FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019

CHICAGO BEARS HOST DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA EAGLES IN NFC WILDCARD MATCHUP THIS SUNDAY AT 4 P.M. ET ON NBC

Coverage Begins with Football Night in America at 4 p.m. ET, Followed by 4:30 p.m. ET Game Time

Sunday’s Game Marks Chicago’s First Postseason Matchup on NBC Since Super Bowl XX in January 1986

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App to Live Stream Matchup to Desktops, Tablets, Connected TVs, & Mobile Devices

STAMFORD, Conn. – January 2, 2019 – NBC’s coverage of the NFL Playoffs begins this Sunday, as defensive standout Khalil Mack and the NFC North champion Chicago Bears (12-4) host Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles and the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) from Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Coverage begins with a special edition of Football Night in America at 4 p.m. ET, followed by kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Sunday marks the Bears’ first postseason game on NBC since the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship, when they beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX in January of 1986. The Eagles seek to become just the eighth team in NFL history to win back-to-back championships.

Calling Eagles-Bears is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 33rd season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. This marks the 10th season that Michaels and Collinsworth will serve as the announce team in the NBC broadcast booth. In addition, three-time Super Bowl referee and SNF’s rules analyst Terry McAulay will join Michaels and Collinsworth in the booth.

The Eagles won five of their last six games, including a 24-0 rout of the Washington Redskins in Week 17 to clinch a playoff berth. Foles recorded 25 consecutive completions in the victory, tying Los Angeles Chargers’ Philip Rivers for the most by a quarterback in a single game in league history. In three playoff games last season, Foles completed 72.6 percent of his passes for 971 yards and six touchdowns en route to Philadelphia’s first-ever Super Bowl title.

A year after finishing last in the division, the Bears clinched the NFC North title for the 11th time in franchise history. Led by Mack, who paced the NFC with six forced fumbles, Chicago’s defense has allowed the third-fewest yards per game (299.7), including a league-low 80.0 rushing yards per game. In his sophomore season, quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw for a career-high 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns. This is Chicago’s first trip to the playoffs since 2011.

Mike Tirico will host Football Night in America at 4 p.m. ET on NBC alongside Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, NFL insider Mike Florio and PFT Live co-host Chris Simms from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Liam McHugh will co-host Football Night in America on-site from Soldier Field.

NBC’s coverage is led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew EsocoffFNIA is produced by Rob Hyland and directed by Mike Sheehan.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES:

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs 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. This marks the first season that NBC Sports is able to live stream to mobile devices and on PlayStation 4. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s 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, PlayStation and Xbox.

PFT LIVE – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

Mike Florio and co-host Chris Simms bring fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live on NBCSN at 7 a.m. ET. Peter King will also contribute regularly to PFT Live’s coverage throughout the regular season. In addition, on the mornings after games where rulings are a hot topic, McAulay will join Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Radio and NBCSN.

The two-hour PFT Live 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 NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live national program that airs daily beginning at 6 a.m. ET.


SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
 SOCIAL MEDIA

  • SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Going into its seventh season, Sunday Night Football gives the SNF fan a look at photos through the filters of Instagram. Fans get a look around each SNF city, as well as access inside the production trucks, the locker rooms, on the field, and on the sideline, as our social media producer captures the best photos of Sunday night and posts in real time. Each week, SNF on Instagram will host Instagram Live interviews with Michele Tafoya and players from each team. In addition, SNF on Instagram will utilize Instagram stories to maximize fans’ exposure to the Sunday Night Football
  • SNF ON TWITTER: Using tweets, photos, and videos, @SNFonNBC provides unique content with SNF talent, production crew and NFL players. Additionally, Tafoya will provide real-time tweets from the sideline to provide followers with updates all game long.
  • SNF ON SNAPCHAT: For the second season, NBC Sports’ Snapchat account will be creating content on the platform at each Sunday Night Football game, including Kickoff and from the SNF The NBC Sports Snapchat account will take fans behind the scenes to the FNIA set and around cities where Sunday Night Football comes to town, utilizing lenses and filters to customize content specifically for the Snapchat audience.
  • SNF ON FACEBOOK: – At nearly 3.7 million likes strong, the Sunday Night Football Facebook page provides social-first stories, photos and video every week.

NBC SPORTS RADIO

NBC Sports Radio will surround the 2018 NFL season with daily coverage across more than 425 radio affiliates, highlighted by PFT Live, featuring NFL insider and Football Night In America commentator Mike Florio daily from 6-9 a.m. ET; the PFT PM podcast hosted by Florio, which takes a look back at the day that was in the NFL; Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison and Dan Schwartzman; featuring three-time All Pro and two-time Super Bowl-winner Rodney Harrison; and more.

To listen to a live stream of NBC Sports Radio, or find your local affiliate, visit 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 2018 NFL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most in more than 40 million U.S. households.

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

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL