainment
The Big Bang Theory — CBS, 8 p.m.
The Fireball of Christ — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
The Finder — Fox, 9 p.m.
Mark Zuckerberg: Inside Facebook — CNBC, 9 p.m.
Archer — FX, 10 p.m.
Conan — TBS, 11 p.m.
Inside Comedy: Jerry Seinfeld; Don Rickles (series premiere) — Showtime, 11 p.m.
Beach Heat: Miami — Showtime, 11:30 p.m.

NFL Network’s Super Bowl Programming Through Next Tuesday

Ok, let’s provide the programming schedule for NFL Network. This is a 3,107 word press release which goes into detail about the shows you’ll see on NFL Network from now until the first part of Super Bowl Week.

Amazing about the wordage, but I pass this along to you so you can scroll at your leisure.

The programming includes wraparound shows for the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, an NFL Films Super Bowl marathon throughout the weekend and the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

Here’s the programming guide.

NFL NETWORK & NFL.COM PROGRAMMING NOTES (1/25 – 1/31)
NFL NETWORK’S SUPER BOWL XLVI PROGRAMMING FEATURES RE-AIR OF SUPER BOWL XLII & PATRIOTS-GIANTS WEEK 9 GAME

Exclusive Coverage of the Senior Bowl Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4:00 PM ET
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock Unveils Top 5 Draft Prospects at Each Position
Alec Baldwin, Ray Rice, Carson Daly, Mike Mayock, Michael Strahan & Warren Sapp Featured on One-Hour Edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast Thursday, Jan. 26 at 12 Noon ET
Marshall Faulk, Fran Charles & Tom Waddle Anchor NFL Network’s Pro Bowl Practice Coverage from Hawaii

NFL Network Travels to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI with More Super Bowl Rings, More Live Super Bowl Shows & More than 100 Hours of Coverage

NFL Network travels to Indianapolis for its ninth year of providing comprehensive coverage of the Super Bowl. Beginning on Monday, January 30, NFL Network provides more live Super Bowl shows and more than 100 hours of programming – including more than 60 hours of LIVE coverage.

Additionally, NFL Network’s all-star roster of 30 on-air personalities has a combined 18 Super Bowl rings, providing the commentary and insight only former Super Bowl champions can offer.

Beginning Monday, January 30, NFL Network kicks off from Indianapolis with more than 60 live hours of Super Bowl programming. From live telecasts of original shows such as NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl, Super Bowl Live, NFL GameDay Morning, NFL GameDay Final and The Coaches Show, on-location editions of No Huddle, Playbook and The Rich Eisen Podcast, Super Bowl features and expansive Giants-Patriots-related programming, NFL Network provides all-encompassing inside access to everything inside and outside of Super Bowl XLVI.

Highlights of NFL Network’s Super Bowl XLVI programming will include:

• Andrew Siciliano and Kara Henderson host NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl Monday, January 30 through Saturday, February 5 at 7:00 PM ET, live from the NFL Experience.
  • Super Bowl Live airs Monday, January 30 from 2:00 – 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 1 & Thursday, February 2 from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET, and Friday, February 3 from 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM ET from the NFL Experience and Super Bowl Media Center with up-to-the-minute reports, analysis and interviews.
  • Full game re-airs of Giants-Patriots in Super Bowl XLII Tuesday, January 31 at 8:00 PM ET and Giants-Patriots Week 9 game Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 PM ET.
    • Super Bowl-champions Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp and a special guest discuss and debate all of the hot topics leading up to the big game in front of a live-audience on No Huddle Thursday, February 2 at 10:00 PM ET.
    • Super Bowl Saturday Night, one-hour red-carpet show on Saturday, February 4 at 8:00 PM ET leading up to the inaugural NFL Honors awards show on NBC. Rich Eisen and Melissa Stark report from the red carpet at the Murat Theater.
    • Live 8 ½-hour edition of NFL GameDay Morning on Super Bowl Sunday at 9:00 AM ET from Lucas Oil Stadium. Super Bowl champion CB for the Green Bay Packers Charles Woodson joins as a special guest.

Exclusive Coverage of the Senior Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4:00 PM ET

NFL Network’s ‘Path to Primetime’ 2012 NFL Draft programming continues with exclusive coverage of the Senior Bowl Saturday, January 28 at 4:00 PM ET. Paul Burmeister provides the play-by-play, while Mike Mayock and Charles Davis serve as game analysts. Heath Evans and Rebecca Haarlow provide reports from the sidelines at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

Coverage begins at 3:30 PM ET with the NFL Total Access Senior Bowl Pregame show.

For the seventh consecutive year, NFL Network serves as the home of the Senior Bowl practices and game, providing wall-to-wall coverage of the collegiate all-star game and practices.

Below is the remaining schedule of NFL Network’s live coverage of Senior Bowl practices:

Wednesday, January 25
10:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Day 3 Recap

Thursday, January 26
11:00 AM – 2012 Senior Bowl Practice: Day 4 – North Team
5:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Practice: Day 4 – South Team
10:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Day 4 Recap

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock Unveils Top 5 Draft Prospects at Each Position

With the 2012 NFL Draft three months away, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock unveils his top five draft prospects at each position.

Quarterback
1. Andrew Luck – Stanford
2. Robert Griffin III – Baylor
3. Ryan Tannehill – Texas A&M
4-5. Not specified

Running Back
1. Trent Richardson – Alabama
2. David Wilson – Virginia Tech
3. Lamar Miller – Miami (FL)
4. Doug Martin – Boise State
5. LaMichael James – Oregon

Wide Receiver
1. Justin Blackmon – Oklahoma State
2. Michael Floyd – Notre Dame
3. Kendall Wright – Baylor
4. Alshon Jeffery – South Carolina
5. Chris Givens – Wake Forest

Tight End
1. Dwayne Allen – Clemson
2. Coby Fleener – Stanford
3. Orson Charles – Georgia
4. Ladarius Green – Louisiana-Lafayette
5. Michael Egnew – Missouri

Tackle
1. Riley Reiff – Iowa
2. Matt Kalil – USC
3. Jonathan Martin – Stanford
4. Mike Adams – Ohio State
T-5. James Brown – Troy
T-5. Zebrie Sanders – Florida State

Interior Offensive Linemen
1. David DeCastro – Stanford
2. Peter Konz – Wisconsin
3. Kevin Zeitler – Wisconsin
4. Cordy Glenn – Georgia
5. Kelechi Osemele – Iowa State

Defensive End
1. Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. Melvin Ingram – South Carolina
3. Whitney Mercilus – Illinois
4. Nick Perry – USC
T-5. Chandler Jones – Syracuse
T-5. Andre Branch – Clemson

Defensive Tackle
1. Devon Still – Penn State
2. Jerel Worthy – Michigan State
3. Michael Brockers – LSU
4. Brandon Thompson – Clemson
T-5. Fletcher Cox – Mississippi State
T-5. Dontari Pope – Memphis

Linebacker
1. Courtney Upshaw – Alabama
2. Luke Kuechly – Boston College
3. Dont’a Hightower – Alabama
4. Zach Brown – North Carolina
5. Vontaze Burfict – Arizona State

Cornerback
1. Morris Claiborne – LSU
2. Janoris Jenkins – North Alabama
3. Alfonzo Dennard – Nebraska
4. Leonard Johnson – Iowa State
5. Dre Kirkpatrick – Alabama

Safety
1. Mark Barron – Alabama
2. Harrison Smith – Notre Dame
3. George Iloka – Boise State
4. Markelle Martin – Oklahoma State
T-5. Janzen Jackson – McNeese State
T-5. Antonio Allen – South Carolina

To view Mayock’s list, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/09000d5d82648f38/article/early-positionbyposition-rankings-for-2012-nfl-draft?module=HP11_hot_topics

Alec Baldwin, Ray Rice, Carson Daly, Mike Mayock, Warren Sapp & Michael Strahan on First-Ever One-Hour Television Edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast Thursday, January 26 at 12 Noon ET – Available for Download on NFL.com & iTunes

On Thursday, January 26 at 12 Noon ET, the first-ever one-hour television edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast airs on NFL Network, featuring a star-studded guest list. It is now available for download on NFL.com and iTunes.

Actor and the host of the inaugural NFL Honors awards show on NBC the night before the Super Bowl, Alec Baldwin, appears on the podcast. The native New Yorker talks about the New York Giants facing the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in five years, hosting the NFL Honors awards show and an encounter he had with Roger Staubach.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice via Team Cam to the podcast to speak with Eisen about his team’s loss in the AFC Championship Game, his future in Baltimore and more.

NBC’s Carson Daly joins Eisen in-studio to discuss his favorite team the Oakland Raiders, trying out for the U.S. Open and the latest with his television show, The Voice. Daly also plays audio of a number of voices of NFL players and coaches that Eisen has to correctly identify.

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock appears via satellite from Mobile, Alabama where NFL Network is providing exclusive coverage of the Senior Bowl practices and game. Mayock talks about the players that have caught his attention as the talent evaluation portion of the schedule has begun, as well as break down the upcoming matchup in Super Bowl XLVI.

Former Super Bowl-champion defensive end for the New York Giants Michael Strahan joins Eisen and NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp for a conversation and to re-live an old NFL Network segment.

Finally, a portion of Eisen’s interview with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady prior to Week 1 is re-aired.

The television edition of this week’s podcast re-airs on NFL Network on Sunday, January 29 at 7:00 PM ET.

To download the latest editions of NFL.com’s six podcasts, visit the NFL.com podcast page:
http://www.nfl.com/podcast.

THIS WEEK ON PLAYBOOK

Friday 8:00 PM ET – New England Patriots with Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger and Matt Millen

• Sterling Sharpe on how the Giants will try to beat the Patriots at their own game
• Joe Theismann goes into the film room to explain how the Patriots use their two tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez
• Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty breaks down the Patriots’ man and zone defenses
• 2:00 Warning – Who on the Patriots offense will be the biggest matchup problem for the Giants?

Friday 8:30 PM ET – New York Giants with Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger and Matt Millen

• Sterling Sharpe on who needs to step up on offense for the Giants
• Joe Theismann goes into the film room to explain how the Giants use play-action pass
• Giants offensive tackle David Diehl sits down with Brian Baldinger to break down New York’s run-blocking schemes
• 2:00 Warning – Who on the Giants offense will be the biggest matchup problem for the Patriots?

Marshall Faulk, Fran Charles & Tom Waddle Anchor NFL Network’s Pro Bowl Practice Coverage Thursday, Jan. 26 & Saturday, Jan. 28 — NFL Total Access Pro Bowl Pregame Show Sunday, Jan. 29 at 4:00 PM ET

Before the top players from both conferences, NFL Network provides exclusive coverage of the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl squad practices. Seven-time Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk joins Fran Charles and Tom Waddle for NFL Network’s coverage of Pro Bowl practices.

