Road to Super Bowl airs at noon on NBC

How did the New York Giants and New England Patriots advance to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis?  Fans can relive the journey as only NFL Films can present it on “Road to the Super Bowl” on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5 at Noon Eastern Time on NBC.    
  
“Road to the Super Bowl” begins with Kickoff Weekend and chronicles the 2011 NFL season utilizing NFL Films’ signature captivating video and sound from on the field and in the locker room from exclusive player and coach wirings.
 
“For those who love football, this show is red meat,” said NFL Films president Steve Sabol. “No interviews, no talking heads, all action.”
  
“Road to the Super Bowl” is the longest-running (42 years) and most honored (28 Sports Emmys) annual sports special. “Road to the Super Bowl,” which debuted following the 1969 season, was culled by NFL Films producers from more than 1.7 million feet of game footage to 980 feet for the one-hour special.  In addition, more than 400 hours of audio were captured from 133 exclusive coach and player on-field wirings.  Original orchestral music, including a 60-person choir, was used in producing the show.

Elsewhere in NFL and Super Bowl-related news, The Whistle -- the first cross-platform content provider solely focused on developing entertaining, educational and participatory sports programming tailored to kids -- and the National Football League, America’s most popular sports league among kids, announced today a comprehensive content agreement. The announcement was made by Jeff Urban, The Whistle co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer and Peter O’Reilly, NFL Vice President for Fan Strategy and Marketing.
  
Highlights of the agreement include:
The Whistle and NFL Films will work together to co-develop NFL-themed programming targeted to kids.
Programming developed by The Whistle and NFL Films will be co-distributed across The Whistle’s media platforms, as well as NFL-owned media platforms.
The Whistle will join the NFL PLAY 60 campaign, designed to combat childhood obesity, by encouraging kids through participatory video and online content to be active for a least 60 minutes a day.
  
“Who better for The Whistle to partner with than the NFL and NFL Films as we look to engage, entertain and educate the next generation of sports kids,” said Urban, the former SVP of Sports Marketing at Gatorade. “By partnering with the NFL and NFL Films, we’ll be able to create engaging NFL programming for all of the platforms that kids use today.”
  
The Whistle has already begun developing several shows in partnership with the NFL.
  
“The NFL is committed to engaging our young fans in new and cutting edge ways and The Whistle will help us reach them across all platforms,” O’Reilly told the Associated Press. “The Whistle joins our strong set of youth media and marketing partners – creating a unique outlet for kids to not only learn about our game and our players but also get involved in fun initiatives like NFL PLAY 60. We are thrilled that NFL will bring its tremendous storytelling abilities to this relationship as we work closely together to create great NFL content for kids.”
  
The Whistle is the first cross-platform content provider providing interactive sports content specifically designed for kids – the next generation of sports fans. Led by sports and entertainment industry veterans -- and including investors such as 4-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and 12-time MLB All-Star Derek Jeter -- The Whistle offers entertaining and inspiring sports content across TV, internet, mobile and gaming platforms, where this generation of “digital natives” lives. The Whistle is where kids go for sports and sports go for kids.     
  
The National Football League is the most popular sports league among kids in America. The NFL is committed to growing the next generation of NFL fans by creating unique platforms for kids to learn about the NFL, its players and get engaged with NFL youth programs including NFL PLAY 60.  With more than 22 million kids tuning in to watch the NFL during the 2011 regular season, the NFL has seen growing interest from kids on TV and across its youth online platforms, NFLRUSH.com and the NFLRUSH Zone game world.
     
Contact for NFL: Clare Graff, Corporate Communications, o) 212/450-2435
Contact for The Whistle:  Jodie Sweitzer, c) 610/213-2456, jodie@thewhistle.com