Game	Total Viewers
Super Bowl XLVI (Giants-Patriots), 2/5/12	166.8 million
Super Bowl XLV (Packers-Steelers), 2/6/11	162.9 million
Super Bowl XLIV (Colts-Saints), 2/7/10	153.4 million
Super Bowl XLIII (Cardinals-Steelers), 2/1/09	151.6 million
Super Bowl XLII (Giants-Patriots), 2/3/08	148.3 million

SUPER BOWL XLVI IS MOST-WATCHED SHOW IN U.S. TELEVISION HISTORY

111.3 Million Watch Super Bowl XLVI, Tops Last Year’s Super Bowl (111.0 Million)

47.0 Household Rating is Best in 26 Years, Since 48.3 for Super Bowl XX

40.5 Adult 18-49 Rating is Best for a Super Bowl in 16 Years

14% Higher Than Last Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in 2008

12% Higher Than Last NBC Super Bowl in 2009

7^th Straight Year Super Bowl Audience Increases

INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 6, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI is the most-watched television program in U.S. history and the highest-rated Super Bowl in 26 years, according to fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

The game, in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 21-17, was seen by a record 111.3 million viewers (6:31-9:58 p.m. ET), topping last year’s 111.0 for Super Bowl XLV on Fox and is the biggest audience to watch a television program in U.S. history.

MOST-WATCHED PROGRAMS IN U.S. TELEVISION HISTORY

1. 111.3 Million – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (Last Night’s Game)
2. 111.0 Million – Super Bowl XLV, Fox
3. 106.5 Million – Super Bowl XLIV, CBS
4. 106.0 Million – M.A.S.H. Finale, CBS
5. 98.7 Million – Super Bowl XLIII, NBC

HIGHEST-RATED SUPER BOWL IN 26 YEARS: The game earned a 47.0 rating and a 71 share, a gain of two percent from last year’s 46.0/69 for Super Bowl XLV and is the highest-rated Super Bowl since 1986 (Bears-Patriots, Super Bowl XX, 48.3/70). The 47.0 rating is the 6^th highest in Super Bowl history.

· The game drew a 40.5 rating in the advertiser-coveted Adult 18-49 demographic, the highest for a Super Bowl in 16 years (41.2 for Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996)

HIGEST-RATED SUPER BOWLS:

1. 49.1/73 – Super Bowl XVI, CBS
2. 48.6/69 – Super Bowl XVII, NBC
3. 48.3/70 – Super Bowl XX, NBC
4. 47.2/67 – Super Bowl XII, CBS
5. 47.1/74 – Super Bowl XIII, NBC
6. 47.0/71 – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (Last Night’s Game)
T7. 46.4/71 – Super Bowl XVIII, CBS
T7. 46.4/63 – Super Bowl XIX, ABC
9. 46.3/67 – Super Bowl XIV, CBS
10. 46.0/69 – Super Bowl XLV, Fox

VIEWERSHIP GROWS THROUGHOUT THE GAME: The viewership and rating grew throughout the game and peaked at a 117.7 million viewers and a 50.7/72, respectively, from 9:30-9:58 p.m. ET in the fourth quarter when Eli Manning led the Giants on a game-winning drive.

HALF HOUR VIEWERSHIP (Times ET):

6:31-7, 99.2 million
7-7:30, 107.9 million
7:30-8, 110.9 million
8-8:30, 114.0 million
8:30-9, 114.3 million
9-9:30, 115.4 million
9:30-9:58, 117.7 million

HALF HOUR RATINGS (Times ET):

6:31-7, 42.5/69
7-7:30, 45.5/71
7:30-8, 46.4/71
8-8:30, 47.4/70
8:30-9, 47.7/70
9-9:30, 48.9/70
9:30-9:58, 50.7/72

HALFTIME SHOW FEATURING MADONNA IS MOST-WATCHED EVER: The halftime performance by Madonna (8-8:30), was seen by 114.0 million viewers, nearly four million more than last year’s performance featuring the Black Eyed Peas (110.3 million), and is the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show featuring entertainment ever (dating back to 1991).

· The halftime viewership 18.3 million more than NBC’s last Super Bowl with Bruce Springsteen (95.7 million).

· The halftime show earned a 47.4 household rating, six percent higher than last year (44.7/68) and is the highest-rated halftime show featuring entertainment ever.

“THE VOICE” DELIVERS HUGE NUMBERS: The season two premiere of “The Voice” that followed the Super Bowl averaged a 16.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 37.6 million viewers overall, making it the highest-rated entertainment program in 18-49 in six years, since ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” post-Super Bowl telecast on February 5, 2006 (16.5). “The Voice” is up versus last year’s post-Super Bowl telecast of “Glee” by 47 percent in 18-49 (16.3 vs. 11.1) and up one percent versus the 2010 post-Super Bowl telecast of “Undercover Boss” (16.3 vs. 16.2).

BOSTON SETS LOCAL MARKET RECORD: The rating in Boston was the best ever for an NFL game in that market (56.7/81) topping the previous high of 56.1/78 for Super Bowl XXXVI (56.1/78 on Fox).

· The New York market registered a 49.7/74, the second-highest overnight for an NFL game in that market, trailing only the 53.4/72 for Super Bowl XXI, the Giants first-ever Super Bowl. By comparison, New York registered a 44.9/67 for Super Bowl XLII, the last time they were in the big game.

· The host market of Indianapolis registered a 56.4/79 overnight rating, the second-best overnight for a host market only trailing Jacksonville (58.9/77) for Super Bowl XXXIX).

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR SUPER BOWL XLVI:

1. Boston, 56.7/81
2. Indianapolis, 56.4/79
3. Norfolk, 54.2/73
4. Columbus, 54.1/72
5. New Orleans, 54.0/72
T6. Nashville, 53.5/74
T6. Jacksonville, 53.5/70
8. Buffalo, 52.9/72
9. Kansas City, 52.1/73
10. Milwaukee, 52.0/73
*New York ranked 18^th with a 49.7/74

–SUPER BOWL XLVI–

INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 6, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17, earned a 47.8/71 overnight rating/share last night on NBC, the third-highest overnight rating in Super Bowl history and less than one percent off the highest (47.9 for both Super Bowl XLV and Super Bowl XXI), according to overnight data released today by The Nielsen Company.

· The 47.8/71 is seven percent higher than Super Bowl XLII on Fox when the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14.

· The overnight rating is 14 percent higher than the last Super Bowl on NBC (Super Bowl XLIII, Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) and higher than any of NBC’s previous 11 Super Bowls in which there were metered markets.

· Tops all other Super Bowls involving the Giants and Patriots in Nielsen People Meter History (Since 1988).

“This confirms that the Super Bowl is the most dominant and consistent property on television,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “We are fortunate, in our new agreement with the NFL, to be able to broadcast three more Super Bowls over the next nine years.”

TOP 5 SUPER BOWL OVERNIGHTS OF ALL TIME:

T1. 47.9/71 – Super Bowl XLV, Packers 31-Steelers 25, Fox

T1. 47.9/68 – Super Bowl XXI, Giants 39-Broncos 20, CBS

3. 47.8/71 – Super Bowl XLVI, Giants 21-Patriots 17, NBC

4. 47.4/NA – Super Bowl XIV, Steelers 31-Rams 19, CBS

5. 46.9/70 – Super Bowl XX, Bears 46-Patriots 10, NBC

RATING GROWS THROUGHOUT THE GAME: The rating grew throughout the game and peaked at a 51.8/73 from 9:30-10 p.m. ET in the fourth quarter when Eli Manning led the Giants on a game-winning drive.

HALF HOURS (Times ET):

6:30-7, 43.3/69

7-7:30, 45.9/71

7:30-8, 47.7/72

8-8:30, 48.1/72

8:30-9, 48.3/71

9-9:30, 49.3/70

9:30-10, 51.8/73

FINAL HALF HOUR OF PRE-GAME SHOW BEST SINCE ’03: From 6-6:30, the Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game show drew a 34.5 overnight rating, two percent higher than last year and the best for the final half-hour of the pre-game show since Super Bowl XXXVII (35.3 on ABC). Total pre-game (2-6:30) registered a 12.0/23 just two percent off from last year’s (12.2/23) and two percent higher than the last NBC Super Bowl (11.8/23 for Super Bowl XLIII).

 

· The halftime performance by Madonna (8-8:30), earned a 48.1/72 overnight, one percent ahead of last year’s 8-8:30 time period featuring the Black Eyed Peas (47.4/70) and 20 percent higher than NBC’s last Super Bowl with Bruce Springsteen (40.2/62).

