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ESPN Airing 70-Plus Hours Of CFP Title Game Coverage, Adding New Channels For Megacast

Tonight's telecast of the Alabama-Clemson CFP National Championship will be the "culmination of a year's planning, a week's intense labor around Tampa and the overall work of 1,100 people in ESPN's employ," according to Marc Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. By the time network personnel leave after tomorrow's wrap-ups, ESPN will have "featured 35-plus on-air talents in five days of live programming from four Tampa sets plus the stadium, covering 70-plus hours across eight network TV channels, with more on the Internet." ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Lee Fitting said, "This is the biggest event we have of the year. Our mentality is when you have an event of this magnitude, why not pull out all the stops?" ESPN Remote Production Director Derek Mobley said, "We have a lot of things that will make this game look bigger and better hopefully than a normal football game. We're hoping to enhance what we already do well on a week-to-week basis, and make sure we're covered for every possible play, anything strange and whatnot that could come up." The net will have "90-plus cameras and 150 microphones" at its disposal. That arsenal "includes a multitude of super slo-mo, high-def and moving cameras positioned in all the obvious places as well as cabled above the field and in the eight end zone pylons and both goalposts, plus aboard two blimps." The telecast will also feature a "complement of freshly designed graphics" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/8).

CAST AWAY
: CBSSPORTS.com's Chip Patterson noted ESPN's "Megacast" for this year's game will introduce an "option to watch the game live as Bill Walton gives his own commentary." Walton will be "joined by Keyshawn Johnson" on ESPNU for the "ESPN Voices" feed (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/5). In L.A., Tom Hoffarth wrote viewers can "learn something" during the "Coaches Film Room" feed on ESPNews. ESPN analyst Brian Griese will be joined by Dino Babers (Syracuse), P.J. Fleck (Minnesota), Matt Rhule (Baylor), Mark MacIntyre (Colorado) and Mark Helfrich (formerly of Oregon) "huddled up in a room in Bristol." The alternative feeds also "offer fewer commercial breaks" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/8). The "Homers Telecast" on ESPN2 will feature former Clemson QB Tajh Boyd and former Alabama C Barrett Jones, who will serve as quasi-analysts with partisan viewpoints. Joe Tessitore will handle the majority of the play-by-play on that feed, while Adam Amin interviews additional personalities. Other "Megacast" channels include "Finebaum Film Room" on SEC Network, "Sounds of the Game" on ESPN Classic and ESPN3, "Command Center" on ESPN Goal Line, "Home Town Radio" on ESPN3, "Data Center" on ESPN3 and "Sky Cam" on ESPN3 (ESPN).

THE RATINGS GAME: CBSSPORTS.com’s Dennis Dodd notes the “interest level has spiked” for the Alabama-Clemson rematch, and as a "familiar brand" to fans, Alabama is “usually good television.” Longtime Tampa-based sports reporter Joey Johnston said, “I don't know if we'd want to see Western Michigan in this game." However, Dodd notes the “same TV ratings rules still apply: A 10-0 Clemson lead in the first quarter keeps folks interested, increases social media engagement and off we go" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/9). SBD/SBJ is conducting a Twitter poll this afternoon to see what expectations readers have for the viewership figure for tonight's game.

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