ESPN’s telecast of the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET will be the biggest production to date with a different viewing option of the No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn matchup across six of its television platforms as well as audio and digital outlets. The “BCS Megacast” presentation will feature multiple ESPN personalities, and guest coaches, players and celebrities for coverage across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN International.
ESPN’s traditional telecast will be called by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, working their seventh consecutive BCS National Championship game together, with reporters Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines, focusing on Florida State and Auburn, respectively. Additional information:
- “BCS Title Talk” on ESPN2 will give fans an inside view of the casual and organic conversations of ESPN personalities, coaches, players and celebrities. Jemele Hill and Michael Smith of ESPN2’s Numbers Never Lie will serve a host role in the room with nearly a dozen guests scheduled to appear. The current lineup includes quarterbacks Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and Tajh Boyd (Clemson); Vanderbilt coach James Franklin and USC coach Steve Sarkisian; entertainers Snoop Dogg, John Legend and Jake Owen; and ESPN’s Rece Davis, Paul Finebaum, Lou Holtz, Todd McShay, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack and Tim Tebow. On-screen graphics will incorporate game statistics and information as well as a “social stripe” that will provide live social media feedback throughout the telecast.
- “BCS Film Room” on ESPNEWS will feature Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Pitt coach Paul Chryst and Boston College coach Steve Addazio as well as ESPN analysts Matt Millen, Chris Spielman and Tom Luginbill providing in-depth X and O analysis of the game as it happens from a film room equipped with multiple camera angles and touchscreens.
- ESPN Radio’s broadcast will use ESPN’s Monday Night Football announcer Mike Tirico with analyst Todd Blackledge and reporters Holly Rowe and Joe Schad for the third straight year. The radio call will also be used as the audio on the “BCS Command Center” application, providing a split screen application with live game action and immediate replays of every play, on ESPN Goal Line.
- ESPN Classic’s “Sounds of the BCS” presentation will serve as one platform capturing sound from the 72 microphones ESPN will have within the stadium for the BCS Megacast production. The telecast will couple ESPN’s on-screen game coverage with the audio within the stands, field and more as well as the in-stadium sound system. Classic’s coverage will include the halftime performances of the Florida State and Auburn marching bands.
- ESPN3, in cooperation with IMG College, will offer an “Auburn Radio Call” and “Florida State Radio Call” presentation. Each team-specific coverage will feature the team’s home radio broadcast (Auburn’s Rod Bramblett with analyst Stan White, reporter Quentin Riggins and host Paul Ellen and Florida State’s Gene Deckerhoff, analyst William Floyd, reporter Tom Block and host Drew Branyon). The on-screen presentation will provide fans with the game feed plus isolated cameras on key coaches and players from that team.
- “BCS Campus Connection” on ESPN3 will showcase live fan reactions from various watch parties within the home markets of Auburn and Florida State into the game coverage.
Additional presentations include coverage on ESPN International networks, a telecast in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, content on ESPN.com and the use of ESPN’s various social media accounts within the coverage.
Coverage from Pasadena will begin at 7 p.m. with College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. Chris Fowler will host the program with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. Alabama coach Nick Saban will join the GameDay set as a guest analyst.
Each of the ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNEWS presentations will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, on Apple TV and Roku to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
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