FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 28th, 2014

COMCAST SPORTSNET ANNOUNCES ITS COMPREHENSIVE 2014 CHICAGO BEARS/NFL SEASON ON-AIR/ONLINE COVERAGE LINE-UP

“Pro Football Weekly” (Season Premiere): Friday, August 29 at 5:00 PM

“United Bears Recap” (Season Premiere): Monday, September 1 at 4:30 PM

“Bears Huddle presented by Tempur-Pedic” (Season Premiere): Wednesday, September 3 at 4:30 PM

“Bears Blitz presented by XFINITY” (Season Premiere): Thursday, September 4 at 4:30 PM

“3 and Out” (Season Premiere): Thursday, September 4 at 7:30 PM

“SportsNet Central: Playbook with Jim Miller” (Season Premiere): Friday, September 5 at 10:30 PM

“BEARS PREGAME LIVE presented by Meier” (Season Premiere): Sunday, September 7 at 10:30 AM

“BEARS HALFTIME LIVE” (Live stream Season Premiere): Sunday, September 7

“BEARS POSTGAME LIVE presented by Nissan” (Season Premiere): Sunday, September 7 at 3:30 PM

“SportsNet Central: Inside the Huddle w/Jon Bostic” (Season Premiere): Sunday, September 7 at 10:30 PM

“The Lance Briggs Show presented by GWC Law” (Season Premiere): Wednesday, September 10 at 10:30 PM

“Chicago Huddle” (Season Premiere): Friday, September 12 at 4:00 PM

CSNChicago.com to deliver 24/7 Bears coverage all season long featuring Bears “Insider” John ‘Moon’ Mullin

Details on four, new “Bears Classics” specials coming soon

 

Chicago, IL (August 27, 2014) – With the 2014 Chicago Bears and NFL season set to begin next week, Comcast SportsNet and CSNChicago.com have announced a full line-up of Bears and additional pro football related programming/coverage for the upcoming season.  Please note the following on-air and online details:

 

BEARS GAME DAY PROGRAMMING…

BEARS PREGAME LIVE presented by Meier – Beginning Sunday, September 7 prior to the Chicago Bears 2014 NFL season opener vs. Buffalo, Comcast SportsNet kicks off its Bears game day coverage with Bears Pregame Live presented by Meier.  Now in its second season, this one-hour pre-game show – the ONLY live, local Bears pre-game show on Chicago television – provides fans with the very latest game day news, player updates, a detailed X’s and O’s game preview breakdown and analysis, along with numerous on-field pre-game reports.  Bears Pregame Live is hosted by Chris Boden featuring expert analysis from former Bears quarterback Jim Miller, former Bears offensive lineman/veteran Chicago sports personality Dan Jiggetts and CSNChicago.com Bears “Insider” John “Moon” Mullin.  Plus, SportsNet Central’s Bears beat reporter Jen Lada will provide additional pre-game coverage from the field with up-to-the-minute game day information.  (NOTES: The season premiere of Bears Pregame Live on Sunday, Sept. 7 will air at 10:30 AM prior White Sox Pregame Live, which will air at 11:30 AM…For all home games this season, Bears Pregame Live will take place at Soldier Field’s Comcast Bears Den, located inside the stadium north of Gate 15 in the West Grand Concourse.  All fans attending home games are encouraged stop by to watch the live program in person).

BEARS HALFTIME LIVE – Also returning for its second season, debuting Sunday, September 7, will be Bears Halftime Live, a special “live-stream” exclusive that fans can view on CSNChicago.com & ChicagoBears.com.  Bears Halftime Live features Boden and Miller, who will breakdown the first half of every game focusing on the key plays/game moments that had the greatest impact during the first 30 minutes of action, along with their thoughts on precisely what the Bears need to focus on for the remainder of each contest.  NOTE: For all home games this season, Bears Halftime Live will take place at Soldier Field.

BEARS POST GAME LIVE presented by NISSAN – Immediately following CSN’s coverage of White Sox baseball on Sunday, September 7 (approx. 3:30 PM), Bears Postgame Live presented by Nissan returns as THE destination for fans to hear from the experts who played the game, along with their always-entertaining, no-holds-barred take on the day’s events.  The 90-minute post-game show is hosted by Boden and features detailed post-game analysis from Miller & Jiggetts.  In addition to the spirited banter from the stars of the show, Bears Postgame Live also showcases the live post-game press conferences with coaches and players from both teams.  Lada & Mullin will also provide immediate post-game interviews with Bears players inside & outside the locker room.  Bears Postgame Live presented by Nissan can be seen on Comcast SportsNet following every Bears game this season with replays airing regularly throughout the season on Sunday nights and Monday afternoons.