On Thursday, January 26 at 2:30 PM ET, Faulk, Charles and Waddle report from the AFC team practice at Hickman Air Force Base on the island of O’ahu, followed by coverage of the NFC team practice at 4:00 PM ET.

NFL Network’s Pro Bowl practice coverage continues on Saturday, January 28 at 1:30 PM ET.

Coverage includes mic’d up sound of players and coaches, players going through drills and interviews with the participants.

On Sunday, January 29 at 4:00 PM ET, the NFL Total Access Pro Bowl Pregame Show takes viewers right up to kickoff of the NFL’s all-star game on NBC at 7:00 PM ET.

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times listed are ET)

Wednesday, January 25
10:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Day 3 Recap
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access
12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Replay: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – 2011 NFC Championship Game
2:30 AM – Sound FX: Michael Strahan

Thursday, January 26
11:00 AM – 2012 Senior Bowl Practice: Day 4 – North Team – LIVE
12 NOON – The Rich Eisen Podcast
1:00 PM – Sound FX: Michael Strahan
1:30 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances
2:30 PM – Pro Bowl Practice: AFC at Hickman AFB – LIVE
4:00 PM – Pro Bowl Practice: NFC at Hickman AFB – LIVE
5:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Practice: Day 4 – South Team – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access
8:00 PM – Sound FX: Championship Sunday
8:30 PM – NFL Replay: New York Giants at New England Patriots – Week 9, 2011
10:00 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots
10:30 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl Day 4 Recap
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access
12 MIDNIGHT – Pro Bowl Practice: AFC at Hickman AFB
1:30 AM – Pro Bowl Practice: NFC at Hickman AFB
3:00 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast

Friday, January 27
10:00 AM – Sound FX: Championship Sunday
10:30 AM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots
11:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowls
12 NOON – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowl Performances
1:00 PM – 2006 Pro Bowl Skills Challenge
3:00 PM – 2007 Pro Bowl Skills Challenge
5:00 PM – NFL Films Presents: Sounds of the Season 2011
5:30 PM – NFL Replay: New York Giants at New England Patriots – Week 9, 2011
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access
8:00 PM – Playbook: New England Patriots
8:30 PM – Playbook: New York Giants
9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Teams That Didn’t Win the Super Bowl
10:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access
12 MIDNIGHT – Playbook: New England Patriots
12:30 AM – Playbook: New York Giants
1:00 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast
2:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances

Saturday, January 28
8:00 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast
9:00 AM – NFL Films Presents: Sounds of the Season 2011
9:30 AM – Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
10:00 AM – Super Bowl II: Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders
10:30 AM – Super Bowl III: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts
11:00 AM – Super Bowl IV: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Minnesota Vikings
11:30 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Rookie Seasons
12:30 PM – Playbook: New England Patriots
1:00 PM – Playbook: New York Giants
1:30 PM – Pro Bowl Practice – LIVE
3:30 PM – NFL Total Access Senior Bowl Pre-Game Show
4:00 PM – 2012 Senior Bowl – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access
8:00 PM – Super Bowl VI: Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins
8:30 PM – Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins
9:00 PM – Super Bowl VIII: Miami Dolphins vs. Minnesota Vikings
9:30 PM – Super Bowl IX: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings
10:00 PM – Super Bowl X: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
10:30 PM – Super Bowl XI: Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings
11:00 PM – Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos
11:30 PM – Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Rams
12:30 AM – Super Bowl XV: Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1:00 AM – Super Bowl XVI: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1:30 AM – Super Bowl XVII: Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins
2:00 AM – Super Bowl XVIII: Los Angeles Raiders vs. Washington Redskins
2:30 AM – Super Bowl XIX: San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins
3:00 AM – Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots
3:30 AM – Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos
4:00 AM – Super Bowl XXII: Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos
4:30 AM – Super Bowl XXIII: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
5:00 AM – Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos
5:30 AM – Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills

Sunday, January 29
6:00 AM – Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills
6:30 AM – Super Bowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
7:00 AM – Super Bowl XVIII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
7:30 AM – Super Bowl XXIX: San Francisco 49ers vs. San Diego Chargers
8:00 AM – Super Bowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
8:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers vs. New England Patriots
9:00 AM – Super Bowl XXXII: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
9:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXIII: Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons
10:00 AM – Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans
10:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants
11:00 AM – Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams
11:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders
12 NOON – Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
12:30 PM – Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1:00 PM – Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks
1:30 PM – Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
2:00 PM – Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
2:30 PM – Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
3:00 PM – Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
3:30 PM – Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
4:00 PM – NFL Total Access Pro Bowl Pregame Show
7:00 PM – The Rich Eisen Podcast
8:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances
9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Rookie Seasons
10:00 PM – Sound FX: Championship Sunday
10:30 PM – NFL Total Access Pro Bowl Postgame Show
11:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
12:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1:00 AM – Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
1:30 AM – Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams
2:00 AM – Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills
2:30 AM – Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos
3:00 AM – NFL Total Access Pro Bowl Postgame Show
4:00 AM – Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
4:30 AM – Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
5:00 AM – Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
5:30 AM – Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Monday, January 30
8:00 AM – Game of the Week: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers – Super Bowl XXXVIII
9:00 AM – Game of the Week: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl XXXIX
10:00 AM – America’s Game: 1986 New York Giants
11:00 AM – America’s Game: 1990 New York Giants
12 NOON – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots
1:00 PM – America’s Game: 2004 New England Patriots
2:00 PM – Super Bowl Live – LIVE

• New York Giants team arrival
• Team availability (3:30 PM ET)
• Team availability (4:30 PM ET)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Super Bowl XLVI – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Super Bowls
9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Teams That Didn’t Win the Super Bowl
10:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Players to Never Have Played in a Super Bowl
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Super Bowl XLVI
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl Classic: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills – Super Bowl XXI
3:00 AM – America’s Game: 1990 New York Giants

Tuesday, January 31
9:00 AM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium
9:30 AM – Super Bowl XLVI Media Day: New England Patriots availability – LIVE
11:00 AM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – LIVE from Lucas Oil Stadium
12 NOON – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New York Giants availability – LIVE
1:30 PM – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New England Patriots availability – ENCORE
3:00 PM – Super Bowl Live: Media Day – ENCORE
4:00 PM – Super Bowl XLV Media Day: New York Giants availability – ENCORE
5:30 PM – America’s Game: 2007 New York Giants
6:30 PM – The Coaches Show – LIVE
7:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Super Bowl XLVI – LIVE from NFL Experience
8:00 PM – Super Bowl Classic: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – Super Bowl XLII
11:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Super Bowl XLVI
12 MIDNIGHT – Super Bowl Classic: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams – Super Bowl XXXVI
3:00 AM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

And that does it.

In the Super Bowl XLVI Preview Issue of Sports Illustrated

In this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, the weekly sports magazine previews Super Bowl XLVI. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is on the cover and you can see what else is in the print and tablet issues.

Super Bowl XLVI, Rematch of Super Bowl XLII: Patriots Vs. Giants

A Legend Dies in the Midst of Controversy – Joe Paterno: 1926 – 2012.
Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski Sat With Paterno During His Final Days

Seton Hall Forward Herb Pope Has Cheated Death Twice and Now Has His Eye on March Madness and the NBA Draft
Same Old Clippers? Not Anymore, L.A. Is Up for Grabs
Winnipeg May Be a Small Market, but Its Hockey Love Has the Feel of a Big City

(NEW YORK – Jan. 25, 2012) – Following their triumph in the AFC Championship Game, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots appear on the cover of this week’s Jan. 30, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands today. This is the 27^th time the Patriots have appeared on the cover. They last appeared on the Jan 9, 2012 issue.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: ONE MORE FOR MYRA – DAMON HACK (@SI_DamonHack)

During the off-season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft lost his wife, Myra, to cancer. She was an extended mother to the players and her loss deeply affected the entire franchise. After the Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC championship, in thrilling fashion, Kraft spent some time by himself, choked up by emotions from both the win and for not being able to share the victory with his “sweetheart.” The players felt the emotion as well (page 38):

• Said WR Deion Branch: “Mr. Kraft has done a great job keeping himself together. I can’t even fathom how the guy is feeling right now, for us to have an opportunity to play for another Super Bowl without his better half. It’s special, but at the same time it’s bittersweet.”
• Said LB Brandon Spikes: “I told Mr. Kraft I was going to leave it all on the field for Myra. I personally wanted to come out and get that game for her and for him. I told him not to worry about a thing.”

On the Tablet: AFC Championship Game photo slideshow.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN – PETER KING (@SI_PeterKing)

The NFC Championship Game had the feel of old school football, defense, defense and more defense. The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers battled through four quarters and into overtime. The game ended with a winning overtime field goal from Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, eerily similar to his game winning in the ’07 NFC Championship Game. As the Giants press on, much of the credit  for their playoff run can be given to the strong bond between head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning (page 33):

Coughlin notes, “Eli’s just so….so….reliable. Totally reliable. Trustworthy. Smart. Tremendously hardworking. Consistent as the day is long. What I love about him is, I know what he’s doing 365 days a year. He’s doing something that will help us win football games.”

On the Tablet: NFC Championship Game photo slideshow and Peter King video on his final NFL thoughts as we head toward Super Bowl XLVI.

JOE PATERNO (1926 – 2012) – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)

He was the winningest coach in major college football, an advocate for doing things the right way in intercollegiate athletics and an iconic American sports figure—until an error in judgment clouded his legacy. Joe Paterno died on Sunday Jan 23 after battling lung cancer for some time. He arrived at Penn State in 1950 and leaves behind a school and community that he helped build. During his 62 years there, not only the football team but also, the university became a national power. His legacy has been scarred over the final months of his life because of the scandal of former friend and Penn State defensive coordinator Gerry Sandusky. As senior writer Tim Layden writes, “Now his legacy is in history’s hands” (page 56).

Senior writer Joe Posnanski spent time with Paterno during his final weeks of life, talking about his time as a young boy in Brooklyn, his days in the Army and his legacy at Penn State, the glory and the dark days that marked the end of his time with the University he helped build. Posnanski says it hurt Joe that the program he had spent his life building was in trouble. Paterno told Posnanski (page 58):

• “I made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I thought people could see that I tried my best to do the right things. I tried to do the right thing with Sandusky too.”
• “It doesn’t matter what people think of me, I’ve lived my life. I just hope the truth comes out. And I hope the victims find peace.”

On the Tablet: Podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden and senior editor Richard Deitsch.

THE BLESSED LIVES OF HERB POPE – PABLO TORRE (@SIPabloTorre)

Seton Hall senior forward Herb Pope is leading the school’s resurgent men’s basketball team toward its first NCAA tournament in six years and he has a strong chance of being picked in the NBA draft. But his greatest accomplishment is he has twice escaped death, once as a senior at Aliquippa High in Pennsylvania where he was shot five times coming home from a party and again in April ’10 when Pope collapsed in Walsh Gymnasium at Seton Hall University after his heart stopped because of a blocked artery. Each time Pope was rushed to the hospital and each time, doctors saved his life in the emergency room (page 52).

