The chairman of CBS Sports Sean McManus talks about the importance of this Super Bowl for his network and what to expect from the game with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: What has changed since the last time CBS covered a Super Bowl in 2010?
A: CBS Sports Network itself is doing 50 hours, we have an around-the-clock facility set up in Jackson Square [in New Orleans]. … It’s going to be unlike anything we’ve ever done. And I keep reminding people with all this programming we are going to have, there is still actually a game to be played at 6:30 on Sunday.
Q: What are your ratings expectations for this game?
A: The last three Super Bowls have been the most-watched television programs of all-time. The attention is getting more and more dramatic. … The tune-in for this game will be as big as it ever is. The determining factor in the game is how close it is in the final two minutes.
Q: Do you view this as an opportunity to promote CBS Sports Network?
A: It’s the best opportunity we’ve had since the launch of the network. … After the Super Bowl … for those who can’t get enough of the Super Bowl, we will switch the NFL Today crew to CBS Sports Network. That’s something we’ve never done before. In terms of branding that is the single-biggest opportunity.
Q: So, do you see CBS Sports Network being involved in the lead-up to next year’s Super Bowl even though CBS isn’t covering the game?
A: It would not be as expansive as this year’s, but I think we will have some presence in and around New York next year. We have to work that out with the NFL. It is a 24-hour sports network and we want to cover relevant and compelling story lines, and that includes the Super Bowl.
Q: What story lines have you excited?
A: You have a quarterback that no one had heard of three years ago and now he’s one of the biggest stars in the NFL [in Colin Kaepernick]. The stories surrounding the Ravens whether it’s Joe Flacco trying to get the recognition he deserves or Ray Lewis’ last season. And you have the two Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other. For non-football fans, and you always look for stories that will attract those, I think that’s a great story line.