 

WEEKLY BEARS/NFL PROGRAMMING…

UNITED BEARS RECAP – Comcast SportsNet is the place for Bears fans to watch the official team press conference featuring head coach Marc Trestman.  Hosted by Boden and Jiggetts, United Bears Recap will go to Halas Hall each week to hear from the Bears head coach, along with additional Bears players/coaches interviews.  The show will also air game highlights and viewers can also look forward to additional United Bears Recap content on CSNChicago.com.  The one-hour United Bears Recap makes its 2014 debut on Monday, September 1 at 4:30 PM with a special “season preview” edition and the show can be seen regularly on Mondays at 4:30 PM throughout the entire Bears season.

BEARS HUDDLE presented by Tempur-Pedic – Every Wednesday at 4:30 PM beginning September 3, Comcast SportsNet will provide Bears fans with a preview of the team’s next opponent on Bears Huddle.  This one-hour show, hosted by Boden and Jiggetts, features weekly interviews with Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and Bears assistant head coach Joe DeCamillis. Additional content via team updates and interviews will be provided by Lada and Mullin.  To go along with numerous game highlights, Bears Huddle will also provide a multitude of key stats for all categories and will feature in-depth player match-up analysis for every upcoming game.  Fans can also interact with the show on Twitter by utilizing the hashtag #BearsTalk.

BEARS BLITZ presented by XFINITY – Every Thursday at 4:30 PM beginning September 4, Comcast SportsNet will provide Bears fans with even more in-depth game previews and analysis on Bears Blitz.  This one-hour show also features the same talent line-up and similar show format as presented in Bears Huddle will include interviews with Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer and Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.  Fans can once again interact with the show on Twitter by utilizing the hashtag #BearsTalk.

THE LANCE BRIGGS SHOW presented by GWC Law – Bears fans can also look forward to yet another entertaining season of The Lance Briggs Show presented by GWC Law, featuring host Pat Boyle and seven-time Chicago Bears Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs.  This half-hour program provides fans with a complete preview of the Bears’ next game, including a discussion about all the key plays from the team’s previous game.  Highlighted segments from the show include a social media fan interactive segment with select questions to be answered by Briggs, along with the popular, two-minute “Hurry Up” segment with Boyle firing off a multitude of questions to Briggs.   The season premiere of The Lance Briggs Show on Comcast SportsNet airs Wednesday, September 10 at 10:30 PM.  Weekly premiere airings will take place regularly on Tuesday nights at 10:30 PM with repeats to be shown at varied times on Wednesday afternoons.

SPORTSNET CENTRAL: PLAYBOOK WITH JIM MILLER – Debuting Friday, September 5 at 10:30 PM and airing every Friday night at 10:30 PM throughout the 2014 Bears/NFL season, SportsNet Central: Playbook with Jim Miller features host Kip Lewis and the former Bears QB who will layout his game plan for the Bears upcoming game, along with his insight on what current Bears QB Jay Cutler and his offensive weapons need to accomplish to bring home a victory.

SPORTSNET CENTRAL: INSIDE THE HUDDLE (featuring Bears linebacker Jon Bostic) – Debuting Sunday, September 7 at 10:30 PM and airing every Sunday night at 10:30 PM during the Bears/NFL season, SportsNet Central: Inside the Huddle features the in-studio appearance of Bears linebacker Jon Bostic, who will discuss the day’s game in detail and offer his thoughts on what the Bears did right or wrong in that particular’s day’s game.  Plus, the half-hour show will showcase full NFL highlights from all the day’s key match-ups.  In addition, all season long, SportsNet Central’s team of anchors and reporters will provide the very latest Bears/NFL updates nightly at 6:30 PM, 10:00 PM, 10:30 PM and midnight.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY – Entering its 27th season on television, Pro Football Weekly is a half-hour program hosted by SportsNet Central’s Pat Boyle and features an expert panel led by Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, former Bears quarterback Jim Miller and PFW founder Hub Arkush.  The program’s in-depth preview analysis and unique format make the show a preferred vehicle for football fans desiring the most thorough coverage of the NFL.  This hard-hitting program features the latest NFL news reports, opinions and insider information.  Pro Football Weekly makes its regular season premiere on Friday, August 29 at 5:00 PM with regular weekly debuts airing on Fridays at 4:30 PM; replays can be seen Friday evenings at 11:30 PM, Saturday afternoons/evenings at varied times, and Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM.