Pope had pondered leaving for the NBA draft following his sophomore year but after his second near death experience, he stayed at Seton Hall. This season, his game and his draft status have improved. Says Pope, “You know how some people say they love their school? Well, Seton Hall saved my life.”

FINALLY IT’S HIP TO BE A CLIP- LEE JENKINS (@SI_LeeJenkins)

For the first time since 1979, when then commissioner Larry O’Brien stripped the Clippers of three of their best players because of free-agent compensation, the Lakers’ little brothers are finally relevant in Los Angeles, thanks to current commissioner David Stern. Since the controversial acquisition of Chris Paul, the Clippers are the hot ticket in town with local television ratings up 150% and prices of tickets on the secondary market up 50% to 75%, all because players and fans now have a reason to believe in their team (page 44).

Clippers point guard Chauncey Billups says: “I was skeptical of all this, but you look at the facility, the coach, the guys on the team, they’re serious. They don’t want to be the same old Clippers anymore.”

On the Tablet: Photo slide show of the 1970s Los Angeles Clippers.

EVERYBODY HATES LOVES WINNIPEG – MARK BECHTEL (@SI_MarkBechtel)

When the Winnipeg Jets left in town in 1995, there was a gaping hole within their community. Fans longed to have a franchise back in their relatively small city, and when it was announced this past May that the Atlanta Thrashers were moving to Winnipeg, season tickets were sold out in 17 minutes. Hockey is back, and the fans and players couldn’t be happier (page 48).

Says Jets star forward Evander Kane, “What I learned in Atlanta is that football is Number 1, when your sport is the Number 1 thing going, it’s fun to be a part of.”

On the Tablet: Clip from HBO Canada Series Less Than Kind and video of “One Great City” performed by The Weakerthans.

NHL PLAYERS POLL

Which goalie could drop the pads and skate a shift if needed? (page 15)

1. Mike Smith, Coyotes….19%
2. Martin Brodeur, Devils….17%
3. Pekka Rinne, Predators….9%
4. Carey Price, Canadiens….8%
5. Ray Emery, Blackhawks….5%

[Based on 189 NHL players who responded to SI’s survey]

FAST FACTS: Smith can clearly do it all: He is the only netminder in history to have a shutout, score a goal and receive a fighting major in the same game….Brodeur is one of only two NHL goalies to have scored a goal in the regular season and in the playoffs.

SCORECARD: IN THE GAME, SWINGING AWAY – MICHAEL BAMBERGER

This past weekend, President Bill Clinton hosted the Humana Challenge (formerly Bob Hope Classic) for the first time. Like other PGA Tour events, this tournament has a cause dedicated to lowering cholesterol and raising metabolism. Clinton made some calls to get some of the big names in the celebrity world out to the event including Phil Mickelson, Morgan Freeman, Arnold Palmer and Julius Erving. Clinton hopes that this tournament, which he is set to host until 2019, will help the players, and the celebrity amateurs who play, get word out of their own charitable works (page 11).

On the Tablet: Bill Clinton breaks down his swing.

POINT AFTER: GOATS NEED LOVE TOO – PHIL TAYLOR (@SI_PhilTaylor)

After dramatic endings to both championship games Sunday, the world of social media was flooded with snarky comments aimed two players unknown to most until last weekend, Billy Cundiff and Kyle Williams, who will live in football infamy. The only positive for these two players is that the immense hate directed their way is balanced by love and support of others (page 64).

Taylor writes, “It would be foolish, of course to say that Cundiff or Williams alone cost his team a trip to the Super Bowl. Every victory or defeat is made up of a latticework of plays, inextricably bound together. But it’s the last mistake, the one for which there is no time to atone, that we end up remembering.”

THIS WEEK ON THE TABLETS

• Top sports video’s of the week.
• A look back at David Tryee’s miracle ball on helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII and the radio call from Marv Albert.

INSIDE THE WEEK IN SPORTS

• NBA (page 23): Green Investing – The aging Celtics’ early season struggles aren’t just a fluke. It’s time to break up the big three and plan for the future. (@ChrisMannixSI)
• College Football (page 24): The Lock of the Irish – Top quarterback recruit Gunner Kiel’s decision to sign with Notre Dame has solidified the Irish’s most glaring hole and provided coach Brian Kelly with the QB he needs to succeed. (@LarsAndersonSI)
• MMA (page 31): From Cage to Screen – The former face of women’s MMA, Gina Carano, drops the gloves and steps into the Hollywood spotlight, starring in Haywire, directed by the award-winning Steven Soderbergh. (@lorettahuntmma)

o    On the Tablets: Three scenes from the movie Haywire.

• Tennis (page 28): Will, Not Skill – The first week of the Australian Open has shown that tennis is not only about skill and physical attributes, but also mental toughness. (@Jon_Wertheim)

THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD (page 17)

• Prescott Ling (Oxford, Mich./Oxford High) – Wrestling
• Alex Lauretano (Morris, Conn./Louisiana-Monroe) – Water Skiing
• Thomas Awad (East Norwich, N.Y./Chaminade High) – Track and Field
• Nora Gilbertson (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area High) – Nordic Skiing
• Tanner McDaniel (Kalaheo, Hawaii/Homeschooled 7th Grader) – Bodyboarding
• Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor Middle School) – Racquetball

To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. Follow on Twitter @SI_Faces.

That’s it.

The Mid-Week Linkage

I haven’t provided links on schedule so let me try to do it now.

We begin with Michael Hiestand of USA Today who talks about NBCUniversal’s big plans to blanket Super Bowl XLVI next week.

Wow. The secret organization Anonymous plans to attack ESPN.com over its support of SOPA and PIPA. In case anyone from Anonymous is reading, Fang’s Bites is an ardent critic of both bills.

Adrian Melville of Forbes says Fox is hoping to retain the US rights to the English Premier League.

Jeff Roberts at paidContent looks at USA Today Media Group’s purchase of Big Lead Sports.

Funny post. It’s a long one, but stay with it. Complex provides the 100 Worst Sports Tweets in history.

The Nielsen Wire blog reviews the year in sports advertising for 2011.

Rarely do we link to Self Magazine, but it has a story on ESPN SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele training for the upcoming Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Last week, ESPN’s Front Row PR blog posted part one of its behind the scenes look at Sunday NFL Countdown. Today, it provides part two of that look.

Lacey Rose at the Hollywood Reporter writes that current NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner will host a USA Network reality show that will premiere later this year.

James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly looks at NBC’s plans for the Super Bowl.

John Eggerton from Broadcasting & Cable says Massachusetts US Senator John Kerry wants DirecTV and Sunbeam to pledge that Super Bowl XLVI won’t be blacked out in Boston. Sunbeam’s WHDH-TV is off DirecTV right now over a carriage dispute and it’s the NBC affiliate.

Tim Nudd of Adweek says clothing retailer H&M is trying to put out a social media firestorm in advance of its first-ever Super Bowl ad.

Ken Wheaton at Advertising Age says CareerBuilder is keeping its lovable chimps for this year’s Super Bowl commercial.

Ad Age’s Michael Learmonth has the best Super Bowl ads ever.

Diego Vasquez from Media Life Magazine speaks with two people from a research firm to find out why some Super Bowl ads fail to connect with viewers.

Karlene Lukovitz from MediaPost’s Marketing Daily says Papa John’s is betting on the Super Bowl coin flip to help sell pizzas.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life notes that the NBA’s ratings despite the lockout are way up from last year’s record.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid catches ESPN2′s Patrick McEnroe firing off an “F” bomb during the Australian Open coverage last night.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell has some myths and facts about the Super Bowl ticket market.

Mary Alice Gill from the Nashua (NH) Telegraph writes about the DirecTV/Sunbeam dispute that could affect Boston’s watching of the Super Bowl.

Johnny Diaz of the Boston Globe says area bars with DirecTV are scrambling for other possible ways to show the Super Bowl.

At SB Nation Boston, Kat Hasenauer Cornetta looks at how small market New England sports radio stations try to serve the needs of their audience.

Stuart Elliot of the New York Times says the pregame show has begun for the Super Bowl ads.

To Newsday and Neil Best who writes that reporter Kim Jones is leaving the YES network.

Justin Terranova and Phil Mushnick of the New York Post report that Jones is talking with a national network.

Don McKee of the Philadelphia Inquirer has an obituary for the late Andy Musser.

Ray Didinger of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia remembers Musser.

David Jones from Florida Today feels ESPN’s deal with the SEC is bad for the league.

Gregory A. Hall of the Louisville Courier-Journal notes that NBC has brought the Breeders’ Cup back under its fold.

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron says a long-time local TV sports director is leaving after this year.

Mel Bracht from the Daily Oklahoman notes that the NFL Conference Championship Games drew big ratings locally.

Steve Nitz of the Morris (IL) Daily Herald is no longer a fan of ESPN.

NBC’s Michele Tafoya is ending her Minneapolis radio show.

Jon Bream at the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Tafoya has grown tired of a weekly 7 day grind between her show and Sunday Night Football.

David Brauer of MinnPost.com writes that Tafoya’s ratings weren’t great.

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star looks at ESPN’s College GameDay’s visit to the University of Arizona campus this weekend.

Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen says CBS Sports Network will have inside access to Rich Rodriguez and the University of Arizona during National Signing Day.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if TSN’s Dave Hodge was reaching when he tried to tweet a connection between Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas and the KKK after Thomas refused to go to the White House earlier this week.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at CBC’s dropping of the Curling’s Grand Slams.

To the Big Lead and Jason McIntyre who has a profile of ESPN Radio Hack Colin Cowherd. Actually it’s a very good profile.

Ryan Yoder at Awful Announcing has the Top 10 Sports Media Busts.

Blythe Brumleve at AA looks at CBS’ client stroke for E-Trade during the NFL Today on Sunday.

Sports Media Watch notes that the NHL is getting increased ratings on both NBC and NBC Sports Network.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media wants the in-game coach interviews during NHL games to end.

Steve tells us where the AHL All-Start Game can be seen in your market.

SportsRantz says NBC Sports Network is using the Super Bowl to get a ratings boost.

And Morgan Wick informs us what the Breeders’ Cup move back to NBC means.

And that is it.

Inside The NFL Follows Last Week’s “LT” Appearance With Another “LT”

Last week, Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” brought in the man known as “LT”, LaDanian Tomlinson to be a guest for the entire hour of the show. This week, it brings in the original “LT”, Hall of Fame New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor to talk about next week’s Super Bowl between his G-Men and the New England Patriots.

Inside the NFL premieres tonight at 9 ET/9 PT on Showtime and will have multiple replays on the Showtime platforms (Showtime, Sho 2, Showtime Extreme) throughout the week.

We have the Showtime press release for you.

