ESPN Unveils Plans To Cover Super Bowl LI

ESPN will cover Super Bowl LI – Tom Brady and the New England Patriots vs. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons – from various locations in Houston beginning today, with Super Bowl Opening Night at Minute Maid Park and culminating Super Bowl Sunday with live editions of NFL PrimeTime and SportsCenter from the field at NRG Stadium.

Wednesday through Friday, SportsCenter and ESPN’s NFL shows will originate from downtown Houston – adjacent to the Toyota Center between Austin, Bell, LaBranch and Leeland Streets, while Mike & Mike, First Take and Outside the Lines will be live from nearby Lucky’s Pub (801 St Emanuel St.). Fans are invited to view live programming from both locations, free of charge.

Additionally, ESPN Radio’s The Stephen A. Smith Show and Russillo & Kanell will broadcast from Radio Row at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

ESPN’s Super Bowl commentator team is led by veteran NFL host Chris Berman, who is covering his 35th Super Bowl. In recognition of his many career milestones and achievements, ESPN will present an hour-long tribute – Chris Berman: He Did Go All The Way – on Thursday, February 2, at 10:30 p.m. ET before Berman assumes a new role at ESPN following Super Bowl LI.

ESPN Shows Originating from Houston:

SportsCenter On the Road (Mon, Wed-Sun from various locations): Hannah Storm, Sage Steele, Cari Champion and Steve Levy rotate as hosts of ESPN’s flagship news and information program. Additionally, Michele Steele will file SportsCenter content for social platforms and TV.

First Take (Wed-Fri from Lucky’s Pub): ESPN’s weekday morning debate show features Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim.

Outside the Lines (Wed-Fri from Lucky’s Pub): Bob Ley reports the news and provides analysis and unique perspective, while leading in-depth discussions with the biggest names in football.
NFL Insiders (Wed-Fri from downtown Houston): Suzy Kolber (Wed, Fri) and Wendi Nix (Thu) host with Hall of Famer Bill Polian, NFL Front Office Insider Louis Riddick and NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.

NFL Live (Wed-Fri from downtown Houston): Trey Wingo hosts with Super Bowl champions Tedy Bruschi, Ryan Clark, Mark Schlereth and Charles Woodson, former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, and Schefter.

Sal Paolantonio (Patriots) and Ed Werder (Falcons) – covering their 20th Super Bowl together for ESPN – and Josina Anderson provide team updates on a variety of shows throughout the week.



ESPN shows from Houston on Super Bowl Sunday:

TIME (ET) SHOW & COMMENTATORS NETWORK(S)

• 8-10 a.m. SportsCenter (downtown Houston) Hannah Storm, Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski ESPN
• 10-11 a.m. NFL Insiders: Sunday Edition (NRG Stadium) Trey Wingo, Bill Polian, Louis Riddick, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter ESPN
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Postseason NFL Countdown Presented by Snickers Chris Berman, Wendi Nix, Trent Dilfer, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss and Charles Woodson (downtown Houston) and Suzy Kolber, Steve Young, Mortensen and Schefter (NRG Stadium) ESPN
• 10:30-11:30 p.m. NFL PrimeTime Presented by Audi (NRG Stadium) Berman, Moss and Young ESPN
• 11:30 p.m.-1 a.m. SportsCenter (NRG Stadium) Steve Levy, Ryan Clark and Dilfer ESPN

ESPN’s Specials during Super Bowl Week:  

SportsCenter Special: NFL Moms (Jan. 30 at 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2): Countdown’s Annie Apple leads a roundtable discussion with the mothers of Martellus (New England) and Michael Bennett (Seattle), Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas), Joe Flacco (Baltimore), Rob Gronkowski (New England) and Sterling Shepard (New York Giants).

Outside the Lines: Football Forever (Feb. 4 at 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The one-hour primetime special explores the role football plays in America and the game’s impact on communities across the nation. An excerpt will also air during OTL’s Super Bowl Sunday show (9 a.m. ET, ESPN2.)

