ESPN's Super Bowl XLV coverage to originate from Sundance Square

Football fans across the world tuning in for ESPN's coverage of Super Bowl week in February will get a huge taste of downtown Fort Worth and its historic Sundance Square.
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Sundance Square developer Ed Bass made the official announcement Wednesday morning, saying that the network has chosen the city's popular entertainment and shopping district as its production headquarters for coverage of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
In terms of exposure, landing ESPN is almost as big as the game itself. The network's 80-plus hours of coverage, broadcast in the United States and internationally, will provide unprecedented TV time for Sundance Square and Fort Worth.
"I get goose bumps when I think about it," said Tracy Gilmour, Sundance Square's marketing director, who confirmed the announcement late Tuesday. "It's a perfect fit for Fort Worth. It's a perfect fit for Sundance Square. What better way to show off North Texas than Sundance Square?"
Moncrief and Bass made the announcement before several hundred people on the patio of the 8.0 restaurant, at 111 E. Third St.
The network will set up a studio, a demonstration field and a radio booth in the Chisholm Trail mural parking lot at Third and Main streets in the heart of Sundance Square.
ESPN will begin broadcasting from the sheltered outdoor set Jan. 31. The game is Feb. 6.
At the 2010 Super Bowl in south Florida, ESPN anchored its television and radio coverage on Miami Beach, including a special game-day edition of Sunday NFL Countdown. ESPN also broadcast daily editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live and popular Mike & Mike in the Morning radio program from the location.
The outdoor studios typically draw high-profile current and former athletes, celebrities and many onlookers. Shows in Fort Worth will be free and open for the public to watch.
Fox Sports will broadcast the Super Bowl, but ESPN and NFL Network always have a big presence during the week leading up to the game. ESPN will likely have a set at Cowboys Stadium as well.
In addition to its numerous networks nationwide, ESPN broadcasts to more than 100 countries through ESPN International and across its 750 radio affiliates nationwide.
Organizers have worked to involve several North Texas cities in Super Bowl events. Dallas will host the Super Bowl Media Center and the NFL Experience. In addition to being ESPN headquarters, Fort Worth will host Taste of the NFL and is the host city for the American Football Conference champions.



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