 

· The post-game (10-10:15) registered a 35.3/54, 17 percent higher than last year’s 30.3 for Super Bowl XLV in Fox.

BOSTON SETS LOCAL MARKET RECORD: The rating in Boston was the best ever for an NFL game in that market (56.7/81) topping the previous high of 56.1/78 for Super Bowl XXXVI (56.1/78 on Fox).

· The New York market registered a 49.7/74, the second-highest overnight for an NFL game in that market, trailing only the 53.4/72 for Super Bowl XXI, the Giants first-ever Super Bowl. By comparison, New York registered a 44.9/67 for Super Bowl XLII, the last time they were in the big game.

· The host market of Indianapolis registered a 56.4/79 overnight rating, the second-best overnight for a host market only trailing Jacksonville (58.9/77) for Super Bowl XXXIX).

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR SUPER BOWL XLVI:

1. Boston, 56.7/81

2. Indianapolis, 56.4/79

3. Norfolk, 54.2/73

4. Columbus, 54.1/72

5. New Orleans, 54.0/72

T6. Nashville, 53.5/74

T6. Jacksonville, 53.5/70

8. Buffalo, 52.9/72

9. Kansas City, 52.1/73

10. Milwaukee, 52.0/73

*New York ranked 18^th with a 49.7/74

When Fast National data is available from Nielsen this afternoon, the viewership could approach last year’s 111.0 million that watched Super Bowl XLV, the most-watched Super Bowl ever, and the most-watched television audience in U.S. history.

*Note, the “fast affiliate” data that is available later this morning does NOT reflect live audience for the Super Bowl across the country.

*Overnight ratings measure the top 56 U.S. metered markets.

–SUPER BOWL XLVI–

INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 5, 2012 – The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 to win Super Bowl XLVI, the 17^th Super Bowl broadcast by NBC. Following are post-game highlights from the broadcast:

CRIS COLLINSWORTH ON MARIO MANNINGHAM’S CATCH: “Absolutely unbelievable. Will go down as one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. And it reminds you just a bit of David Tyree and the last time Eli Manning had the unbelievable drive. The Velcro on the helmet as Al Michaels described it.

COLLINSWORTH ON MANNING: “How brilliant can Easy-Eli be? And he will never again have to answer questions, ‘Do you consider yourself and elite quarterback and in Tom Brady’s class?’”

AL MICHAELS ON MANNING: “And he wins it in the house that his brother built.”

MICHAELS ON PATRIOTS: “The New England Patriots will have another Super Bowl tape that they won’t want to look at.”

TONY DUNGY AND RODNEY HARRISON POST-GAME COMMENTS

Harrison: “We knew this game was going to come down to the fourth quarter, and everyone thought I was crazy a week ago when I said I trust Eli Manning more in the fourth quarter than I did Tom Brady. I think you saw tonight why I said that. Tom Brady had a couple opportunities, missed some opportunities down the field. Eli didn’t. He won this football game.”

Dungy: “I was in New York with the Giants last week and every defensive player told me how much confidence they had in Eli Manning. Justin Tuck said, ‘We know if we can just get that stop in the fourth quarter Eli will win it for us.’ And he proved them right tonight.”

BOB COSTAS’ FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE GAME: “Had it turned out the other way, with a victory tonight Belichick and Brady would have put themselves at or near the top of the discussion of the greatest coach and quarterback of the Super Bowl era. Instead it turns out that it’s Coughlin and Eli Manning who put themselves in the discussion for the Hall of Fame. Because quite simply, in dramatic fashion they have now twice bested the team considered to be the best of it’s era in the game that matters most.”

Indianapolis, IN – February 2, 2012 – Bob Costas will open NBC Sports’ six hours of Super Bowl XLVI pre-game coverage with a live report from Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis at Noon ET on Sunday, Feb. 5. In the hours leading up to the game, NBC Sports will surround the Super Bowl teams with live team hotel and sideline reports, player features and interviews, and X’s and O’s analysis.