NFL HALL OF FAMER LAWRENCE TAYLOR TO JOIN THE CAST ON THIS WEEK’S EPSIODE OF INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME^®

New Episode Tonight/Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2012) – The New York Giants NFL Hall of Fame linebacker and two-time Super Bowl Champion Lawrence Taylor will join James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL.  Taylor, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive players in league history, will be on set to discuss the New York Giants’ and New England Patriots’ respective roads to the Super Bowl.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

INSIDE THE NFL is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films. The executive producers are CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and NFL Films President Steve Sabol. Pete Radovich Jr., the Emmy Award-winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.

That will do it for this post.

NBCUniversal is All Over This Super Bowl Thing

You want to talk about a big event strategy, NBCUniversal is going all in for Super Bowl Week. Yesterday, I gave you an inkling of some of the programs that will on the networks of NBCU throughout next week. Well we get more information in a press release outlining the other networks that will be involved in hyping the New England Patriots and New York Giants. By the time Sunday rolls around, you may be worn out from the hype.

Not only do you have the NBC mothership and NBC Sports Network, but you have E!, Style, Bravo, Telemundo, G4, The Weather Channel and Golf Channel having a presence plus Access Hollywood and other properties. It’s as if Super Bowl madness has enveloped NBCUniversal and it won’t let go.

NBC shows like Today and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will be in Indianapolis all week. Are you ready for this? And when I see that Kathie Lee Gifford is going to talk about the Super Bowl, I just want to hurl. Oh, and seeing that the worst host in the history of network television, Jenna Wolfe is also going to report from Indy, I’ll be sure to avoid that train wreck. Anyway, here’s the NBCUniversal press release.

NBCUNIVERSAL SURROUNDS SUPER BOWL XLVI

Features and Segments from NBCUniversal Properties Include CNBC, Golf Channel, Bravo, Telemundo, Access Hollywood, Weather Channel, E!, Style, G4, iVillage
NBC Sports Network to Present More Than 18 Hours of Live Super Bowl Programming including Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl and Daily Editions of NBC SportsTalk: LIVE from the Super Bowl
TODAY Show Segments Live from Indianapolis Start Friday
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to Originate Four Shows from Indianapolis including LIVE Show on Super Bowl Sunday Night

NEW YORK – January 25, 2012 – NBCUniversal will surround its coverage of Super Bowl XLVI with an unprecedented and diverse collection of assets ranging from sports to news to entertainment. It will also utilize Spanish-language programs, kids news services, theme parks and in-flight programming to cover and promote the game.

Coverage of Super Bowl XLVI from Indianapolis on Sunday, February 5 begins at Noon, ET with the Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game Show.

NBCUNIVERSAL AT THE SUPER BOWL: The following NBCUniversal properties and programs will have live presence in Indianapolis to cover Super Bowl XLVI.

• TODAY Show
• Weekend TODAY
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
• E! News
• Access Hollywood
• Bravo’s Top Chef
• CNBC sports-business reporter Darren Rovell
• Weather Channel’s Al Roker, Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams
• Style correspondents, Jeannie Mai and Alexa Prisco
• Golf Channel’s Feherty Live
• Telemundo
• NBC SportsTalk
• Scholastic Kids press corps reporter

NBC Sports Network: The recently rebranded NBC Sports Network will be live on site in Indianapolis with more than 18 hours of live coverage including the first ever Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl and daily editions of NBC SportsTalk: LIVE from the Super Bowl.

TODAY Show: America’s No. 1 Morning News Program will kick off Super Bowl weekend with a split show from Indianapolis on Friday with Al Roker and Ann Curry. Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie will join TODAY’s coverage on Super Bowl morning.

TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda: The fourth hour of the TODAY Show will feature a Super Bowl-themed “Who Knew” segment on Wednesday of Super Bowl week and a Super Bowl kickoff featuring cuisine and chefs from the two Super Bowl cities Friday of Super Bowl weekend.

Weekend TODAY: Jenna Wolfe will report from Indianapolis for Weekend TODAY for Saturday’s coverage.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: For the first time in the show’s history, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will take the show on the road – to Indianapolis – for a total of four shows; including one first-ever LIVE Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show on Sunday night after Super Bowl XLVI.

Weather Channel: Jim Cantore will join NBC’s Super Bowl coverage from Indianapolis, and Wake Up with Al’s Stephanie Abrams and Al Roker will also be on-site reporting the Super Bowl headlines for Weather Channel.

CNBC: Sports business reporter Darren Rovell will do live hits from Indianapolis Thursday-Sunday, and will also tape his NBC Sports Network show, Sports Biz: Game On from Indianapolis on the Friday before the game.

Golf Channel: In anticipation of season two of his critically acclaimed series premiering Feb. 27, David Feherty will host a special Feherty Live stage show from Indianapolis Friday night, which Golf Channel will air as a one-hour special Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. And throughout Super Bowl week, Golf Channel’s popular morning show, Morning Drive, will feature various NFL guests, including former and current players and executives to talk Super Bowl predictions. Friday’s Golf Central show will include look-ins at Feherty’s rehearsals in Indianapolis and promote Sunday’s Super Bowl.

E!: The nation’s premier destination for celebrity and entertainment news will report from Indianapolis Wednesday through Monday with correspondents Catt Sadler and David Burtka.

NewsChannel/Affiliates: NBC’s NewsChannel, which feeds all 235 NBC affiliates nationwide, will have numerous reporters on-site in Indianapolis doing live stand ups for stations and offering technical support for other on-site stations.

Bravo: Top Chef, Bravo’s Emmy-Award winning culinary show, will be on-site in Indianapolis with host Tom Colicchio and two popular former contestants, Richard Blais and Antonia Lofaso, competing to create the perfect tailgate food. Their tailgate preparations and end result will be featured on NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game Show. Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison of Football Night in America will determine the winner.

NBCU Entertainment: Stars of NBC’s primetime line-up will hit the Super Bowl pre-game red carpet with host Nick Cannon. Celebrities from NBC’s new primetime shows include Jessica Simpson (Fashion Star), Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Carson Daly (The Voice) and Katharine McPhee (Smash).

Access Hollywood: The No. 1 entertainment show will be on-site in Indianapolis with reports on all Super Bowl festivities Tuesday through Monday.

Style: The destination for inspiring lifestyle programming will feature a pre-game Super Bowl party-planning segment with Bill and Giuliana Rancic. Throughout Super Bowl week, the couple will offer party tips on Style and through Style’s twitter handle, @mystylequicktip. The segments will pay off in a Super Bowl Party reveal with Bill and Giuliana during Super Bowl pre-game, a few hours before the game kicks off.

iVillage: the largest content-driven community for women online, will feature VIDEOS and profiles on wives of NFL players on how they achieve family balance with the hectic schedule of the NFL. iVillage will also feature stories on Super Bowl community and philanthropic events throughout the week. The iVillage community will participate with their Super Bowl content through activities and discussions on the iVillage social media pages.

Telemundo/mun2: Stars of Telemundo and mun2 will be in Indianapolis all week, covering all the NFL and Super Bowl activities. Telemundo will air a 1 hour special, Sabor Al Super Bowl XLVI, on Saturday at 2pm EST/PST, 1pm CST, highlighting all activities leading up to the big game and providing expert analysis for the US Hispanic audience.

Universal Parks: Universal Parks and Resorts in Los Angeles and Orlando will help promote NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI by featuring NBC Sports-produced trailers and video on their CityWalk Astrovision screens throughout Super Bowl week. Super Bowl signage on print billboards and other signage throughout the Parks will also be present.

Universal Pictures: Several movies from Universal Pictures will be promoted during Super Bowl pre-game.

NBC News Scholastic Reporter: Kids press corps reporter Grace Ybarra will be on-site in Indianapolis to report on the youth-themed Super Bowl activities for Scholastic News, a youth-oriented news service and NBC News partner.

G4: The gaming and technology network will air a special Super Bowl-themed segment of the popular show, Gadget Pr0n, which will feature all the best gadgets and technology needed to create the ultimate Super Bowl viewing experience. The episode will air Monday, Jan. 30.

NBC Experience Store: The popular Rockefeller Center destination features a window display promoting NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI.

American Airlines: NBC’s in-flight programming on American Airlines, which reaches 5 million viewers/month is airing Super Bowl features throughout the month of January.

NBC Out-of-Home Platforms: NBC Sports utilized the promotional platforms of NBC’s out-of-home assets to extend the Super Bowl tune-in message. Super Bowl spots ran on the following screens: taxi cabs, universities, arenas, PATH stations and gas pumps.

NBC Retail Store Screens: NBC Sports-produced Super Bowl promos ran in retail stores including Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam’s Club stores nationwide throughout January. Super Bowl promos were seen on 210,000 screens in 6,400 stores, reaching 600 million viewers.

Lots of stuff there. I hope you can process all this. More stuff throughout the day. Keep it here.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

Carling Cup
2nd Leg
Liverpool vs. Manchester City — Fox Soccer, 2:30 p.m.

College Basketball
Men’s
Penn State at Ohio State — Big Ten Network, 6:30 p.m.
St. Bonaventure at URI — A-10 Network: Comcast SportsNet New England/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Cox Sports RI/The Comcast Network, 7 p.m.
DePaul at Rutgers — Big East Network: SNY, 7 p.m.
Providence at Pittsburgh — Big East Network: Altitude/Bright House/MASN/Root Sports Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Villanova at Louisville — ESPN, 7 p.m.
West Virginia at St. John’s — ESPNU, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Xavier — Fox College Sports/Fox Sports Midwest/Fox Sports Ohio, 7 p.m.
Florida State at Wake Forest — Fox Sports Net (regional), 7 p.m.
Missouri at Oklahoma State — ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.
Notre Dame at Seton Hall — Big East Network: MASN (joined in progress)/MSG Plus, 8 p.m.
Central Florida at Tulsa — CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
Evansville at Wichita State — Fox College Sports Central, 8 p.m.
Alabama at South Carolina — SEC Network, 8 p.m.
LSU at Mississippi State — SEC Network, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Michigan State — Big Ten Network, 8:30 p.m.
Auburn at Arkansas — CSS/Bright House/Comcast SportsNet California Plus/The Comcast Network, 9 p.m.
Duke at Maryland — ESPN, 9 p.m.
Kansas State at Texas Tech — ESPNU, 9 p.m.
Colorado State at New Mexico — CBS Sports Network, 10 p.m.
UNLV at Boise State — the mtn., 10 p.m.

MLB
Clubhouse Confidential — MLB Network, 5:30 p.m.
Hot Stove Live — MLB Network, 6 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Royals vs. Blue Jays — MLB Network, 9 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Giants vs. Dodgers — MLB Network, 9:30 p.m.

NBA
Indiana at Chicago — NBA TV, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers — NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.

NFL
2012 Senior Bowl Practice, North Day 3 — NFL Network, 11 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Inside the NFL — Showtime, 9 p.m.

NHL
Detroit at Montreal — NBC Sports Network/TSN/RDS, 730 p.m.

