why-the-super-bowl-lvi-broadcast-could-be-biggest-ever

Why the Super Bowl LVI Broadcast Could Be the Biggest Ever

This year’s broadcast of the Super Bowl has the potential to be one of the biggest ever. 2022 marks the first time that our country’s largest sporting event aligns with the Winter Olympics. Additionally, Mike Tirico is hosting both the Olympics and the Super Bowl pregame show and postgame Vince Lombardi trophy presentation. 

The game will be hosted at SoFi stadium in Inglewood, California. This year’s game is the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, broadcast on NBC. This is the Rams’ fifth time making it to the high-stakes game, and is the second time they’ve made it in the last four years.

For the Cincinnati Bengals, this will be their first appearance at a Super Bowl since 1989. It’s their third trip altogether, but they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in their previous trips. If they pull through this Sunday, it could be the Bengals’ first Super Bowl win. 

Why is NBC Hosting This Year’s Super Bowl Broadcast?

CBS was originally supposed to host this year’s event and is the leading network for hosting the most Super Bowl broadcasts. However, NBC and CBS agreed in 2019 to swap spots. CBS hosted last year’s game from Tampa rather than NBC. Both networks felt it makes the most sense for NBC to host this year’s game alongside the Winter Olympics, rather than have to compete against the biggest sporting event in the world. This way, NBC is able to market two huge events at once.

 This will be the 20th Super Bowl broadcast for NBC, while CBS leads with 21 broadcasts of the event. Other networks that have previously hosted the event include FOX with 9, and ABC with 7. This will be the 8th time that the game is hosted in Los Angeles. NBC aired four of the seven previous LA-hosted games, including the most recent one in 1993. CBS and NBC both aired the first-ever Super Bowl, which went down at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth are teaming up on announcing duties for their fourth Super Bowl together. Michaels is responsible for play by plays for the 11th time. This ties Michaels with the late Pat Summerall. Michaels’ first six Super Bowl broadcasts were with ABC, and this year is his fifth Super Bowl with NBC. For Collinsworth, this year’s broadcast is especially close to home. Collinsworth played with the Bengals for eight seasons, and also joined the team for both of their previous Super Bowl visits. This is his fifth time handling analyst duties for the event. 

For those who rely on streaming services, the broadcast will be available via Peacock. Additionally, you can watch for free on the NFL website and app. Several other streaming services offer NBC programming, so be sure to check your subscriptions. 

ESPN’s pregame coverage begins at 10am ET, so buckle in for a day full of football. Keep an eye on Outsider for the latest news on the big game!

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