Coverage will also include the events surrounding the Super Bowl, including an interview with halftime performer Madonna, live musical performances, red-carpet interviews with music, television and film stars, reports from the festive atmosphere taking place just outside Lucas Oil Stadium, and more. NBC News’ Matt Lauer will also interview President Barack Obama during a special pre-game edition of TODAY airing late Sunday afternoon.

In addition to Costas, NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football team of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya, and Football Night in America team of Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Peter King and Mike Florio will contribute to the pre-game coverage, with taped interviews and live on-site commentary and analysis. Liam McHugh, Alex Flanagan and Randy Moss will report from the team hotels, Doug Flutie will appear in field-set segments, and The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore will provide reports on the weather and event atmosphere.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, two Super Bowl MVPs who each played in last year’s game, will join NBC Sports’ coverage as guest analysts. Ward, who has played in three Super Bowls and won two, was named MVP of Super Bowl XL when he made five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who is an NFL MVP candidate this season, passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s Super Bowl, helping the Packers defeat Ward’s Steelers, 31-25, and earning him the MVP award.

Following is a summary NBC Sports’ Super Bowl XLVI pre-game coverage:

THE GAME

Hotel & Arrival Reports: Randy Moss will provide updates from the Patriots team hotel, while Alex Flanagan will report from the Giants hotel. They will also report on their respective teams’ arrival at the stadium.

Field Set: Doug Flutie (playing quarterback), Cris Collinsworth (wide receiver), and Rodney Harrison (defensive back) will analyze the play of Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz and Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, acting out the X’s and O’s on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Interviews: During the two weeks leading up to the game, NBC Sports conducted extensive interviews with Super Bowl XLVI players and coaches:

· Bob Costas interviews Tom Brady

· Dan Patrick interviews Eli Manning

· Tony Dungy sits with Tom Coughlin and visits with Victor Cruz at his former Paterson, N.J. home.

· Rodney Harrison interviews his former coach, Bill Belichick, and goes on the field with Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

· Al Michaels visits with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has dedicated this season to his wife Myra, who passed away in 2011.

Hometown Hero: How does a player get to the Super Bowl? NBC Sports will visit the hometowns of five of Sunday’s featured players — Eli Manning and Jason Pierre-Paul of the Giants, and Tom Brady, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker of the Patriots – by speaking with the people who made an early impact on their lives, including former coaches, teachers and neighborhood friends.

Steve Gleason: Peter King tells the story of former New Orleans Saints special teams standout Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Gleason famously blocked the punt that led to an early touchdown the night the Saints returned to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. King chronicles the challenges facing Gleason and his family while battling the debilitating muscular disease.

Vince Wilfork: Get ready, America. Here come the Wilforks. NBC Sports visits the home of New England defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, and discovers the surprising personalities behind one the fiercest players in the league.

Mathias Kiwanuka: NBC Sports examines the compelling story of Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka, who grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Cathedral High School, located roughly 10 miles from Lucas Oil Stadium. However, Kiwanuka’s true roots extend back to Africa and the compelling story of his grandfather, Benedicto Kiwanuka, the first prime minister of Uganda, and a man assassinated by the regime of notorious dictator Idi Amin while he served as Amin’s chief justice in 1972.

Behind the Quarterbacks: NBC Sports will examine the people behind Sunday’s successful quarterbacks by interviewing Eli Manning’s parents, Archie and Olivia, and Tom Martinez, who has served as Tom Brady’s mentor and personal quarterback coach since high school.

Additional Features & Interviews: In addition to the aforementioned features, additional pieces will air on wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz of the Giants, and tight end Rob Gronkowski and punter Zoltan Mesko of the Patriots.

Helmet Catch: Bob Costas interviews live former Patriots safety and current NBC Sports analyst Rodney Harrison along with former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, two men who are forever linked in NFL history due to Tyree’s famous and improbable “helmet catch” in Super Bowl XLII.

Commissioner Goodell: An excerpt from Bob Costas’ one-on-one interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell from Thursday night’s Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl will air.

NFL Turning Point: The NBC Sports Network program, which normally highlights the “turning point” of a game by utilizing NFL Films’ unsurpassed access and production, will examine the “turning point” of the season for both the Giants and Patriots.

Road to the Super Bowl: Kicking off NBC Sports’ six hours of pre-game coverage at Noon ET is NFL Films’ Road to the Super Bowl. How did the New York Giants and New England Patriots advance to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis? Re-live the journey as only NFL Films can present it. Road to the Super Bowl begins with Kickoff Weekend and chronicles the 2011 NFL season utilizing NFL Films’ signature captivating video and sound from on the field, and in the locker room from exclusive player and coach wirings.

