To help celebrate
the return of football on Thursday, NBCUniversal is kicking off "Back to
Football" week.
All week long,
NBCU will feature football-themed programming, including on-site segments with
players and NBC Sports commentators, leading up to Thursday night's season
opener featuring the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers playing
host to the previous season's champion New Orleans Saints.
A four-month lockout from March-July had threatened the 2011 season, but on
Thursday the league's season will begin on time.
"For so many
Americans, the start of football season is a special time, and once again the
NBCUniversal family helps to build upon the momentum when our country gets 'Back to Football,'" said John Miller, CMO of NBCU Television Group and head of
NBC Sports Agency. "This is the first NFL season for the new NBCUniversal and
more assets than ever are involved in the NBC Sports Group's 'Big Event
Strategy.'"
On Thursday, NBC
will send Today's Al Roker and Matt Lauer to report on-site from Green
Bay, Wis., including interviews with NBC Sports commentators and features with
players. Fourth-hour Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford will have an
NFL-themed segment on Wednesday. On Saturday, the weekend edition of Today
will interview one of the analysts for the network's Sunday-night studio show Football
Night in America.
NBC's two
late-night hosts, Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, will also feature football-themed
segments and sketches throughout the week. Tonight Show correspondent
Rove McManus will have a taped feature interviewing fans and locals from Green
Bay.
Other highlights
of NBCU's "Back to Football" week include:
Access Hollywood
On Thursday, Access Hollywood will air a
behind-the-scenes feature with Faith Hill recording and performing the Sunday
Night Football opener, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night."
America's Got Talent
Talent will incorporate an NFL Kickoff message
and "Back to Football" information into the Tuesday and Wednesday broadcasts.
Weather Channel
Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams will be on-site in Green Bay
reporting live for Wake Up with Al and Your Weather Today on
Thursday.
CNBC
Sports-business reporter Darren Rovell will be on-site in
Green Bay reporting live for CNBC's daytime coverage on Thursday.
E!
Will report live from Green Bay on Thursday for E! News.
Telemundo
Late-night sports and entertainment show, Titulares y Más,
will be on-site in Green Bay covering the Kickoff concert and all the NFL
Kickoff news.
NBC Affiliates and Comcast Regional Sports Networks
Local correspondents will report live from Green Bay on
Thursday, feeding content to all 235 local stations and 11 Comcast Regional
Sports Networks. NBC affiliates in NFL markets will also help celebrate "Back
to Football Friday," by wearing NFL customized jerseys on-air Friday morning.
