January 27, 2009

CTV is SUPER BOWL Central with Unprecedented Canadian Coverage of SUPER BOWL XLIII

– Six-hour pre-game marathon kicks off day-long SUPER BOWL XLIII festivities on Sunday –
– TSN, ETALK, CANADA AM, TSN.ca, ESPN Classic, MTV, MuchMusic, SPACE and CHUM Radio go deep with dedicated SUPER BOWL content –
– TSN’s Rod Smith, Chris Schultz and Jesse Palmer are live from Tampa, FL –
– THE MENTALIST scores coveted post-SUPER BOWL timeslot –

“The beautiful thing about sports and about football is that you just don’t know what’s going to happen.” – Al Michaels, SUPER BOWL XLIII play-by-play announcer

Toronto, ON (January 27, 2009) – Get ready, Canada. This Sunday, football’s grandest stage, SUPER BOWL XLIII, takes centre stage on CTV – and the network is there, on site and in full-force in Tampa, FL, covering North America’s biggest and most prestigious sporting event of the year from all angles. With coverage on CTV’s family of television, radio, online and mobile properties, Canadians will have around-the-clock access to all-encompassing coverage of SUPER BOWL XLIII that goes beyond the world of professional sports.

CTV’s exclusive Canadian coverage of SUPER BOWL XLIII, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Arizona Cardinals, airs nationally on Sunday, Feb. 1 in High Definition, beginning at 12 noon ET from Tampa, with six hours of pre-game programming (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). SUPER BOWL Sunday concludes with a special episode of CTV’s breakout hit drama THE MENTALIST airing immediately following the conclusion of SUPER BOWL XLIII in all markets at 10:15 p.m. ET (except in B.C., where it airs at 10 p.m. PT).

“The SUPER BOWL is without a doubt one of the biggest days on television and CTV is extremely proud to be the Canadian home of this marquee event,” said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “With the SUPER BOWL, Canadians from coast-to-coast will come together for an unparalleled mix of pro sports and pop culture. There really isn’t anything else like it.”

CTV sports, news, entertainment, music, radio and online properties also touch down in the Sunshine State, delivering a comprehensive lineup of SUPER BOWL programming across the board. From SPORTSCENTRE on TSN and ETALK on CTV, to CANADA AM in the morning, CTV NEWS at night, as well as TSN.ca, ESPN Classic, MuchMusic, MTV, SPACE and CHUM Radio, Canadians will not miss any of the action on – and off – the gridiron at SUPER BOWL XLIII (see details below).

Calling the SUPER BOWL is the NFL broadcast team of Emmy Award-winners Al Michaels (play-by-play) and John Madden (colour analyst), while reporters Andrea Kremer and Alex Flanagan patrol the sidelines. Emmy Award-winner Bob Costas hosts the pre-game, post-game and halftime shows alongside co-hosts Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, studio analysts Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis, reporter Peter King, and special guests – and SUPER BOWL champions – Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren and Matt Millen. The SUPER BOWL halftime show, sponsored in Canada by Diet Pepsi, features Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, while Faith Hill sings ‘America the Beautiful’ and Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson sings the national anthem prior to kickoff.

Budweiser, Nissan and PepsiCo return as major sponsors of CTV’s SUPER BOWL broadcast, while additional advertisers include Universal Studios, Dodge, RBC, Pizza Hut, Kia, Workopolis, Chartered Accountants, Cara, Ford, Government of Canada, Rogers, CIBC, BMO, Coke, Petro-Canada and Subway.