THE PRESIDENT

Interview: NBC News’ Matt Lauer will interview President Barack Obama from The White House during a special pre-game edition of TODAY airing late Sunday afternoon.

ENTERTAINMENT

Madonna: Bob Costas interviews The Material Girl herself, Madonna, who will perform in Sunday’s Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show. A world class entertainer, singer, songwriter, actress, producer, director and video visionary, Madonna has sold more than 300 million records in the course of her three decade career as The Material Girl. She is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Her last tour was the most successful tour by a solo artist in history.

Red Carpet: Nick Cannon hosts NBC’s pre-game red-carpet coverage. Celebrities expected to attend include: Adam Sandler; Danny Devito from Universal Pictures’ upcoming film, The Lorax; Chris Evans from The Avengers; and the stars of NBC’s new primetime programs — Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Carson Daly of The Voice, which makes its second-season premiere immediately after the Super Bowl; Katharine McPhee of Smash, which debuts Monday night; and Jessica Simpson of Fashion Star.

Live Performances: Musical acts Lenny Kravitz and The Fray will perform live from the NFL’s Super Bowl XLVI Tailgate Party.

Top Chef: Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning culinary show, Top Chef, 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. Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison will determine which of their tailgate preparations wins.

ATMOSPHERE

Zip Line: In addition to filing weather reports, The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore will provide reports on the fan atmosphere surrounding Lucas Oil Stadium, including a ride on the popular 800-foot zip line located in the Super Bowl Village in downtown Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Legacy: NBC Sports will examine how Indianapolis became a shining example of how the biggest of sporting events can provide the means to unite a community in astonishing ways. After the city was awarded the game in 2008, it used the Super Bowl to plant thousands of trees, fight cancer, redevelop an entire neighborhood, and bring hope to those in need. When the Super Bowl is over, its impact in Indianapolis will remain for a very long time.

Great Moments in Indiana Sports History: NBC Sports examines the role the state of Indiana has had on some of sports’ greatest moments. The personalities and events featured include Larry Bird, John Wooden, Bobby Knight, Hank Aaron, the Indy 500, and Hoosiers.

REGIONAL COVERAGE

The NBC Sports Group has regional sports networks in New York and Boston that will be providing robust local pre- and post-game coverage for Super Bowl XLVI.

SNY: Super Bowl coverage will begin on Sat., Feb. 4 with Big Blue Live, an in-depth pre-game show that will deliver football fans the latest news and developments from Indianapolis. The show will feature live commentary from a panel of analysts, players and coaches who will provide a comprehensive look at Super Bowl XLVI as well as break down all the key matchups for the game. Big Blue Live will also include highlights from earlier in the week, including exclusive interviews with players and coaches from both the Giants and Patriots.

Immediately following Super Bowl XLVI, SNY’s Geico SportsNite Big Blue Live post-game show will provide fans extensive coverage, including all of the post-game press conferences as well as exclusive on-field interviews and reactions from both the Giants and Patriots players and coaches. On-air talent for Big Blue Live will include former Giants Tiki Barber and Shaun O’Hara, NFL Insider Adam Schein and host Chris Carlin. In addition, SNY’s Giants reporter Mike Garafolo, Gary Apple and Jonas Schwartz contribute to Big Blue Live – reporting on-site from Indianapolis.

Comcast SportsNet New England: Super Bowl Sunday coverage will include special pre- and post-game editions of Chevrolet SportsNet Central Extra. The pre-game show will begin at 3 p.m. ET with the post-game show beginning immediately after the game. Both shows will originate on-site at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hosting will be: Michael Felger, Ty Law, Troy Brown, Tom E. Curran, Mike Giardi and Kevin Walsh. Bob Neumeier will be part of the SNC Extra post-game show as well from the CSN studios.

–NBC Sports Group–

INDIANAPOLIS – February 1, 2012 – NBC Sports conducted a media conference call today with Tony Dungy (analyst), Rodney Harrison (analyst) along with Sam Flood (Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network) to talk about the network’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI. For a complete replay, dial 719-457-0820 and enter passcode 7562548. Highlights follow:

NBC Sports’ coverage of the Super Bowl begins at Noon ET, Sunday, Feb. 5.