NHL Live — NHL Network, 5 p.m.
NHL 36: Niklas Lindstrom — NBC Sports Network, 6:30 p.m.
NHL Live — NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.
NHL on the Fly — NHL Network, 7 p.m.
NHL Tonight — NHL Network, 10 p.m.
NHL Overtime — NBC Sports Network, 11:30 p.m.

Soccer
International Friendly
Panama vs. USA — Galavision, 8:30 p.m.
Mexico vs. Venezuela — Univision, 9 p.m.

Sports Talk
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV)/Fox Sports Net, 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
The Scott Van Pelt Show — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
NBC Sports Talk — NBC Sports Network, 6 p.m.

Tennis
Australian Open: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals — ESPN2, 3:30 a.m.
Australian Open: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 7 p.m./ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.

Australian Open Today — Tennis Channel, 6 a.m.

Entertainment
In Tahir Square: 18 Days of Egypt’s Unfinished Revolution — HBO2, 8 p.m.
Sportfolio — Bloomberg, 9 p.m.
Touch (series premiere) — Fox, 9 p.m.
American Greed: Kenneth Starr: Naked Greed: Celebrity Scam Artist — CNBC, 9 p.m.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — CBS, 10 p.m.
Mistresses — BBC America, 10 p.m.
Conan — TBS, 11 p.m.

NBC Sports Group Coverage Plans For Super Bowl XLVI

On Tuesday, I gave you NBCUniversal’s programming for Super Bowl Week. Apparently, that was just the tip of the iceberg as we’ll get even more networks and more shows with a Super Bowl theme on the NBCUniversal family. But that’s later.

Right now, I’m going to give you the overview of what the NBC Sports Group will air during Super Bowl Week and this includes the Comcast regional sports networks in both Boston and New York, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Network and of course, NBC Sports which is producing and carrying the Big Game between the New England Patriots and New York Football Giants.

From NBC SportsTalk originating live from Indianapolis and with four three hour and one four hour show to the premiere of Costas Live and then David Feherty of Golf Channel doing a show as well, the NBC Sports Group will be well represented in Indy.

Let’s take a look at what NBC Sports Group is saying about next week’s programs.

NBC SPORTS GROUP SUPER BOWL XLVI OVERVIEW

SUPER BOWL XLVI ON NBC – Super Bowl XLVI on NBC marks the network’s 17th Super Bowl, tying CBS for the most ever. It is also the eighth Super Bowl assignment for Emmy Award-winning play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels and the second as an analyst for 12-time Emmy Award winner Cris Collinsworth. Michele Tafoya will serve as the sideline reporter. Fred Gaudelli (producer) and Drew Esocoff (director) will work their fourth Super Bowl together.

PRE-GAME ON NBC – Coverage begins at Noon ET from Lucas Oil Stadium with the Super Bowl XLVI pre-game show. Co-hosts Bob Costas and Dan Patrick are joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com for up-to-the-minute news and features leading up to kickoff. Sam Flood, executive producer of NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network, is the executive in charge of production of the Super Bowl XLVI pre-game show.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK – For the first time ever, NBC Sports Network will televise programming surrounding the Super Bowl. The 24/7 cable platform of NBC Sports will offer daily live coverage from Indianapolis in the week leading up to the event. NBC SportsTalk Live from the Super Bowl will air from 4-7 pm ET, Monday – Wednesday and Friday, and 4-8 pm ET on Thursday. Host Russ Thaler will be joined by 1984 Heisman Trophy winner and NBC Sports college football analyst Doug Flutie, King, Florio and NBC Sports’ Randy Moss.

NBC Sports Network will also debut Costas Tonight, Live from the Super Bowl, a live Town Hall show hosted by 22-time Emmy Award-winner Bob Costas. Costas Tonight, Live from the Super Bowl will feature some of the NFL’s biggest stars and newsmakers focusing on the state of the NFL, plus a preview of Super Bowl XLVI and the storylines from the NFL season. Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl will air in front of a live studio audience from the Indiana Repertory Theater on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, 8-10 p.m. ET.

GOLF CHANNEL – Throughout Super Bowl week, Golf Channel’s popular morning show, Morning Drive will feature various NFL guests, including former and current players and executives to talk Super Bowl predictions. David Feherty will do a special Feherty Live from Indianapolis Saturday night, airing at 10 p.m. ET. Friday’s Golf Central show will include look-ins at Feherty’s rehearsals in Indianapolis and promote Sunday’s Super Bowl

REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS – The NBC Sports Group’s 11 regional sports networks will contribute to NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI by doing reports on nightly news programs. The two regional networks that are located in markets with teams playing in the game (SNY in New York and Comcast SportsNet New England) will offer enhanced coverage the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLVI. New York-based SNY will feature more than 32 hours of programming, including many shows originating live from Indianapolis. In addition to Daily News Live, The WheelHouse, Loud Mouths and Geico SportsNite, SNY’s coverage will be highlighted by a Big Blue Live pre and post-game show. CSN New England will air 64 hours of original coverage from Indianapolis leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, including extended pre- and post-game shows.

And that’s it.

NHL Network To Air Live From NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa

Starting on Thursday, NHL Network will have 16½ hours of live coverage of All-Star Weekend in Ottawa. Hosts Kathryn Tappen and Brian Duff will be joined by analysts Barry Melrose, Kevin Weekes, Mike Johnson, insider EJ Hradek and reporter Heidi Androl.

NHL Tonight will be live from the All-Star Fan Fair at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Thursday and Friday in advance of the All-Star Fantasy Draft. Then the show moves to Scotiabank Place on Saturday and Sunday.

And NHL Network will have wraparound programming for both the All-Star Skills Competition and the All-Star Game.

Here’s the NHL Network press release including programming schedule for the entire weekend.

NHL NETWORK TO BRING FANS INSIDE 2012 NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND

Unprecedented On-Site Coverage from Ottawa Begins Thursday
Free Preview of NHL Network Available Across Canada Through Participating TV Service Providers

NEW YORK (January 24, 2012) — Live on-site coverage from NHL Network of all the festivities surrounding the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa begins on Thursday, Jan. 26, delivering 16.5 hours of live coverage.

The NHL Network team in Ottawa includes NHL Tonight hosts Kathryn Tappen and Brian Duff, analysts Barry Melrose, Kevin Weekes, Mike Johnson and EJ Hradek and reporter Heidi Androl. Joining the NHL Network team as special guest is the online sensation Joey The Junior Reporter of Blackhawks TV. The 6-year old Illinois native will bring his sharp interviewing skills to Ottawa, where he will ask the “hard-hitting” questions of the NHL’s biggest stars.

NHL Network will broadcast live from the Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair™ at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Thursday, Jan. 26, and Friday, Jan. 27, with roving talent filing remote reports from the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft™ and the NHL All-Star Media Day. The NHL Network set moves to Scotiabank Place arena on Saturday, Jan. 28, and Sunday, Jan. 29.

A free preview of NHL Network will be available on participating television services providers throughout Canada, including Bell TV, Rogers, Shaw and Shaw Direct, through Feb. 3. (Not available in all areas.)

NHL Network content also will be available to stream through NHL.com, keeping fans apprised of all the activity in Ottawa around 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend on the platform of their choice. For the latest NHL All-Star news, visit NHL.com and its dedicated microsite for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL.com/allstar.

NHL Network broadcast coverage in Ottawa is as follows (all times Eastern):

Thursday, January 26
5 – 7 p.m. — NHL Live at NHL All-Star Weekend featuring NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman during the second hour live from Scotiabank Fan Fair™
7 – 8 p.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft Pre-Show
9:30 – 11 p.m. — NHL Tonight (2012 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft Edition)
Midnight — 2012 NHL Player All-Star Fantasy Draft (re-air)

Friday, January 27
3 – 6 p.m. — NHL All-Star Media Day
6 – 7 p.m. — NHL Tonight (NHL All-Star Media Day Recap)
7 – 8:30 p.m. — 2012 NHL Player All-Star Fantasy Draft (re-air)
8:30 – 10 p.m. — 2012 NHL Player All-Star Fantasy Draft (re-air)

Saturday, January 28
4 – 7 p.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Pre-Show
9 – 10 p.m. — NHL Tonight (2012 NHL All-Star Skills
Competition Recap)
11 p.m. – 1 a.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition (re-air in U.S. only)

Sunday, January 29
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition (re-air in U.S. only)
1 – 4 p.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Game Pre-Game Show
7 – 8 p.m. — NHL Tonight (2012 NHL All-Star Game Edition)
11 p.m.-1a.m. — 2012 NHL All-Star Game (re-air in U.S. only)

And that will do it.

NBC Sports Network All Over NHL All-Star Weekend

This year’s NHL All-Star Weekend takes place in Ottawa and the All-Star Skills Competition this Saturday and the 59th annual NHL All-Star Game itself on Sunday will be held at Scotiabank Place. And before everything occurs, it’ll be the All-Star Fantasy Draft which NBC Sports Network will simulcast with TSN.

The sides will be chosen by Daniel Alfredsson from the Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara from your defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.

Then on Saturday, NBC Sports Network will air the Skills Competition at 7 p.m. to be called by Dave Strader and Eddie Olcyzk.

Mike Emrick and Eddie Olcyzk along with charlatan Pierre McGuire will be on the call for the actual game at 4 p.m. Sunday.

In addition, NHL Overtime will air on Friday following the Fantasy Draft. We have NBC Sports Network’s press release.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK SHOWCASES HOCKEY’S TOP TALENT WITH 10 HOURS OF NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND COVERAGE

NHL Viewership on NBC and NBC Sports Network up from Last Year
NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft on Jan. 26 (8 p.m. ET); 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 (7 p.m. ET); and 2012 NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29 (4 p.m. ET)
Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET and NHL Overtime from Ottawa on Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. ET

NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 24, 2012) – NBC Sports Network will air an all-encompassing 10 hours of coverage of the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, beginning with the NHL Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft at 8 p.m. ET. The network will then air the 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, showcasing the league’s top stars as they demonstrate their skating, puck-handling and shooting skills. The weekend will culminate with coverage with the 59th NHL All-Star Game on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, live from Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

The NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft will once again show the two captains, Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star Weekend host Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, and their alternate captains (New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, respectively) hand-pick their All-Star teams live on Thur., Jan. 26, on NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET. Each All-Star team will be comprised of three goalies, six defensemen and 12 forwards.

Heading into the All-Star break, viewership for NHL games on both NBC and NBC Sports Network has grown compared to last season. NHL games on NBC (excluding the Winter Classic) are averaging 1.36 million viewers, up nine percent from the same number of games last year. On NBC Sports Network, NHL telecasts overall are averaging 330,000 viewers, up 13 percent from the same number of weeks last year, while exclusive time-period games (Wednesday and Sunday nights) are averaging 467,000 viewers, up 17 percent from last year’s exclusive coverage. NBC Sports Network recorded its most-watched regular-season game ever with this season’s opening night match-up between Philadelphia and Boston on Oct. 6 (874,000 viewers), and has already set records for highest local household ratings in several markets, such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa.

Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Eddie Olczyk (analyst) will serve as the in-booth announce team for the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sat., Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. ET. They will be joined by Pierre McGuire and Jeremy Roenick on the ice for player interviews after each competition, as well as Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones from the studio at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play) and Olczyk (analyst) will anchor NBC Sports Network’s All-Star Game coverage, with McGuire stationed “inside-the-glass” and Roenick conducting player interviews. The studio show will feature host McHugh, with Milbury and Jones live from Ottawa.

Additional All-Star Weekend Programming – NBC Sports Network will offer viewers live reports from Ottawa during each of the network’s nightly shows, beginning with a special 90-minute NBC SportsTalk on Thur., Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, a special NHL Overtime will air from Ottawa on Fri., Jan. 27, at 10 p.m. ET. NHL Overtime will examine the biggest stories, surprises and disappointments of the NHL season thus far, as well as a look towards the second half of the season and playoffs.

Digital/Social Media – This week at Facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports, NHL fans will have the chance to flex their fantasy muscles in this year’s NHL on NBC Sports All-Star Fantasy Draft Master challenge. Beginning Wed., Jan. 25, through Facebook, fans will be challenged to choose the order that they think each starting position and player will be drafted in during the All-Star Fantasy Draft. This year’s Draft Master who most closely predicts the draft order will be announced during the NHL Skills Challenge on the NBC Sports Network on Jan. 28, and featured on the NHL on NBC Sports Facebook page.

And we’ll have NHL Network’s press release on its coverage plans coming up.

CBS’ 2012 Golf Schedule Begins This Weekend

CBS Sports begins its 20 event PGA Tour schedule this weekend with the Farmers Insurance Open live from the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, CA. Jim Nantz and Sir Nick Faldo will be on hand at the 18th green and be joined by the usual cast of characters including David Feherty and Gary McCord to call event.

In addition to the 20 PGA Tour events, CBS will have The Masters^®, The PGA Championship as well as one Champions Tour event.

CBS’ schedule includes the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, The Byron Nelson Classic, The Colonial, The Canadian Open and many others.

Here’s the CBS press release.

CBS SPORTS TEES OFF 2012 GOLF COVERAGE WITH MOST EXTENSIVE SCHEDULE IN NETWORK TELEVISION HISTORY

JIM NANTZ AND SIR NICK FALDO ANCHOR CBS SPORTS’ GOLF COVERAGE
CBS SPORTS’ 2012 PGA TOUR SCHEDULE BEGINS THIS WEEKEND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT “FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN” IN SAN DIEGO

The Masters? To Air 57th Consecutive Year on CBS; Network Broadcasts 22nd Consecutive PGA Championship

CBS Sports begins its 2012 golf coverage and continues to offer viewers the most comprehensive lineup in the history of network television. CBS Sports will broadcast 23 golf tournaments this year, totaling more than 155 hours of coverage, including the Masters?, PGA Championship, 20 PGA TOUR events, one Champions TOUR event and seven golf specials.

CBS Sports tees off the 2012 season at the Farmers Insurance Open this weekend on Saturday, Jan. 28 (3:00-6:00 PM, ET) and Sunday, Jan. 29 (3:00-6:30 PM, ET), live from the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.

Jim Nantz, now in his 27th year overall covering golf for CBS Sports, serves as anchor for the Networks’ golf coverage.  Sir Nick Faldo, winner of six majors and more than 40 tournaments worldwide, returns for his fifth year as lead analyst alongside Nantz in the 18th tower. Nantz and Faldo are complemented by CBS Sports’ award-winning golf announce team of Ian Baker-Finch, Gary McCord, David Feherty, Peter Kostis, Bill Macatee, Verne Lundquist and Peter Oosterhuis.

Highlights of the 2012 schedule:

20 PGA TOUR events: Farmers Insurance Open, Waste Management Phoenix Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Northern Trust Open, RBC Heritage,  Valero Texas Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Wells Fargo Championship, HP Byron Nelson Championship, Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial,  the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, FedEx St. Jude Classic, Travelers Championship, AT&T National, The Greenbrier Classic, John Deere Classic, RBC Canadian Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Wyndham Championship and The Barclays.

The Masters, the most renowned golf tournament and the longest-running sports event on CBS Sports will be showcased for the 57th consecutive year from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.  Coverage includes a pair of 15-minute highlight shows recounting early-round action on Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6 (11:35-11:50 PM, ET, both nights). Live coverage of the third round will be broadcast on Saturday, April 7 (3:30-7:00 PM, ET) and live 18-hole final-round coverage will be presented on Sunday, April 8 (2:00-7:00 PM, ET).

The 94th PGA Championship, the season’s final major which annually hosts the strongest field in championship golf, will be broadcast by CBS Sports for the 22nd consecutive year. Coverage begins with highlights of early-round action on Thursday, Aug. 9 and Friday, Aug. 10 (12:37-1:07 AM, ET, both nights). Live, 18-hole coverage of the third and final rounds will be broadcast on Saturday, Aug. 11 and Sunday, Aug. 12 (2:00-7:00 PM, ET, both days) from the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.

The Champions TOUR will be featured on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET, both days) with the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf at Savannah Harbor Golf Resort in Savannah, Ga.

CBS Sports also will broadcast three PGA TOUR Specials and two PGA of America Specials in addition to other golf specials throughout the year. CBS Sports will present “Jim Nantz Remembers Augusta: The 1987 Masters” on Sunday, April 8 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET).

Lance Barrow is coordinating producer and Steve Milton is director for CBS Sports’ golf coverage.

Sean McManus is Chairman, CBS Sports.  Rob Correa is Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

And after the jump break, you’ll see the entire 2012 CBS Golf Schedule.

(continue reading…)

NBCUniversal’s Super Bowl Week Schedule

I just received the NBCUniversal Media Guide for Super Bowl XLVI. You know that NBC will be airing Super Bowl XLVI live from Indianapolis on February 5. You may not know the ancillary programming that will be shown on the networks of NBCUniversal during Super Bowl Week.

Among the highlights:

NBC

Pro Bowl — January 29
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from Indianapolis — February 1 through February 3
Today live from the Super Bowl — February 3 through February 5
NFL Honors — February 4
Super Bowl XLIV — February 5

NBC Sports Network

NBC SportsTalk live from Indianapolis — January 30 through February 3
Premiere of Costas Tonight — February 2
CNBC Sports Biz: Game On! Live from Indianapolis — February 3

Golf Channel

Feherty Live — February 4

Telemundo

Sabor al Super Bowl XLVI — February 4

The Weather Channel

Wake Up with Al & Your Weather Today — February 3 through February 6

Here is the full schedule for Super Bowl Week on the networks of NBCUniversal

NBCUNIVERSAL SUPER BOWL PROGRAMMING

Sunday, January 29
NFL Pro Bowl, 7 p.m. ET — NBC

Monday, January 30
NBC SportsTalk, LIVE from the Super Bowl, 4-7 p.m. ET — NBCSN

Tuesday, January 31
NBC SportsTalk, LIVE from the Super Bowl, 4-7 p.m. ET — NBCSN

Wednesday, February 1
NBC SportsTalk, LIVE from the Super Bowl, 4-7 p.m. ET — NBCSN
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:35 a.m. ET (Thurs.) — NBC

Thursday, February 2
NBC SportsTalk, LIVE from the Super Bowl, 4-8 p.m. ET — NBCSN
Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl, 8-10 p.m. ET — NBCSN
NFL Turning Point, 10 p.m. ET — NBCSN
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:35 a.m. ET (Fri.) — NBC

Friday, February 3
Wake up with Al (from Ind.), 6-7 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel
Your Weather Today with Stephanie Abrams (from Ind.), 7-10 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel
TODAY at the Super Bowl, 7-10 a.m. ET — NBC
NBC SportsTalk, LIVE from the Super Bowl, 4-7 p.m. ET — NBCSN
CNBC Sports Biz: Game On! (from Ind.), 7-7:30 p.m. ET — NBCSN
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:35 a.m. ET (Sat.) — NBC

Saturday, February 4
TODAY at the Super Bowl, 7-9 a.m. ET — NBC
NFL Honors, 9-11 p.m. ET — NBC
Feherty Live (from Ind.), 10-11 p.m. ET — Golf Channel
Sabor al Super Bowl XLVI, TBD — Telemundo

Sunday, February 5
Wake up with Al (from Ind.), 6-7 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel
Your Weather Today with Stephanie Abrams (from Ind.), 7-10 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel
TODAY at the Super Bowl, 8-9 a.m. ET — NBC
Road to the Super Bowl, Noon-6 p.m. ET — NBC
Super Bowl XLVI, 6 p.m. ET-Conclusion — NBC
The Voice, Post-Super Bowl — NBC
Jimmy Fallon’s Super Bowl Special, Post-Local News — NBC

Monday, February 6
Wake up with Al (from Ind.), 6-7 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel
Your Weather Today with Stephanie Abrams (from Ind.), 7-10 a.m. ET — The Weather Channel

That does it.

Real Sports’ New Season Premieres Tonight

The first new edition of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel premieres tonight on HBO. The critically acclaimed sports newsmagazine will have three new stories and an update from 2009. As usual, Real Sports has a very interesting lineup and we have it for you below.

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL
EXAMINES THE USE OF TORADOL IN THE NFL;  PROFILES BASKETBALL’S VAN GUNDY BROTHERS; VISITS A REMARKABLE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM THAT NEVER PUNTS; AND RECONNECTS WITH SUPER BOWL NO-SHOW BARRET ROBBINS WHEN THE EMMY^®-WINNING SHOW RETURNS JAN. 24, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Entering its 18th season, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 178th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, JAN. 24 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

HBO On Demand availability:  Jan. 30-Feb. 20

Segments include:

*Toradol in the NFL.  Real Sports investigative team looks at the largely unknown practice of NFL players being administered the controversial pain drug Toradol. For years, NFL players in every locker room across the league have lined up to get a shot of Toradol before kickoff because it is the most effective remedy to mask pain throughout the entire body unlike local numbing agents such as Novocaine. Toradol is not a narcotic, is perfectly legal and provided by team doctors. Also, it is not physically addictive and does not affect your mental state, but the long-term effects are something that have recently become a hot topic of debate. When abused, Toradol has shown to cause permanent damage to internal organs, including stomach bleeding, liver disease and kidney failure. REAL SPORTS correspondent Andrea Kremer speaks with current and former players, doctors and the NFL about the issue of the use of Toradol.

Producer:  Chapman Downes.

