Super Bowl XLIII Pregame and Today Show on NBC in HDTV!  

NBC'S SUPER BOWL XLIII PREGAME SHOW PRESENTS A FULL DAY OF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TAMPA, Fla. - January 29, 2009 - The lead up to the Super Bowl, a full day of football combined with music, comedy and entertainment, along with exclusive interviews with President Barack Obama from the White House and Bruce Springsteen, kicks off on NBC at Noon ET with NBC's Super Bowl XLIII Pregame Show. NBC's pregame coverage will be filled with expert analysis, interviews, features on the participants and an insider's look at the biggest day in sports. The NBC crew will rotate from sets at the NFL Experience, NFL Tailgate and from the "Pirate Ship" inside the stadium, with live reports from team hotels and locker rooms. The "Super Suite," hosted by "Today's" Al Roker, will be celebrity central. Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem as the final act before kickoff.

"The Super Bowl is much more than a game, it's become one of our country's biggest holidays," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. "It's a day when families and friends gather together to celebrate a uniquely American day and we've put together a full day of football and entertainment that we believe has something for everyone, whether you're an avid fan or someone who watches only on this day."

NBC's pregame coverage is hosted by Bob Costas, joined by co-hosts Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick; analysts Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber; and reporter Peter King. Joining the regular "Football Night in America" crew are Super Bowl winning coaches Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren, along with Matt Millen and Rodney Harrison. The "Sunday Night Football" team of Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan and Bob Neumeier will contribute reports and analysis.

9 A.M. ET "TODAY" KICKS OFF NBC'S COVERAGE: During "Today's" special two-hour Super Bowl program, beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT, Meredith Viera, Al Roker and Ann Curry will give viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the sights, sounds, parties and food of the big game as well as the preparations that go into Super Sunday. They will also explore the city of Tampa and experience the local Super Bowl fever. Tiki Barber will get a VIP tour of the stadium from his twin brother Ronde, who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NOON ET "ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL": Bob Costas will kick off NBC's pregame coverage live at Noon ET from the "Pirate Ship" leading into a comprehensive look back at the 2008 NFL season featuring the best of NFL Films cinematography and exclusive audio from players and coaches.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF: NBC News' Matt Lauer will sit down with President Barack Obama for a live interview from the White House during NBC's Super Bowl Pregame Show.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Bruce Springsteen, who will be performing at halftime of Super Bowl XLIII, will be the subject of an exclusive sit-down during pregame with Bob Costas. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, a native of the Jersey shore, is contributing an essay on his idol Springsteen in the pregame show.

COVER ME: Among the features in the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show are segments on the Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt, Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald; features on Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, beloved defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers; analysis of each team with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who analyzed game film with Collinsworth; and a look at what the players experience during Super Bowl week. Rodney Harrison will analyze how to defend the seemingly unstoppable Fitzgerald.

"LITTLE BIG SHOW": Olbermann and Patrick, who together redefined sports highlights, will break down the best highlights from the AFC and NFC this season.

BACK STAGE PASS: NBC will follow the Cardinals and Steelers throughout the lead up to the game, from the team hotels, to the team buses, to the first-ever Super Bowl pregame reports from the locker rooms, to the teams' sidelines. Patrick, Olbermann, Bettis, Barber, Kremer, Flanagan and Neumeier will shadow the AFC and NFC champs.

ROKER TO HOST SUPER SUITE: "Today's" Al Roker will host NBC's pregame coverage from the "NBC Super Suite" from the NFL Experience in Tampa. The Super Suite will be celebrity central during NBC's pregame show with appearances and segments scheduled from among others Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Kevin James, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Hayden Panettiere and Rainn Wilson.

TOP CHEF: Tom Colicchio from Bravo's Top Chef, will join Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis in judging a "Cook-Off" between previous "Top Chef" contestants exploring the cuisines of Arizona and Pittsburgh.

GATORADE SHOWER: CNBC's sports business reporter Darren Rovell will take a look at Gatorade and its iconic presence in the Super Bowl, which most believe started with Harry Carson's Gatorade shower of his coach Bill Parcells in 1986 but actually originated with the Chicago Bears.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: NBC's pregame show will feature live performances from rock stars Journey and John Legend. Faith Hill will perform a special Super Bowl version of her weekly "Sunday Night Football" theme song "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night." Hill also will sing America the Beautiful prior to Jennifer Hudson singing the anthem.

"LET THE SUNSHINE IN": The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore will provide updates on the weather from Tampa throughout the pregame.

From NBC Universal Media Village