HARRISON ON MATCHUP: “The Giants have been terrific the last month-and-a-half of the season. The Patriots had somewhat of a turbulent year with the defense being called really bad and the offense being really good. But you have two tremendous coaches and really two tremendous franchises going head to head. The Giants deserve to be here. They went on the road and won two tough games, and they played tremendous. So I’m excited, and the coverage will be fantastic, but the game will be unbelievable.”

FLOOD ON PRE-GAME PLANNING: “We’ve been working on formats for the Super Bowl for about four weeks now, with ideas and how we want to flow the audience and the content across the network. We’re on version 25 of our format, and in about an hour from now we’ll be on version 26. If you’re talking about the over-under (on formats), we’re thinking 34.”

DUNGY ON THE SUPER BOWL BEING IN INDIANAPOLIS: “For me this is really special. I remember sitting with Jim Irsay as he was there trying to get Lucas Oil Stadium here, and sitting with the state legislature telling them how important football was to central Indiana, and seeing the stadium come to fruition. When I flew in here Sunday night and saw downtown and all the things they had going on, it just made me really proud of Indianapolis and central Indiana and what they’ve done. I think people are going to really, really enjoy their time at this Super Bowl. Then to work it out where NBC is covering it, it couldn’t be better for me.”

HARRISON ON HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS FOR THE GAME: “Of course I can say that I want them to get revenge. Obviously, my heart is with the New England Patriots. But speaking objectively, I was the same guy that came out on our Pro Bowl coverage that said I would take Eli Manning in the fourth quarter instead of Tom Brady, a guy that I won back to back championships with. With a guy that I won 20 straight consecutive games with, and had a 16-0 season.”

HARRISON ON IF HE CAN BE OBJECTIVE AS AN ANALYST: “Yes, I can cover it objectively. I’ve been objective. I’ve criticized Belichick, and the defensive backs from the Patriots as well as I’ve been complimentary at times to that team. That’s my nature. If I feel something, I’ll let you know it. But I’m not going to shy away from what I feel. If it means criticizing my former team, I’ve never been shy about doing that.”

HARRISON ON THE NEW YORK-BOSTON RIVALRY: “From an historical standpoint, I don’t really know the history between New York and Boston. But I knew once I came to this team in New England, they basically told me the first week I was there, if you’re going to hate anybody, hate the New York Jets, hate any New York team. So that first week of being there, you kind of fell into that whole mindset of anything New York you hate.”

DUNGY ON PREPARING FOR THE BROADCAST: “The preparation to me is exactly the same (as preparing when I was a head coach). I was saying that yesterday as we were screening plays and looking for just the right play to show what makes Tom Brady great. Looking for exactly the right angle of a play to show the New York Giants defense and how they’re going to rush the passer. To me, that is the fun part of it. I feel like we are going to be prepared as we go out there, and we are going to have a great performance because we’re putting the time in.”

HARRISON ON RELIVING TYREE “HELMET CATCH”: “For a long time I carried a bitter taste in my mouth after having such a tough defeat. But after months and months of really carrying the burden of such a heck of a play by David Tyree, I’ve been able to recently release that. But it hurt me. I got a chance to watch it a couple times, and every time I see it, it still hurts.”

FLOOD ON HARRISON AND TYREE: “Just to make Rodney really comfortable during the show we’re doing a look back at what happened with that catch. Then live on the set, David Tyree and Rodney Harrison will be talking about that moment. I don’t think Rodney and David have been together for a while. We’re going to get them on that set, no rehearsal, just get them talking about that moment in the moment just having seen it retold again.”

FLOOD ON VINCE WILFORK FEATURE: “We went to Vince Wilfork’s house with Rodney and got a sense of Vince and his wife, and how special that relationship is, and how it drives him every day. It’s a unique insight on Vince as a man, and you understand why he’s such a force on the football field because the back story is so special.”

FLOOD ON DUNGY INTERVIEWING COUGHLIN: “Tony sat down with Coach Tom Coughlin. There is nothing quite like two coaches sitting down with Tony leading the way, getting the insights and understanding of a game plan. They’ve both gone against Bill Belichick, so both guys are talking about the curveballs, the unexpected twists and turns and game planning that these coaches will do against each other. It was a fun thing to look at and see happen.”