ESPN Radio Shows Originating from Houston:

• Mike & Mike: (Wed-Fri from 6-10 a.m. ET, ESPN Radio and ESPN2): Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic – hosts of ESPN Radio’s popular national morning show – are live from Lucky’s Pub in downtown Houston.
• Russillo & Kanell (Wed-Fri from 1-4 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio): Ryen Russillo and Danny Kanell host the daily Russillo & Kanell live from Radio Row at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
• The Stephen A. Smith Show (Wed-Fri from 1-3 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio): Host Stephen A. Smith will be live from Radio Row.
• The Bill Barnwell Show (Wed at 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Audio On Demand): ESPN.com NFL writer Bill Barnwell will host a live podcast taping at The Dosey Doe Big Barn, outside Houston in The Woodlands. ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine writer Mina Kimes will co-host and ESPN The Magazine writer Seth Wickersham will also join. Doors open at 6 p.m. CT. Barnwell and guests will be available for a meet-and-greet with fans at 8:30 p.m. CT.
• Fantasy Focus Football (Thu at 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Audio On Demand): ESPN Fantasy experts Matthew Berry, Field Yates and Stephania Bell will host a live podcast taping at The Dosey Doe Big Barn. Doors open at 6 p.m. CT. Hosts and guests will be available for a meet-and-greet with fans at 8:30 p.m. CT.
• The Trifecta (Sat from 12-3 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio): NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith will be among the guests joining hosts Sarah Spain, Jane McManus and Kate Fagan from Radio Row.

ESPN New York 98.7FM will also have multiple shows on-site in Houston, including:

• Hahn & Humpty (Thu and Fri from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio New York): Hosts Alan Hahn, Rick DiPietro and Super Bowl champion Chris Canty will air live from Radio Row.
• The Michael Kay Show (Wed-Fri from 3-7 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio New York): Michael Kay, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg will broadcast live from Radio Row.
• ESPN’s Anita Marks will guest host The Dave Rothenberg Show (Fri from 7-10 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio New York) and host her eponymous The Anita Marks Show (Sat from 12-1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio New York) from Radio Row.

ESPN Deportes

ESPN Deportes Television will offer comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl LI via its renowned team of experts including former NFL standouts Roberto Garza and Raul Allegre, Alvaro Martin, John Sutcliffe, Ciro Procuna, Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega, Mauricio Pedroza and Kary Correa, who will be reporting from Houston all week. Coverage includes live segments on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Los Capitanes, Nación ESPN and Cronómetro across all studio programming.

ESPN Deportes Radio will present week-long news and information with on-site reporting and analysis from Sebastian Martinez Christensen, Kenneth Garay and Eduardo Martell. Firma ESPN and Zona ESPN will be produced live in Houston throughout Super Bowl week.

comwill provide complete reporting and highlights throughout the week, including daily live streaming segments, press conferences, and news, updates and analysis on both teams. Reporters Carlos Nava and Sebastian Martinez Christensen will be on-site to cover both teams.

ESPN Deportes Social Media will have a social reporter on-site for the game to capture the sights and sounds in and around Houston generating Snapchat/Instagram stories, stat graphic posts and comprehensive content across Facebook and Twitter.

ESPN International

ESPN International and its affiliated networks will present Super Bowl LI live to more than 120 million households in 66 countries and territories throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Canada, India and the Indian subcontinent. Commentary and analysis is provided in four languages — English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Highlights.

ESPN Digital

ESPN Digital coverage of Super Bowl LI includes analysis, commentary, breaking news and more across ESPN.com and the ESPN App leading up to and during the game. ESPN.com’s roster of journalists includes NFL senior writers John Clayton, Dan Graziano, David Fleming, Mina Kimes, Jeff Legwold, Ian O’Connor, Elizabeth Merrill, Kevin Van Valkenburg, Jeff Legwold and Seth Wickersham, analyst Bill Barnwell, NFL Nation reporters, and more.

Highlights:

• Analysis from Bill Barnwell on how the Super Bowl teams were built and who has the advantage in the game.
• A meditation on the national anthem and its significance from ESPN’s Tom Junod.
• Ranking every Super Bowl winning coach and every Super Bowl MVP.
• Super Bowl predictions from ESPN personalities, writers, celebrities and more.
• In-depth previews of the game from NFL Nation reporters, including all the latest news and updates from Mike Reiss (covering Patriots) and Vaughn McClure (Falcons).
• Kevin Seifert’s coverage of big-game officiating will have a preview, a look at the biggest, best, and worst calls, and a full review.
• ESPN Digital video from Houston, featuring NFL Nation reporters and NFL Insiders, including coverage of Super Bowl Opening Night.
• ESPN Insider content includes on-location analysis from Mike Sando, Pro Football Focus’ ranking of all 106 players in the Super Bowl, betting coverage from ESPN Chalk, and many more advanced-metric breakdowns leading up to and following the game.
• Instant postgame analysis, grades for each team and the hugely popular Way-Too-Early Power Rankings for the coming season.

There will also be features on key players for each team from ESPN The Magazine, in addition to a guide to Houston from local athletes.