Superbowl XLI

This thread is for discussion of coverage of the Superbowl XLI tonight, should anyone want to raise any discussion on the coverage.

Coverage in the UK is on ITV1 from 10:45pm and on Sky Sports 1from 10pm*.

I've been watching some of the pre-game build up on CBS (via the TVU Player), rather amusingly one of the presenters on the pre-game show is James Brown... don't think he's any relation though!

*Sky Sports viewers can watch the game with a British commentary team via the red button.

why are there showing this on ITV? let alone UK tv?

Well Channel 4 showed it in the 1980's and it gained popularity, by 1997 it had moved to Five, personally I find the whole NFL thing really dull, I just cannot get into American Football if my life depended on it. But many people do like it in this country and it just happens that ITV are showing it, as well as Sky Sports who show the NFL on a regular basis, so there is a demand for it.

And it often gets the Highest ratings of the year on American TV, and the advertising slots on US Channels often go into Millions of Dollars for a 30 second ad in the Superbowl.

well at least it better that "the mint" this has got to be the first time in Years that ITV has shown something decent on nightime

Will ITV get a decent feed (ie. downsized HD)? I'm presuming Sky are (as it appears to be on Sky Sports HD1).

Sky are showing the CBS feed in Widescreen and HD. ITV are showing the "world" feed.

what will their do with the adverts? as US has to many for UK law

Sky Sports it is then.

I'm presuming the "world" feed is in 4:3? If so, I've never understood why international companies can't just cut the broadcast into their suitable ratios but at the same time have an option to go 16:9.

ITV showed it last year as well

What they do with every other US sport shown on UK TV ... back to the studio.

Probably, in ITV's case, with Martin Johnson (ex England rugby captain)

And Sky usually advertise when their US feed does too anyway, as does NASN.

Plus it must be a sickener for Sky that they offer basically the same package as free terrestrial except for the postseason - two matches a week and the Superbowl.

And world feeds arent bad - the MLB International feed of the All Star Game and the WS are good.

Well unfortunately my radio show doesnt finish till 12 so il hav to set up the portable.

Just be grateful the Superbowl is showing on a commercial station! Ever watched the US Masters Golf on the BBC? Four hours of continuous live coverage, I think not!

Just to show the Superbowl's popularity, this is the list of channels that it's being shown on around the world (taken from Wikipedia):

(America: CBS)
UK networks ITV/Sky Sports
Canadian networks Global/NTV
Australian network SBS and Foxtel(ESPN) MON:10AM(AEST)
French networks France 2
Danish television TV 2 Zulu
Korean network SBS
Brazilian networks BandSports and ESPN International
German network ARD
Russian network NTV Plus
Chinese networks CCTV-5/Dragon TV/G+ Sports (Shanghai)
Mexican networks TV Azteca, Televisa, and Fox Sports
Swedish network TV6
Norwegian network SportN
South East Asian network ESPN Star
Philippine network Solar Sports
Hungarian network Sport1
Peruvian networks CMD and Fox Sports LA
Argentine networks Fox Sports and ESPN
Italian network SKY Italia