3 AND OUT – Debuting Thursday, September 4 at 7:00 PM, NBC Sports Regional Networks’ football analysis and debate program 3 and Out returns for its second season on CSN Chicago and will also air on Comcast SportsNet regional sports networks across the country.  The weekly 30-minute program will employ next generation fiber optics to connect a panel of accomplished and spirited football analysts, each located within a separate NFL market, to break down the three most impactful storylines affecting that week’s action. With a deep roster of football analysts at large across the country and state of the art communications technology, Comcast SportsNet’s ability to virtually come together each week and produce a football analysis roundtable like “3 and Out” is unique. While each week’s three selected storylines will dictate which panelists will make up the “3 and Out” panel, the program will feature frequent appearances and contributions from Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s roster of on-air/online talent.  Viewers are urged to check their local listings or visit CSNChicago.com for weekly scheduled airings.

SPORTSTALK LIVE presented by The Chevy Silverado – Comcast SportsNet sets the table with lively sports talk every Monday through Friday night at 5:30 PM on SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado.  Throughout the 2014 NFL season, SportsTalk Live host David Kaplan and a panel of pro football experts from the Chicago Sun-Times, along with guests from local sports talk radio and national media, will breakdown the games and preview the match-ups that lie ahead for the Bears and other key games from around the NFL.  In addition, SportsTalk Live will also feature a number of special guests from the world of football all season long, including appearances from players, coaches, celebrities and many more.

CHICAGO HUDDLE – Back for its fourth season on Comcast SportsNet, Chicago Huddle is hosted Dan Jiggetts, who will be joined each week by a variety of Bears players as rotating hosts, and Maxim cover girl/Chicago media personality April Rose. Taped at Chili’s in Vernon Hills, Chicago Huddle provides fans with an in-depth, weekly Bears review/preview/interview show throughout the entire 2014 campaign.  The season premiere airs on Friday, September 12 at 4:00 PM with replay airings at varied times on Saturdays, along with Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM.

 

CSNCHICAGO.COM – Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s website, CSNChicago.com, delivers comprehensive 24/7 Bears and NFL coverage all season long via its “Bears Talk” platform featuring the following digital and social media highlights this season:

  • Bears Pulse – a one-stop social media hub that reveals the latest trending topics and player buzz from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Plus, “Bears Pulse” aggregates all Bears player tweets, along with fan tweets that utilize the hashtag #BearsTalk.
  • John “Moon” Mullin – CSNChicago.com’s resident Bears “Insider” returns for his sixth season on the beat.  Fans can follow Mullin at Twitter @CSNMoonMullin for the latest team/player news and inside access 24/7.  Mullin will also file daily stories/video reports, which include his popular “View from the Moon” segments, and will make regular on-air appearances throughout the season on Bears Pre/Postgame Live, SportsTalk Live and SportsNet Central.
  • CSNChicago.com digital BearsTalk contributor Scott Krinch (@scottiekrinch) will also be providing game day reports, analysis and features.
  • BearsTalk, presented by Max Madsen Mitsubishi – CSNChicago.com’s high-velocity, real-time, comprehensive Bears news section featuring original commentary, news reports, trades and rumor via contributions from Mullin, Boden, Lada, Lewis, and other in-house experts as they lend their knowledge and expertise to the latest happenings in the NFC North, as well as league-wide. BearsTalk is under the banner of NBC SportsTalk, NBC’s successful digital franchise on NBCSports.com that includes ProFootballTalk, HardballTalk, ProBasketballTalk, ProHockeyTalk, CollegeFootballTalk and GolfTalkCentral. SportsTalk was extended to CSNChicago.com through the creation of BlackhawksTalk, BullsTalk, CubsTalk, WhiteSoxTalk and BearsTalk, which contains interactive content and continually updated insights from the network’s digital and on-air talent.
  • Twitter – Bears Talk (@CSNBears) is THE Twitter source for Bears breaking news, updates, rumors, trade and much more 24/7.  Fans are encouraged to use #BearsTalk to voice their opinions and interact with CSN reporters and analysts.  Additional must-follow Twitter handles include @JenLada (Jen Lada), @CSNBoden (Chris Boden), @CSNkiplewis (Kip Lewis), @CSNBoyle (Pat Boyle) and @15miller (Jim Miller).
  • CSNChicago.com’s state-of-the-art “AT&T U-Verse Lounge” will provide expanded Bears content through daily and weekly shows and segments.
  • CSNChicago.com’s Bears content will also be distributed via its digital network of partnerships including NBCSports.com, NBCNews.com, Yahoo! Sports and Xfinity.com.

 

In addition, Comcast SportsNet will be airing four, brand new BEARS CLASSICS documentaries this fall.  More specific details and air dates for these specials will be announced separately in the coming weeks.