Below is an overview of SUPER BOWL programming on CTV and its sports, news, entertainment, music, radio and online properties:

CTV
CTV gets fans up-close and personal with the biggest names on the NFL’s biggest stage prior to SUPER BOWL XLIII on Sunday, Feb. 1, with six hours of comprehensive coverage leading up to the most-watched sporting event in North America. The broadcast schedule is as follows (subject to change):
• ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL
12 noon - 1 p.m. ET
One of the signature programs of the NFL, ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL captures the most dramatic moments of the 2008-09 NFL season, from the opening kickoff of Week 1 in September through the AFC and NFC Championship games. The best material from more than 130 players and coaches wired for sound make this a memorable look back at an unforgettable season.
• SUPER BOWL XLIII PRE-GAME SHOW
1 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET
Bob Costas hosts the pre-game show live on location from Raymond James Stadium, with co-hosts Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, studio analysts Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis, reporter Peter King, and special guests – and SUPER BOWL champions – Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren and Matt Millen. The pre-game show includes an in-depth look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, along with additional analysis, features and interviews in anticipation of the championship tilt.
• SUPER BOWL XLIII – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
6 p.m. ET
The Steelers and the Cardinals both look to make history when they go head-to-head for the Vince Lombardi trophy in SUPER BOWL XLIII. Should the Steelers come out on top, they will be the only team in NFL history to win six SUPER BOWL titles, while a victory for the Cardinals will mark their first SUPER BOWL championship win in franchise history.
• THE MENTALIST – “Red Brick and Ivy”
10:15 p.m. ET
When a leading scientific researcher is killed by poisoning, Patrick Jane takes a personal interest in the case when he learns the prime suspect is the victim's wife.

TSN
TSN travels to Raymond James Stadium, site of SUPER BOWL XLIII, where Rod Smith quarterbacks SPORTSCENTRE’s coverage of the big game, with NFL analysts Chris Schultz and Jesse Palmer breaking down all the action and filing daily reports. Highlights of SPORTSCENTRE’s week-long coverage includes the always-entertaining NFL media day and the final edition of Risky Business on Thursday, plus features on Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, a look at the connection between Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin and Cardinals’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt, and a salute to some great SUPER BOWL performances from the past. On Sunday, SPORTSCENTRE at 10 p.m. ET has extensive post-game coverage of SUPER BOWL XLIII, with Smith, Schultz and Palmer on the field, conducting live interviews and providing analysis of the big game.

TSN also tees up the big game with four hours of SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN, featuring host Chris Berman alongside Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Emmitt Smith, Steve Young and NFL Insider Chris Mortensen. SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN airs February 1 at 10 a.m. ET on TSN.

TSN.ca
TSN.ca is the definitive online destination for SUPER BOWL fans in Canada, as the country’s leading sports website features all the latest news, analysis, interviews, photo galleries and video leading up to and following the championship game.

Chris Schultz and Jesse Palmer give fans a behind-the-scenes look at SUPER BOWL XLIII with online columns and blogs, while Schultz also reveals his final pick of the season in the last instalment of his popular online feature, Schultz Against the World. Armchair quarterbacks can also weigh in with their SUPER BOWL predictions in the Audibles column using the ‘Your Call’ feature to submit picks for the big game.

Fans are also invited to visit TSN.ca and submit their best SUPER BOWL-related questions to Schultz and Palmer, who will answer them online as part of the website’s exclusive SUPER BOWL XLIII video package. The TSN Video Player will also include media day and press conference highlights from SUPER BOWL week, along with daily hits with Schultz and Palmer and post-game reaction and insight from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Finally, fans can get interactive during SUPER BOWL XLIII with the Budweiser NFL Live online prediction and trivia game, powered by Exponentia and sponsored by Labatt Breweries. The game enables fans to make live predictions and answer trivia questions simultaneously online as they watch SUPER BOWL XLIII on CTV. Points are awarded for correct predictions that are triggered by the live in-game action, as well as for correct trivia answers. The Budweiser NFL Live player with the most points at the end of SUPER BOWL XLIII wins a Budweiser prize pack, while one lucky fan at the end of the championship game will also win a 46” Samsung LCD HD TV. Fans can access the interactive game online at TSN.ca.

TSN MOBILE
Football fans on-the-go can keep tabs on all the action in Tampa with up-to-the-minute SUPER BOWL news on TSN Mobile – the portable version of TSN’s industry-leading sports website, TSN.ca, accessible on any wireless device with Internet capabilities. Fans can also sign up for TSN text alerts for breaking news delivered directly to their wireless device.

