List of Pro Bowl broadcasters

The following is a list of the television networks and announcers who have broadcast the National Football League's Pro Bowl throughout the years.

2010s

Notes

• The 2010 game was the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game. It was held the weekend before the Super Bowl.^[2] NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the move was made after looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl.^[3] The game was also moved up in order to prevent a conflict that would have taken place if the game had taken place on February 13 or 14 (CBS would have rights, and based on the 52nd Grammy Awards, would have moved the game to the Saturday, as they did in 2007), with the game facing against the NBA All-Star Game, Winter Olympics, and Daytona 500.

• ESPN will regain exclusive rights to the Pro Bowl beginning in 2015^[4].

2000s

Notes

• In February 2003, John Madden declined to be part of the announcing crew due to his aviatophobia and claustrophobia. Former San Diego Chargers quarterback and Monday Night Football personality Dan Fouts, whom Madden had replaced, took his place. This was also the case in 2009, when Cris Collinsworth filled-in for Madden on NBC's coverage.

• In 2004-2006, ABC (who by the early 2000s, had been suffering through several years of dismal ratings) sold its rights to the Pro Bowl (which was a part of the Monday Night Football package since 1995) to sister network ESPN. In those years, the ESPN Sunday Night Football crew covered the game. Prior to the game being moved to ESPN, ABC considered moving the game to Monday night.

• Under the eight year televising contract beginning in 2006, the network that broadcasts the Super Bowl will also get the Pro Bowl. Typically, CBS and Fox will utilize their "B" or "Number 2" broadcasting crew.

• The 2007 game on CBS was held on the Saturday after Super Bowl XLI because of the Grammy Awards.

1990s

1980s

Notes

• In 1980 (the first year that the Pro Bowl was in Hawaii), Al Michaels filled-in for Frank Gifford on play-by-play. Gifford was away in Austria covering the World Championships of Skiing.

1970s

Notes

• For the first four seasons following the AFL-NFL merger (1970–1973; 1971-1974 games), CBS and NBC alternated coverage of the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, with the networks switching the broadcasts each year (when NBC televised the Super Bowl, CBS televised the Pro Bowl, and vice versa).

• The game was part of ABC's Monday Night Football package from the 1974-1986 seasons (1975-1987 games).

1960s

1950s

Notes

• From the 1951 thru the 1964 seasons, the Pro Bowl TV rightsholders were the Los Angeles Newspaper Charities, as opposed to the National Football League. Since the 1965 season, the NFL has owned the telecast rights.

• In 1954 (actually, January 1955), DuMont obtained rights from the Los Angeles Newspaper Charities to cover the Pro Bowl only one week before the game date. As they had trouble lining up affiliates to cover the game on such short notice, the telecast was cancelled.

• In 1956 (January 1957), both NBC and CBS passed on the telecast. ABC apparently considered televising the game, but could not gain enough clearance of affiliates to televise. So for the third straight year, there was no telecast.

Blackout policies

Although Hawaii does not have a NFL team of its own, the Pro Bowl games played there from 1980-2009 were still subject to the NFL's blackout policies, requiring the game to be blacked out within the state of Hawaii if all seats were not sold out by the specified 72-hour deadline.^[6][7] This restriction was not in effect in Hawaii for the 2010 game, but was transferred to the Miami media market.

See also

• List of AFL All-Star Game broadcasters
• List of Playoff Bowl broadcasters

References

External links

• Pro Bowl TV Announcers
• Sportscasting History
• The Complete History of the Pro Bowl
• ESPN to televise 2010 Pro Bowl.
  • Game was expected to air on CBS
• Pro Bowl Numbers Game