The following is a list of Super Bowl broadcasters, encompassing all national American television and radio networks, as well as sports announcers who have covered the first four AFL-NFL World Championship Games and subsequent championship games of the National Football League. It excludes announcers who may have appeared on local radio broadcasts produced by participating teams' flagship stations.
Super Bowl I stands out as the only Super Bowl simultaneously broadcast in the U.S. by two different networks. At the time, NBC held the rights to nationally televise AFL games, while CBS had the rights for NFL games. Both networks covered the game using their own announcers, but NBC could only use the CBS feed instead of producing its own.[1][2] Starting with Super Bowl II, NBC televised even years, and CBS odd years. This rotation continued until the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, when NBC gained the rights to televise AFC games, and CBS to broadcast NFC games. Despite ABC broadcasting Monday Night Football in 1970, it joined the Super Bowl rotation only from Super Bowl XIX, in January 1985. ABC, CBS, and NBC then continued to rotate the Super Bowl until 1994, when Fox replaced CBS as the NFC broadcaster. CBS then assumed NBC's place in the rotation after CBS replaced NBC as the AFC broadcaster in 1998. Due to new contracts signed in 2006, NBC took over Sunday Night Football from ESPN, took ABC's place in the Super Bowl rotation, and Monday Night Football moved from ABC to ESPN. It continued until new contracts took effect in 2024, allowing not only ABC to return and initiate a four-network rotation but also ESPN to air their first two Super Bowls.[3][4][5]
The four-year rotation starting with Super Bowl LVIII also allows each broadcaster to offer simulcasts or alternative broadcasts on its sister networks and platforms.[3] CBS's sister network Nickelodeon aired an alternate children-oriented telecast of Super Bowl LVIII.[6] ABC's rights include ESPN simulcasts and alternative broadcasts on other ESPN networks.[3][7]
The NFL broke the traditional broadcasting rotation at least twice, both times involving NBC, CBS, and Winter Olympics.[8][9][10] NBC originally had broadcasting rights for Super Bowl XXVI, and CBS for Super Bowl XXVII. However, the NFL allowed the networks to switch the two games to provide CBS with a significant lead-in to its coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics.[11] Similarly, NBC was set to air Super Bowl LV and CBS Super Bowl LVI, but the networks agreed to swap the broadcasting rights. Therefore, CBS benefited from holding rights to the Super Bowl and the 2021 NCAA Final Four, while NBC paired its Super Bowl coverage with the 2022 Winter Olympics.[10][12] Under the four-network rotation starting in 2024, the league awarded NBC the Super Bowl during Winter Olympic years.[3][13][14][15]
CBS has televised the most Super Bowl games, with Super Bowl LV being its 21st, and it just completed the broadcast of its 22nd with Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024.[16]
- ^ Myslenski, Skip (January 26, 1986). "Super Bowl I: CBS vs. NBC". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "10 Things You May Not Know About the First Super Bowl". February 10, 2023. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Gordon, Grant (March 18, 2021). "NFL announces new broadcast deals running through 2033 season". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Belson, Ken; Draper, Kevin (2021-03-18). "N.F.L. Signs Media Deals Worth Over $100 Billion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Davis, Nate. "NFL reaches new 11-year broadcast agreement with TV partners; Amazon Prime lands Thursday night games". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "SpongeBob, slime to highlight Nickelodeon Super Bowl telecast". ESPN.com. August 1, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "NFL reaches TV deals with ESPN, other networks". ESPN.com. 2021-03-18. Archived from the original on 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Levy, Joe (March 14, 2019). "CBS agrees to Super Bowl swap to give NBC Winter Olympics boost". SportsPro. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Crupi, Anthony (March 13, 2019). "CBS, NBC in 'Freaky Friday' Super Bowl swap". adage.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ a b Steinberg, Brian (March 13, 2019). "CBS, NBC to Swap Super Bowl Broadcasts". Variety. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ Draper, Kevin (2018-02-05). "NBC's Super Bowl Win (Everyone Knows About the Olympics Now, Right?)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (March 13, 2019). "NBC trades 2021 Super Bowl to CBS for 2022 edition, letting them pair Super Bowl LVI with the Winter Olympics". AwfulAnnouncing.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
- ^ Draper, Kevin (2018-02-05). "NBC's Super Bowl Win (Everyone Knows About the Olympics Now, Right?)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Reedy, Joe (2022-02-07). "Super Bowl/Olympics Sunday about to become routine for NBC". AP News. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
NBC executives have promoted this as a "once in a lifetime" day. However, it is about to become a common occurrence. When the NFL's 11-year television contract starts in 2023, NBC's spot in the Super Bowl rotation lines up the same year as the Winter Olympics.
- ^ Reedy, Joe (February 7, 2022). "Super Bowl/Olympics Sunday about to become routine for NBC". USA TODAY. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Koblin, John; Draper, Kevin (2024-02-09). "Super Bowl Broadcast Is a Crossroads for CBS Sports". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-12.