ETALK
CTV’s ETALK heads to Tampa for all the glitz, glamour and celebrity gossip of SUPER BOWL XLIII, delivering complete coverage of the weekend’s hottest parties and biggest stars leading up to and following the championship game. ETALK correspondent Jesse Palmer dishes on the celebrity news and fan frenzy surrounding the SUPER BOWL, as he is live on location filing reports beginning Thursday, Jan. 29. On SUPER BOWL Sunday, ETALK cameras are front and centre on the field at Raymond James Stadium to capture Jennifer Hudson’s performance of the national anthem. The excitement continues with ETALK coverage of the halftime show featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. On Monday, Feb. 2, ETALK wraps up its SUPER BOWL coverage with highlights from the weekend’s star-studded spectacular.

CANADA AM
CANADA AM jumps on the SUPER BOWL bandwagon and tees up the big game beginning Thursday, Jan. 29. Highlights of CANADA AM’s coverage include reports from Jesse Palmer in Tampa, as well as interviews with Pittsburgh Steelers punter and Kamloops native Mitch Berger, and Berger’s family.

CTV NEWS
CTV NEWS covers all the action in Tampa with SUPER BOWL XLIII reports airing on CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, CANADA AM, CTV NEWSNET and CP24. CTV and ‘A’ local newscasts will also report from many of the SUPER BOWL events taking place across Canada.

CHUM RADIO
CHUM Radio’s sports and entertainment stations tackle SUPER BOWL XLIII in the days leading up to the championship game with analysis, reports and interviews from TSN’s NFL experts. In addition, fans can listen to exclusive live Canadian radio coverage of the big game on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver, TEAM 1200 in Ottawa and TEAM 990 in Montreal.

ESPN CLASSIC
ESPN Classic gets pumped for SUPER BOWL XLIII with Super Bowl Week from January 26 to January 30, featuring a slate of vintage SUPER BOWL match-ups as selected by viewers through an online poll at TSN.ca/Classic. The games showcase the top fan picks in the following poll categories: Favourite SUPER BOWL Team, Favourite SUPER BOWL Quarterback and Greatest SUPER BOWL Upset. In addition, ESPN Classic salutes the city of Tampa, host of SUPER BOWL XLIII, and quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) and Kurt Warner (Arizona) on Friday, Jan. 30. The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Monday, Jan. 26
• 9 p.m. ET – Favourite SUPER BOWL Team: The 1972 Miami Dolphins
Tuesday, Jan. 27
• 9 p.m. ET – Favourite SUPER BOWL Quarterback: Joe Montana
Wednesday, Jan. 28
• 9 p.m. ET – Favourite SUPER BOWL Quarterback Runner Up: Terry Bradshaw
Thursday, Jan. 29
• 9 p.m. ET – Greatest SUPER BOWL Upset: NY Giants in SUPER BOWL XLII
Friday, Jan. 30
• 9 p.m. ET – SUPER BOWL XLIII Salute to the Quarterbacks and Tampa

MUCHMUSIC and MTV
The razzle-dazzle of SUPER BOWL XLIII comes to life on MuchMusic and MTV, as both networks have their fingers on the pop-culture pulse of the biggest stars and most spectacular musical acts in Tampa. Highlights from SUPER BOWL XLIII will air on MuchMusic’s MUCHNEWS and MTV’s MTV NEWS and MTV LIVE.

SPACE
In anticipation of SUPER BOWL XLIII, SPACE takes a closer look at the similarities between sports fans and science fiction fans with host Teddy Wilson on the network’s flagship magazine program, THE CIRCUIT, on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Wilson sits down with Rod Smith, host of SPORTSCENTRE on TSN, and George Zotti, manager of the Silver Snail in Toronto, to find out why sports fans – and not science fiction fans – are more accepted by the general public.

About CTV
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.

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For More Information:
Greg McIsaac, (w) 416.384.5180, (c) 416.458.3591, greg.mcisaac@ctv.ca
Chobi Liang, (w) 416.384.7584, (c) 416.859.4738, chobi.liang@ctv.ca
Simon Bassett, (w) 416.384.7599, simon.bassett@ctv.ca

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