*Brothers. Over the last 15 years, the Van Gundy brothers, Stan and Jeff, have made quite a name for themselves in the NBA. Having found limited success as players, they followed their father, who coached college basketball teams, into the family business of patrolling the sidelines. Stan, 52, is currently head coach of the Orlando Magic and previously served as head coach of the Miami Heat. Jeff, who turned 50 on Jan. 19, led the New York Knicks and then the Houston Rockets for years before becoming one of the game’s top broadcasters. In this REAL SPORTS/Sports Illustrated collaboration, correspondent Bernie Goldberg sits down with the brothers to discuss their remarkable ascent to the top of the game.

Producer:  Lisa Bennett.

*Between the Numbers.  Kevin Kelley, head football coach at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., uses his own research to back up the mantra that his team should never punt, should always kick onside kicks after a score and should never return punts. If this sounds too unorthodox to be effective, Kelley’s theories have resulted in a 104-19 record since he became head coach at the high school, and statisticians have supported his theory on the relative value of punting. REAL SPORTS correspondent Jon Frankel visits the 42-year-old Kelley in Little Rock as his team prepares to seek its third state title under his leadership.

Producer:  Nick Dolin.

*Barret Robbins.  On Jan. 26, 2003, one of the strangest Super Bowl controversies ever unfolded when Barret Robbins, Pro Bowl center for the Oakland Raiders, went AWOL, leaving no trace of his whereabouts two days before the biggest game of his career. For the Raiders, Robbins’ disappearance was a major distraction, but for Robbins, the episode was the beginning of a dark and tragic story that would include a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, substance abuse, numerous stints in rehab and multiple run-ins with the law. In 2009, six years after the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, the Houston native sat down with HBO’s Andrea Kremer to reflect on his troubles. Now, Kremer leads REAL SPORTS cameras into the Florida State Prison where the 38-year-old former NFL star has been incarcerated on drug charges after another encounter with the law.

Producers:  Zehra Mamdani, Chapman Downes.

REAL SPORTS has won the Sports Emmy^® for Outstanding Sports Journalism 14 times and has received a total of 22 Sports Emmy Awards. It is the only sports program ever honored with the duPont Award for excellence in broadcast journalism, having first been recognized in 2005. On Jan. 19, Real Sports will receive its second duPont Award when Columbia University recognizes the show for its series of investigative reports on concussions, highlighted by the Aug. 2010 story revealing the scientific link between sports concussions and the onset of ALS.

The executive producer of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL is Rick Bernstein; Kirby Bradley is senior producer.

The new season of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. That is it for this post.

USA Today Media Group Purchases Big Lead Sports

Here’s a story to start our Tuesday. USA Today Media Group has purchased Big Lead Sports. If you’re a regular visitor to Fang’s Bites, you’ll know that this site is a member of Big Lead Sports, but is not owned by the blogging network and fantasy sports company. Now, USA Today has obtained the assets of Big Lead Sports. It has been a minority shareholder in the group and today announced the full acquisition of the site.

USA Today not only gets a huge blogging network, but now gets into fantasy sports. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been announced.

We have the press release from USA Today.

USA TODAY Sports Media Group Acquires Big Lead Sports Digital Property and Fantasy Sports Ventures

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 24, 2012 — The USA TODAY Sports Media Group announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Fantasy Sports Ventures (FSV) and Big Lead Sports, the largest independent digital sports property in North America. USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., was already a significant minority shareholder of FSV and elected to complete the purchase through an acquisition of FSV’s assets. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

When all FSV assets are ultimately combined with the other properties within the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, the digital property is expected to become one of the top five sports sites on the web based on the most recent comScore metrics. The digital assets that currently make up the USA TODAY Sports Media Group include USATODAY.com/sports; digital outlets associated with 81 local Gannett newspapers and 23 Gannett-owned broadcast television stations; HighSchoolSports.net; and the BNQT Media Group, which includes MMAjunkie.com.

“This deal represents a major step forward for us, giving us dramatically more scale and a great ability to provide engaging, relevant content across the entire spectrum of sports fans,” said Tom Beusse, president of USA TODAY Sports Media Group. “The Big Lead sites fit very nicely into our existing portfolio, and now give us an unmatched sports platform to go along with our existing national and local strengths. These new content distribution outlets will enable us to better serve sports enthusiasts while providing advertisers and marketers with a one-stop solution for all of their sports marketing needs.”

With nearly 19 million unique visitors in the latest comScore report, the FSV and Big Lead Sports property provide distinct and independent coverage of every major sport, including football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, hockey, soccer, college sports, high school sports and fantasy sports. The sites include the TheBigLead.com, a leading source of breaking news and commentary across all sports, as well as well-respected sports sites that include BaseballHQ.com, KFFL.com, TheHuddle.com, Baseball-Reference.com, HoopsWorld.com, HoopsHype.com, and many others.

“We are very proud that we built Big Lead Sports into the No. 1 independent online sports property,” said Chris Russo, founder and chief executive officer of Big Lead Sports. “Joining the USA TODAY family will enable Big Lead Sports to grow further and provide a new and bigger platform for our talented writers, contributors and advertising partners.”

“The Big Lead sites have done a great job developing unique, independent voices and distinct points of view,” said Dave Morgan, the USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s senior vice president of content and editor-in-chief. “This acquisition extends our reach and deepens our engagement with core sports audiences, and is a strong complement to our position as a leading national sports property.”

The acquisition also provides USA TODAY Sports Media Group with a strong initial footprint in fantasy sports. Last year more than 32 million consumers in the U.S. actively participated in fantasy sports. Among the assets in the FSV/Big Lead Sports property are more than 25 fantasy games and products, with more than 500,000 active and paying subscribers.

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group encompasses all sports initiatives across USA TODAY, as well as Gannett Co. Inc.’s 81 community newspaper properties, 23 broadcast television stations, HighSchoolSports.net, BNQT.com and MMAjunkie.com. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc.

The sale should not effect the operation of Fang’s Bites unless USA Today wants to purchase us as well. I keed.

Primetime & Late Night Viewing Picks

Carling Cup
2nd Leg
Cardiff City vs. Crystal Palace — Fox Soccer Plus, 2:40 p.m.

College Basketball
Men’s
Michigan at Purdue — ESPN, 7 p.m.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt — ESPNU, 7 p.m.
South Florida at Marquette — Big East Network: Bright House/Cox Sports/CSS/MASN/SNY, 8 p.m.
Baylor at Oklahoma — Big 12 Network, 8 p.m.
San Diego State at Wyoming — the mtn., 8:30 p.m.
Kentucky at Georgia — ESPN, 9 p.m.
Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech — ESPNU, 9 p.m.
Iowa State at Texas — Longhorn Network, 9 p.m.

Women’s
DePaul at Rutgers — CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
Wyoming at San Diego State — the mtn., 10:30 p.m.

MLB
Clubhouse Confidential — MLB Network, 5:30 p.m.
Hot Stove Live — MLB Network, 6 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Mets vs. Phillies (series premiere) — MLB Network, 9 p.m.
Baseball IQ: Orioles vs. Rays — MLB Network, 9:30 p.m.

NBA
Cleveland at Miami — NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis at Portland — NBA TV, 10 p.m.

NFL
Senior Bowl Practice, Day 2 — NFL Network, 11 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

NHL
Boston at Washington — NESN/Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at New Jersey — MSG Buffalo/MSG Plus, 7 p.m.
Toronto at New York Islanders — Rogers Sportsnet Ontario/MSG Plus 2, 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at New York Rangers — TSN-Jets/MSG 2, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Tampa Bay — Fox Sports Ohio/Sun Sports, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Florida — Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/Fox Sports Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at St. Louis — Root Sports Pittsburgh/Fox Sports Midwest, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at Dallas — Fox Sports Prime Ticket/Fox Sports Southwest, 8:30 p.m.
Nashville at Chicago — Fox Sports Tennessee/Comcast SportsNet Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado — NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m.
Ottawa at Phoenix — TVA/Rogers Sportsnet East/Fox Sports Arizona Plus, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Calgary — Comcast SportsNet California/Rogers Sportsnet Calgary, 9 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver — Rogers Sportsnet West/Rogers Sportsnet Pacific, 10 p.m.

NHL Live — NHL Network, 5 p.m.
NHL on the Fly — NHL Network, 7 p.m.
NHL Live — NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.
NHL Tonight — NHL Network, 10 p.m.
NHL Overtime — NBC Sports Network, 1 a.m.

Olympics
CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Soccer Qualifying Tournament, Vancouver, Canada
United States vs. Mexico — Universal Sports, 10:30 p.m.

Skiing
FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, Schladming, Austria
Men’s Slalom — Universal Sports, 2 p.m. (same day coverage)

Sports Talk
The Dan Patrick Show — Audience Network (DirecTV)/Fox Sports Net, 9 a.m.
Tim Brando Show — CBS Sports Network, 10 a.m.
The Box Score — Audience Network (DirecTV)/DanPatrick.com, noon
The Scott Van Pelt Show — ESPNews, 1 p.m.
Numbers Never Lie — ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
SportsNation — ESPN2, 5 p.m.
Pardon the Interruption — ESPN, 5:30 p.m.
NBC SportsTalk — NBC Sports Network, 6 p.m.

Tennis
Australian Open: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals — ESPN2, 3:30 a.m.
Australian Open: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals — Tennis Channel, 7 p.m./ESPN2, 9 p.m.

Australian Open Today — Tennis Channel, 6 a.m.

News
The State of the Union Address — ABC/Bloomberg/CBS/Centric/CNBC/CNN/C-SPAN/Current/Fox/Fox Business/Fox News/MSNBC/NBC/Univision, 9 p.m.
Republican Response – ABC/Bloomberg/CBS/Centric/CNBC/CNN/C-SPAN/Current/Fox/Fox Business/Fox News/MSNBC/NBC/Univision, immediately following State of the Union

Entertainment
Eat Street: Gator Time — Cooking Channel, 8 p.m.
Rock Stars: D-Day — National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m.
Geronimo: The American Experience — PBS, 9 p.m.
Dirty Jobs: Dirty Little Bits — Discovery, 9 p.m.
United Tastes of America: Meatloaf — Cooking Channel, 10 p.m.
Justified — FX, 10 p.m.
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel — HBO, 10 p.m.
Flashpoint — Ion, 10 p.m.
Southland — TNT, 10 p.m.
Conan — TBS, 11 p.m.

Some Late Monday Night Linkage

I’ll do some links that I’ve gathered over the day. You deserve some.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today discusses the monster ratings for Championship Sunday in the NFL.

Michael says with NBC reacquiring the rights to the Breeders Cup, ESPN has gotten out of the horse racing business.

And Michael discusses Jim Rome’s CBS debut before the AFC Championship.

Stuart Miller of Multichannel News says league-owned networks are looking to fill time through imaginative programming.

John Ourand at Sports Business Journal notes that the dispute between MSG Network and Time Warner Cable could threaten the Buffalo Sabres’ number one spot in the local NHL ratings.

John says carriage talks for Time Warner’s new regional sports network featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and for the Pac-12 Network are about to begin in California.

Michael Smith of SBJ says Turner Sports will be running the Fan Fest and other events at the NCAA Final Four this year.