DUNGY ON COACH COUGHLIN: “I coached in the NFL 28 years, coached for some great guys – Chuck Noll, Marty Schottenheimer, Dennis Green, and 13 years myself as a head coach, I made it to one Super Bowl. Any time you go to multiple Super Bowls, you’re a great coach. Coach Coughlin started with an expansion team in Jacksonville. Took them to the AFC Championship game, and now he’s gone multiple times with the Giants. He is a tremendous coach, and he is underrated.”

FLOOD ON ADDING AARON RODGERS AND HINES WARD: “We’ll also have two special guest analysts with us, Aaron Rodgers and Hines Ward, who happened to be on the field a year ago in the Super Bowl. Kind of fresh in their minds so they can take the audience to where these players are as the day progresses. Hines and Aaron will be with Bob Costas, talking about what’s going on and last minute planning. Aaron has great insight to the quarterback play. Hines is uniquely qualified. In addition to be a Super Bowl MVP, he played in the Super Bowl with the Steelers and one we did in Tampa Bay (2009) with an injury.”

HARRISON ON THE PRO BOWL: “I watched the Pro Bowl, and I was very disappointed in the players. You understand from the players’ standpoint that I made it through the season and maybe they don’t want to get injured. I’ve played in a couple of Pro Bowls. If you don’t want to play and you don’t want to give a hundred percent, you should sit on the sidelines and allow someone else to get that opportunity. I was actually embarrassed by some of the players. When I played in the Pro Bowl, we played hard. We played for pride. It’s just ridiculous.”

DUNGY ON THE PRO BOWL: “I’ve coached in it several times as an assistant coach and head coach. I remember the first one I coached in 1984, and we had (Kenny) Easley and Howie Long, and there were no free passes in that game. The defense came to play, offensive guys knew it. It was like a regular game. I coached again in 1999, and Randy Moss, I think it was his second Pro Bowl, wanted to show the world that he was the best player in football. You just had that competitiveness. I didn’t see that the other night, and I do hope that changes, because it can be a great game.”

NBC SPORTS SUPER BOWL XLVI MEDIA GUIDE: The NBC Sports Super Bowl XLVI Media Guide is now available at http://press.nbcsports.com. The Media Guide contains programming and production information, historical material, talent and executive bios and photos, and Super Bowl-related logos.

–SUPER BOWL XLVI–

INDIANAPOLIS – January 31, 2012 – NBC Sports conducted a media conference call today with Bob Costas (host), Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) along with Mark Lazarus (Chairman, NBC Sports Group) and Fred Gaudelli (game producer) to preview its Super Bowl XLVI coverage. For a complete replay, dial 719-457-0820 and enter passcode 3500426. Highlights follow:

NBC Sports’ coverage of the Super Bowl begins at Noon ET, Sunday, Feb. 5. Details of NBC Sports’ pre-game programming will be announced later this week.

MICHAELS: “I always think about the old Marv Levy line, ‘Where would you rather be than right here, right now?’ If you’re in this business, that is totally applicable, because this is it. This is the Super Bowl. There is no event like it.”

COLLINSWORTH: “I always sort of equate it to a party. If you’ve got a dinner party for six people that you know really well, the conversation’s going to take on a certain tone. If you have a hundred people that you don’t know all that well, the conversation is going to take on a little bit of a different tone. We’ll try to be as engrossing as we can. We want everybody to have a great time with this one. Let’s face it, there are probably going to be 80 million perspective clients of ours that we’d like to invite to our Sunday Night party come next year. So we’re going to try to make everybody have a great time. Probably a few more stories told early on just to set the cast of characters in this one, and certainly the pregame show will help us do that, too.

“The thing that I’m most excited about with this one is it’s a game with history. You go back to 2007 and what happened in that Super Bowl, which was arguably the most exciting moment that I have ever been a part of watching a game. Like everybody else that week, I picked the Patriots to win. Of course, I was getting heckled a lot during the course of the game as they were making their comeback.”

TAFOYA: “It’s so much fun to cover. We have two Super Bowl MVPs in this game in Eli and Tom. The coaches, it goes without saying, the reputations of these teams and what they bring in terms of excitement. This is my second Super Bowl. I’m utterly thrilled to be here.”

