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Contact: Pete Abitante,
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SHANGHAI MEDIA GROUP TO
BROADCAST - GM / Cadillac Is Presenting Sponsor of Super Bowl XXXIX Broadcast in China - A five-person crew from China’s Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will arrive in Jacksonville, Florida this week to broadcast Super Bowl XXXIX to the world’s most populous country. Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast concludes year-one of a five-year agreement that provides SMG with the rights to air NFL programs on its family of channels, including nationwide on Dragon TV, which will carry Super Bowl XXXIX from ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville. “This Super Bowl broadcast and our long-term partnership with SMG will help introduce the NFL to millions of potential fans in China,” said NFL Director of International Media MICHAEL LUSCHER. “SMG’s aggressive approach to televising and promoting sports is bringing significant exposure to the NFL and all of our local programs.” The broadcast will be presented by Cadillac -- the NFL’s inaugural sponsor in China. As part of its association, Cadillac will be the official sponsor of the first Super Bowl MVP balloting outside of the United States. Viewers throughout China can vote for the Super Bowl MVP on www.NFLChina.com, which will be promoted throughout the third quarter of Dragon TV’s broadcast. Votes recorded on NFLChina.com will be counted in the overall total. “General Motors is excited to expand its NFL partnership to China, kicking off the first Super Bowl broadcast on SMG,” said JIM TAYLOR, vice president of General Motors / Cadillac. “The Cadillac brand is a natural fit with the Super Bowl and its premium position as a top-tier event. We look forward to supporting the NFL in its efforts to expand the game to China.” SMG aired a weekly 30-minute NFL-themed show entitled “NFL Blast” during the 2004 NFL season and produced four one-hour shows that were broadcast nationwide on Dragon TV in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XXXIX. “We are very excited to bring the world’s most-watched annual sporting event to viewers in China,” said ZHANG DAZHONG, Assistant President of Shanghai Media Group. “We are very pleased to have formed this partnership with America’s most popular sport. We believe that the Chinese public will find American football to be an exciting mix of strategy and skill and one that they will increasingly enjoy.” As part of the five-year agreement, SMG is promoting all NFL initiatives in China, including Flag Football and NFLChina.com, the NFL’s official Internet site for China. |