Some stories on how the media handled or did not handle the premature reports of Joe Paterno’s death.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says there are lessons to be learned from the way the Paterno story was reported on Saturday.

Craig Silverman of the Poynter Institute tells us how the Associated Press did not fall into the trap of reporting Paterno’s death.

Davis Shaver on Onward State, the online publication that made the erroneous report, explains the events on Saturday.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable notes that local TV stations in the Penn State vicinity showed restraint on the Paterno story.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times looks into how the Paterno story burned online news sources.

Now to other links.

John Daly of the Daly Planet delves into how Danica Patrick will influence NASCAR this season.

Barry Janoff of The Big Lead writes about Danica’s GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ad.

Sam Laird of Mashable notes that Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis will be the first to have a social media command center.

Sam informs advertisers what the typical NFL fan looks like.

Now some remembrances of the late Andy Musser who along with the late Harry Kalas, the late Richie Ashburn and Chris Wheeler, formed one of the best local broadcast teams whey they called the Philadelphia Phillies from the 1970′s into the 1990′s. Musser died Sunday at the age of 74. Musser was a consummate professional who called the Phillies, the Eagles, the 76ers and Villanova basketball. He did all of them well. A man who was content to be the number two broadcaster on the Phillies behind Kalas, he would call games on both radio and TV for the team.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has an obituary of Musser.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says a memorial service will be held at the end of the month for Musser.

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says Musser was a true gentleman.

And I hope to have more stories about Musser in Tuesday’s links.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has video of a Baltimore news anchor trying to prop up a depressed Ravens fan base.

Dan has another video of a Ravens fan kicking out an entire viewing party after the failed field goal by Billy Cundiff on Sunday.

Glen Davis of SportsGrid has the clip of the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs giving Skip Bayless a verbal beatdown.

Bob’s Blitz notes that Boomer Esiason and Jillian Michaels will co-host this year’s “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials.”

Patrick Burns of Deadspin did some excellent work to break down SportsCenter’s coverage on ESPN over an 11 day span earlier this month.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times notes how Gary Carter’s daughter is chronicling her father’s struggles with a brain tumor.

Matt Flegenheimer of the Times writes about how New York Knicks fans are actually going to games in the wake of the Time Warner Cable-MSG Network dispute.

Back to Brian Stelter of the Times who profiles NFL Films.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post wonders why CBS won’t bring up Ray Lewis’ stabby past.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette notes the big ratings for NFL Conference Championship Sunday.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the ESPN Family of Networks college lacrosse schedule.

Ken says YES will air Jorge Posada’s retirement from the Yankees on Tuesday.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says ESPN will air a half-dozen Spring Training MLB games in March.

At the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik says CBS got the job done during the AFC Championship.

David says the local ratings for the AFC Championship may have set a record.

David writes that the AFC Championship definitely set a social media record.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes about Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s new show.

Tom Jones from the Tampa Bay Times looks back at a tumultuous weekend in sports television.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle writes about the NFL Conference Championship Games’ ratings.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer has Thom Brennaman threatening promising to call Reds games on the radio with his dad, Marty.

Dusty Saunders from the Denver Post reviews the HBO Sports documentary on Joe Namath.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News discusses the Breeders Cup going primetime on NBC later this year.

Bill Shakin of the Los Angeles Times goes over the process of the Dodgers sale that began in earnest on Monday.

Sports Media Watch says the NBA’s move to becoming a mostly cable television league has paid off.

SMW has some various news and notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the Boston Bruins had a mixed bag over the weekend on NESN.

Dave Kohl at the Broadcast Booth says live sports continues to rack in the ratings.

Joe Favorito looks at the growth of squash, Twitter trouble and how to use the social media service properly.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing wonders how CBS’ Jim Nantz could confuse two Baltimore Ravens’ wide receivers.

And that will do it for your late night linkage.

AFC Championship Gets Highest Viewership Since 1982

CBS has issued a press release stating that the average viewership for Sunday’s AFC Championship was the highest since 1982 when San Diego and Cincinnati played on NBC.

The total viewership was 48.7 million in the 3 p.m. ET window for yesterday’s Baltimore Ravens-New England Patriots conference championship.

The fast national rating was 27.4/48.

Here’s the press release from. CBS Sports.

CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF AFC CHAMPIONSHIP BOASTS HIGHEST VIEWER AVERAGE FOR EARLY AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 30 YEARS WITH 48.7 MILLION

Fast National Rating is Highest for Early AFC Championship Game in 17 Years with 27.4/48

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game featuring the New England Patriots defeating the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Jan. 22 (3:07-6:16 PM, ET) averaged 48.7 million viewers (Persons 2+), which is the highest viewer average for the early AFC Championship game in 30 years (1/10/1982; 51.6 million viewers; San Diego-Cincinnati: NBC).

The 48.7 million viewers for the 2012 AFC Championship game also was the second-highest viewer average (behind last year’s 54.9 million for New York Jets-Pittsburgh) for the AFC Championship game in 30 years (1/10/1982; 51.6 million viewers; San Diego-Cincinnati; NBC).

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game earned a fast-national live + same-day average household rating/share of 27.4/48, which is the highest rating for an early AFC Championship game in 17 years (1/15/1995; 28.3/58; San Diego-Pittsburgh; NBC)

The Network’s coverage in the comparable early window in 2010 earned a 26.3/47 (New York Jets-Indianapolis) and last year earned a 28.3/43 (New York Jets-Pittsburgh) in the late window.

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game rating peaked at a 31.2/52 with an average of 56.8 million viewers from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

And that’s it for the Conference Championship ratings press releases until the final numbers come in tomorrow.

NFC Championship Averages 57.6 Million Viewers

As mentioned in the previous post, the NFC Championship between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers on Fox was the 3rd most watched Conference Championship of all-time.

Fox says an average of 57.6 million viewers watched part or all of the game.

The fast national rating for the game was a 30.6 with a 44 share, up from last year’s 28.1/50 for Green Bay-Chicago which was played on the 3 p.m. ET window. Last year’s AFC Championship between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh on CBS drew 28.3/43 in the late window.

Locally, San Francisco drew a stunning 47.4/77 pacing the nation. New York saw a 41.8/58 making it the highest NFL non-Super Bowl rating ever. Your press release from Fox Sports is below.

57.6 MILLION WATCH NFC CHAMPIONSHIP OVERTIME THRILLER ON FOX

Sunday’s Giants/49ers Battle Ties 2010’s Vikings/Saints As Highest-Rated Conference Title Game Since 1996
NFL on FOX Regular & Postseason Combine for Network’s Most-Watched Ever

New York – Yesterday’s epic 2012 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME on FOX between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers delivered an extraordinary 30.6/44 fast-national rating/share according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research. The overtime battle scored an average audience of 57.6 million viewers to rank as the third most-watched Conference Championship Game ever, after the 1982 Cowboys-49ers NFC Championship Game (68.7 million viewers on CBS) and 2010’s overtime Vikings-Saints NFC Championship (57.9 million viewers on FOX).

The rating for Sunday’s battle for the NFC crown ties with 2010’s game (Vikings/Saints – 30.6/45) as the highest-rated NFC Championship Game since 1996 (Packers/Cowboys – 33.3/58).

Last night’s fast-national rating of 30.6/44 is a +9% gain over last year’s 28.1/50 for Packers/Bears in the early window and +8% better than last year’s 28.3/43 for Jets/Steelers in the late window on CBS. Ratings climbed to extraordinary levels as the game progressed toward overtime, peaking at an astounding 36.9/52 rating and 69.0 million viewers from 10:00 – 10:30 PM ET.

The 2012 NFC Playoffs on FOX averaged a 23.9/43 (42.6 million viewers) making it the network’s most-watched NFL Playoffs ever. The average for FOX Sports’ coverage of the NFC’s Wild Card, Divisional and Conference Championship rounds is up +11% over last year’s 21.6/39 (38.7 million) and is FOX’s highest-rated NFL Playoffs since 1996’s 25.1/48 (37.2 million). The complete 2011-12 NFL season on FOX averaged over 23.2 million viewers for the regular season and playoffs combined, making it FOX’s most-watched NFL season ever, excluding Super Bowls.

San Francisco posted a 47.4/77, the second highest-rated NFL on FOX postseason game ever in the City by the Bay. New York notched a 41.8/58, FOX’s best NFL rating ever in the Big Apple for a non-Super Bowl game. After the Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl XLVI earlier in the evening, Boston tuned-in to find out who New England’s opponent would be, posting a 35.1/49, Boston’s highest-rating NFL on FOX non- Super Bowl playoff game. Other metered markets of note include Los Angeles (28.4/49) and Detroit (30.2/42).

And we’re done here.

NFC Championship Becomes 3rd Most Watched Conference Championship of All Time

Don’t have much time to write a wraparound, so here’s an NFL press release on the viewership for NFL Conference Championship Sunday. Viewership was impressive. Ratings were too.

MOST-WATCHED CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY IN 30 YEARS

AVERAGE OF 53.7 MILLION VIEWERS WATCHED EACH GAME GIANTS-49ERS THIRD MOST-WATCHED CONF. CHAMPIONSHIP EVER RECORD FIVE 2011 PLAYOFF GAMES TOP 35 MILLION VIEWERS

Football fans across America continue to tune in to NFL games, resulting in the most-watched conference championship Sunday in 30 years. An average of 53.7 million viewers watched NFL games last weekend, the most for an NFL conference championship Sunday since January 1982 (game-by-game comparison below).

The New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Game on FOX drew 57.6 million viewers to rank as the third most-watched conference championship game ever (chart below).

The Baltimore Ravens-New England Patriots AFC Championship Game on CBS drew 48.7 million viewers. The conference championship games are television’s two most-watched shows since Super Bowl XLV.

In addition, a record five 2011 playoff games averaged at least 35 million viewers – up from four in 2010.

2011 NFL Conference Championship Games

Date	Network (Game)	Viewers
Jan. 22, 2012	CBS (Ravens at Patriots)	48.7 million
Jan. 22, 2012	FOX (Giants at 49ers)	57.6 million
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND	AVERAGE	53.7 million

1981 NFL Conference Championship Games

Date	Network (Game)	Viewers
Jan. 10, 1982	NBC (Chargers at Bengals)	51.6 million
Jan. 10, 1982	CBS (Cowboys at 49ers)	68.7 million
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND	AVERAGE	60.2 million

Most-Watched NFL Conference Championship Games

Date	Network (Game)	Viewers
Jan. 10, 1982	CBS (Cowboys at 49ers)	68.7 million
Jan. 24, 2010	FOX (Vikings at Saints-OT)	57.9 million
Jan. 22, 2012	FOX (N.Y. Giants at 49ers-OT)	57.6 million
Jan. 15, 1995	FOX (Cowboys-49ers)	56.8 million
Jan. 23, 2011	CBS (N.Y. Jets at Steelers)	54.8 million

Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company

 That’s it.