COSTAS ON NBC SPORTS’ PRE-GAME COVERAGE: “The balance of what (executive producer) Sam Flood and his production team have put together is of interest to both avid football fans and to the casual viewers who fill out the audience and make it the biggest single audience in all of American television.”

MICHAELS ON ELI MANNING AND TOM BRADY: “The match-up is tremendous. If you’re going to put a couple of guy’s names up in lights on the marquee, it’s going to be Eli and Tom Brady. It’s the first time in history that two guys who have won Super Bowl MVPs as quarterbacks face off against each other. And Brady is one of the greatest of all time. I never like to rank guys one through five or whatever, but no matter what happens on Sunday, you’re having a conversation about one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. And Tom is very much in that conversation.”

LAZARUS ON NBCUNIVERSAL’S PRESENCE AT THE SUPER BOWL: “This is going to be a successful day for us from Noon ET on. On an ad sales front, we’re already in fine shape. We’ve sold out all of the ancillary programming. We have sold out a lot of sponsors for the early portions of the pre-game show. We think the entertainment value in audience enjoyment will be very strong, and therefore we believe that part will be a huge success leading into the biggest sporting event of the year. We have no doubts about our ability to translate the energy that is here to a national audience, both from an entertainment point of view and a sports point of view.”

LAZARUS ON NBC SPORTS’ SET UP IN INDIANAPOLIS: “We have multiple sets here. We have a studio set inside the media center where we’re doing our NBC Sports Network shows from. Then we’re also utilizing theaters around town, one that will house both the Bob Costas town hall meeting, and then the David Feherty show on the next evening. Then another theater that is being used by the Jimmy Fallon group to do the Fallon show Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. So multiple areas, not to mention there is a small place called Lucas Oil Field that will have a big football game, and we’ll utilize that as the backdrop for the biggest show of all. Finally, in terms of numbers of people, we have roughly 450 people here in town working tirelessly in front of the camera, behind the camera to host guests and to make this an NBCUniversal wide success.”

GAUDELLI ON NEW PRODUCTION ELEMENTS: “There will be quite a few new production elements in terms of the graphics that we use to display information in terms of what we’ll do to personalize players. We just did some extensive photo shoots with both teams to try to give people a sense of the player without the helmet on and what he looks like and where he’s from, and hopefully his personality. With the Super Bowl, everything is bigger and bolder in terms of the presentation, and that will certainly be so. But when it comes right down to it, it’s all about how we’re going to cover this game. To me, that is the ultimate litmus test. How well will we do? We expect to do very well.”

COLLINSWORTH ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET OVER A SUPER BOWL LOSS: “I’m 53 years old, and I’m hoping it happens on my 54th birthday.”

PRE-GAME CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 1 PM ET: NBC Sports will conduct a media conference call tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET with the Football Night in America team of Dan Patrick (co-host), Tony Dungy (analyst), Rodney Harrison (analyst) and Sam Flood (Executive Producer, NBC Sports).

NBC SPORTS SUPER BOWL XLVI MEDIA GUIDE: The NBC Sports Super Bowl XLVI Media Guide is now available at http://press.nbcsports.com. The Media Guide contains programming and production information, historical material, talent and executive bios and photos, and Super Bowl-related logos.

–SUPER BOWL XLVI

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

Mike Wallace Steelers

TE Antonio Gates Chargers

T Joe Thomas Browns

D’Brickashaw Ferguson Jets

G Ben Grubbs Ravens

Marshal Yanda Ravens

C Nick Mangold Jets

AFC DEFENSE

DE Elvis Dumerville Broncos

Dwight Freeney Colts

DT Haloti Ngata Ravens

Richard Seymore Raiders

OLB Tamba Hali Chiefs

Von Miller Broncos

ILB Ray Lewis Ravens

CB Darrell Revis Jets

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

Steve Smith Panthers

TE Jimmy Graham Saints

T Jason Peters Eagles

Joe Staley 49ers

G Jhari Evans Saints

Carl Nicks Saints

C Ryan Kalil Panthers

NFC DEFENSE

DE Jared Allen Vikings

Jason Babin Eagles

DT Justin Smith 49ers

Jay Ratliff Cowboys

OLB DeMarcus Ware Cowboys

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

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–