Super Bowl Means Super Hype
Some things transcend their humble origins and become part of the culture. Such is the case with the Super Bowl. The first Super Bowl was televised on two networks. The average ticket price was $12.
NFL officials were so afraid nobody would attend the game that they gave away thousands of seats. For the most part, only true football fans watched the Green Bay Packers, coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi, win the first Super Bowl.
Not so with Super Bowl XXXIII. The Super Bowl has now become ³event television². Thousands of people host Super Bowl parties all across the country. Many non football fans watch the game.Thirty second commercials sell for approximately $1.2 million. Media critics review the success (and cleverness) of the commercials aired during the game.
It should come as now surprise, then, that various television networks are trying to cash in on all the hype, hoopla, and viewers. FOX has the rights to television the game this year. Naturally they plan to air a slew of programs designed to reel in the Super Bowl faithful. Sports networks, most notably ESPN, also plan several programs dealing with the Super Bowl. Here is a sampling of just a few:
FOX Sunday, January 31st: Super Bowl Kickoff (8 - 8:30 a.m., PST) - features a round table discussion of the big game with such FOX personalities as Matt Millen, John Madden and Terry Bradshaw.
Hardcore Football (8:30 - 9:00 a.m., PST) - Profiles of the coaches and players of the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
Super Bowl All-Access (9:00 - 9:30 a.m., PST) - New FOX on-air personality Keith Obermann takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes look at how FOX is preparing to televise the game.
All-Madden All-Millennium Team (9:30 - 11:00 a.m., PST) FOX color commentator John Madden, who won two Super Bowls as coach of the Oakland Raiders, picks his ³All Millennium² team from players throughout the history of the NFL.
Super Bowl Pregame (11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., PST) FOX is trying the impossible in filling four hours of pregame hype. Only the most hopeless/dedicated of football fans will watch all of it.
Super Bowl Kick-off is at approximately 3:15 p.m. The game, in case you don¹t know, is being played in Miami, Florida. The Defending Champion Denver Broncos are battling the surprising Atlanta Falcons.
ESPN Not to be outdone, ESPN, the nations first all sports cable network, plans a host of Super Bowl related programming as well. Some of their programming includes:
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