CBS announced today it will broadcast its full slate of five NFL
Playoff Games, culminating in the live broadcast of SUPER BOWL XXXVIII on
Sunday, Feb. 1 (6:25 PM, ET), in high definition television format.
Sony Electronics will sponsor the HDTV broadcasts, which will begin
Sunday, Jan. 4 (4:30 PM - TBD, ET) with the CBS Television Network's
first AFC Wild Card Playoff Game.
In addition, the CBS/Sony collaboration will make possible the
broadcast of the Network's NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY, from the AFC
Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 18 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET); the
Network's XXXVIII pre-game show, THE SUPER BOWL TODAY, on Sunday, Feb.
1 (2:00-6:00 PM, ET), and the AMERICA ONLINE SUPER BOWL XXXVIII
HALFTIME SHOW in HDTV.
CBS Sports' Super Bowl XXXVIII and AFC Playoff HDTV broadcasts
will feature the highest definition television format -- 1080 lines of
picture resolution -- and 5.1 digital Dolby surround sound. The unified
productions for the Standard Definition and HD telecasts will feature the
same camera angles, replays and graphics.
"There is no bigger stage to showcase the HDTV experience than the
Super Bowl," said Sean McManus, President, CBS Sports. "We're pleased to
once again partner with Sony as we continue to believe in the power of
HDTV for all viewers."
"There is no stronger entertainment combination than major
sporting events in HD and Sony's digital television lineup," said Tim
Baxter, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Home Products Division.
"Sony DTVs bring the big action home. Once consumers experience the AFC
Playoffs and the Super Bowl in spectacular high definition sight and
sound, they'll never look at the sporting events the same way. It's
really like no other home theater entertainment."
Sony currently offers 10 fully integrated high-definition (with
HDTV tuners) and more than 25 Hi-Scan� television sets (which can
broadcast the full 1080i HD resolution when paired with an external HD
receiver), including direct-view FD Trinitron� WEGA�, flat panel LCD WEGA
and Plasma WEGA models, advanced microdisplay Grand WEGA� and rear
projection CRT television models.
Following is the schedule for CBS Sports' HDTV broadcasts of the
AFC Playoffs and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Wild Card Weekend
Sunday, Jan. 4
AFC Game, 4:30 PM, ET, on CBS
Divisional Playoffs
Saturday, Jan. 10
AFC Game, 8:00 PM, ET, on CBS
Sunday, Jan. 11
AFC Game, 1:00 PM, ET, on CBS
Conference Championships
Sunday, Jan. 18
AFC Championship Game, 3:00 PM, ET, on CBS
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Sunday, Feb. 1
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Kick-off : 6:25 PM, ET, on CBS
This fall, CBS began its fifth year of presenting the majority
of its primetime lineup in high definition. CBS is also the leader in HD
sports broadcasts. For the last four years, CBS also has aired HD
productions of the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and Championship
Games, as well as The Masters� Golf tournament. CBS also broadcast the
2001 Super Bowl and all of the 2003 AFC Playoffs in HDTV. CBS broadcasts,
on average, 25 hours per week of High Definition programming, more than
any other broadcast network, and more original HD programming per week
than any other network, broadcast or cable or satellite. One hundred and
fifty-one of CBS's owned and affiliated stations are currently
broadcasting in digital, covering approximately 91.5 percent of the nation
and by the end of the year will reach 95 percent.
CBS Sports and Sony were responsible for the first ever
broadcast of a professional football game in high definition format on
Sunday, November 8, 1998 when the historic broadcast featured the AFC East
Division co-leaders, Buffalo Bills against the New York Jets live on the
CBS Television Network. The game was the first of four high definition
games presented by CBS Sports and Sony during the 1998 season.
CBS Television is comprised of the CBS Television Network --
with over 200 owned and affiliated stations reaching virtually every
television home in the United States; the Network's programming arms CBS
Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports; and CBS Enterprises, a global
leader in distribution.
For additional information on Sony products and images, please
go to
www.sony.com/news.
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