FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

RUSSELL WILSON & SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HOST MATTHEW STAFFORD & DETROIT LIONS IN NBC’S NFL WILD CARD GAME THIS SAT., JAN. 7, AT 8:15 PM ET

Coverage Begins with Special Edition of Football Night In America at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC

NBCSports.com & the NBC Sports app to Live Stream Lions-Seahawks

NBC’S “Sunday Night Football” Finishes 2016 Season on Pace to be TV’s #1 Primetime Show For Record 6th Consecutive Year

STAMFORD, Conn. – January 4, 2017 – NBC kicks off its NFL Playoff coverage this Saturday, Jan. 7, at 8:15 p.m. ET with an NFC Wild Card matchup, when Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks (NFC West, 10-5-1) host Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions (NFC North, 9-7) at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. NBC’s NFL Wild Card coverage on Saturday begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with a special edition of Football Night In America.

Detroit looks to bounce back from a 31-24 loss to the Packers last week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Stafford has passed for at least 300 yards in each of his two career postseason games, and is averaging 351.5 yards per game this season. The Lions are in the playoffs for the second time in the past three seasons, but are looking for their first playoff victory since 1991.

For the fifth straight season, the Seattle Seahawks are headed to the playoffs, the longest streak in franchise history. The Seahawks have won their last nine home playoff games, and have never lost in the postseason at home under head coach Pete Carroll. In the past five seasons, Seattle has won three division titles and advanced to the Super Bowl twice, winning Super Bowl XLVIII. The teams last met in Week 4 of 2015, with the Seahawks winning 13-10 at home.

Calling Lions-Seahawks are Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 31st season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package, and 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth. They will be joined by sideline reporters Michele Tafoya and Heather Cox.

NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by Emmy Award-winning producer Fred Gaudelli and Emmy Award-winning director Drew Esocoff.

Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, is hosted by Mike Tirico, who will report from CenturyLink Field. Dan Patrick will host from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., and will be joined by Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison and Mike Florio of NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk.

Next Sunday, January 15, NBC presents the AFC Divisional Playoff featuring the second-seed Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. NBC’s Divisional Playoff coverage begins at Noon ET.

NBC’S “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” FINISHES 2016 SEASON ON PACE TO BE TV’S #1 PRIMETIME SHOW FOR RECORD 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

The 2016 season of NBC’s Sunday Night Football was a historic one, as America’s favorite primetime show is pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for a record sixth consecutive year – tying American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by The Nielsen Company. Click here for more information.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM NBC’S SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all of NBC’s Sunday Night Football andThursday Night Football games to desktops, tablets, and connected TVs. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’sSNF and TNF broadcasts. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox. (NOTE: NBC Sports does not have NFL live streaming rights to mobile devices.)

PROFOOTBALLTALK – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

Mike Florio brings fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with ProFootballTalk on NBCSN at 7 a.m. ET.  The two-hour ProFootballTalk provides all-encompassing coverage of the NFL, including the most current news and analysis, thought-provoking debates, and interviews with a wide variety of NFL newsmakers. The program is a simulcast of Florio’s national radio program that airs daily on NBC Sports Radio.

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS’ 2016 ALL-PRO TEAM

With the 2016 regular season in the books, Pro Football Focus has announced its 2016 All-Pro Team, which includes four Seattle Seahawks players. Click here for the full list.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ALL-ACCESSFor the seventh straight season NBCSports.com is providing a destination for fans dedicated to behind-the-scenes and social media driven content on the Sunday Night Football All Access page. Fans can follow the social conversation and access content around Sunday Night Football and the SNF Bus, including video highlights from the SNF Bus, player interviews and more. Fans can show their passion for who they think will win each week, use an interactive map to see how other football fans across the country are talking about that SNF matchup, and vote on which team’s hype video they like the best each week. Visit SNF All-Access at: http://snfallaccess.nbcsports.com/

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • SNF ON FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/SNFonNBC – At over 3 million LIKES strong, the Sunday Night Football Facebook page provides news, custom graphics, animations and videos exclusively behind-the-scenes at SNF every week. A key focus for the SNF Facebook page this season are regular Facebook Live Q&As with Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football talent both on the road and in the studio. The Facebook page also aggregates all SNF-related content found within the NBC Sports digital network, including NBCSports.comSNF All AccessProFootballTalk.com, and Rotoworld.com.
  • SNF ON TWITTER: twitter.com/SNFonNBC – Using tweets, photos, Vines and videos, @SNFonNBC provides unique content with SNF talent, production crew and NFL players. Additionally, Michele Tafoya will provide real-time tweets from the sideline to provide followers with updates all game long;
  • SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Going into its fifth season, Sunday Night Football gives the SNF fan a look at photos through the filters of Instagram, from on the road, on the SNF Bus and in the Football Night in America studio. Fans get a look inside the production trucks, the locker rooms, on the field and around each SNF city. Fans will get an exclusive look through Instagram of what life is like on the sideline, as our social media producer captures the best photos of Sunday night and posts in real time. For the first time, SNF on Instagram will utilize Instagram stories to give fans maximum exposure to the Sunday Night Football footprint.
  • NBC SPORTS ON SNAPCHAT: For the first time, NBC Sports’ Snapchat account will be creating content on the platform at each Sunday Night game including Kickoff and from the SNF Bus. The NBC Sports Snapchat account will take fans behind the scenes to the FNIA set, to player interviews and around cities where Sunday Night Football comes to town, utilizing lenses and filters to customize content specifically for the Snapchat audience.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BUS RETURNS FOR 2016 NFL SEASON 

NBC Sports Group’s Sunday Night Football bus returns this season to travel the country, visiting the host cities of select Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football games. This season, fans will get a closer look at behind-the-scenes action of SNF broadcasts on the bus, which will take fans from the field, to the studio and in the production trucks. Features of the bus include an interactive replica of the control room, a replica of the Football Night in America desk, life-size “Photo Bomb” wall, and more.

The bus arrives in each city two to three days prior to the game, making stops at local landmarks and events before heading to the game site. Once at the stadium, the Sunday Night Football bus will give fans the opportunity to interact with America’s most-watched primetime television show with exclusive activities, memorabilia and a 55-inch monitor housing social media elements.

Click here for more information on the SNF bus.


NBC SPORTS RADIO

NBC Sports Radio surrounds the 2016 NFL season with daily coverage across nearly 420 radio affiliates, highlighted by Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison and Dan Schwartzman; featuring three-time All Pro and two-time Super Bowl-winner Rodney Harrison; Going Deep with Amani and Dan, featuring former Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer; NFL Commentator Mike Tirico; NFL Insider Michele Tafoya; and ProFootballTalk Live with NFL insider and Football Night In America commentator Mike Florio.

To listen to a live stream of NBC Sports Radio, or find your local affiliate, visithttp://www.NBCSportsRadio.com.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NFL markets such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, will surround the 2016 NFL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the local teams that matter most in more than 50 million U.S. cable and satellite households.

SNF IS TV’S NO. 1 PRIMETIME PROGRAM FOR 5 YEARS RUNNING

For a historic five consecutive Sept.-May television seasons from 2011-15, NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished as television’s No. 1 primetime show in household rating and viewership, as well as the coveted Adult 18-49 demographic, based on live plus same day data from The Nielsen Company (September-May). Sunday Night Football is one of only four shows since 1950 to rank No. 1 in primetime for five consecutive TV seasons.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–