NFL fans have been left divided after NBC officially announced its broadcast team for Super Bowl LX next month.
The high-stakes matchup will see the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Ahead of the game, it’s been revealed that Mike Tirico will lead the coverage as play-by-play announcer, marking the first time he has called the ‘Big Game’ in his career.
He will be joined in the booth by analyst Cris Collinsworth, who is set to work his sixth Super Bowl. Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung will handle sideline reporting duties for the championship showdown.
The news was confirmed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss and, while many praised the lineup, the inclusion of Collinsworth sparked a wave of criticism across social media.
One fan wrote on X: ‘Guess I’ll watch game on mute and have radio play by play instead. Let’s goooooooo Patriots!’
NFL fans have been left divided after NBC announced its broadcast team for Super Bowl LX
Mike Tirico, right, will be joined in the booth by analyst Cris Collinsworth on February 8th
Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung will handle sideline reporting duties for the showdown
‘Milk Toast, Sycophant, Dud, Useless. I hate it,’ one frustrated viewer wrote online.
‘Cris needs to retire. He’s never been good at this,’ another wrote.
However, other fans were in full support of Collinsworth’s inclusion in NBC’s lineup.
Taking to X, one said: ‘Tirico is the GOAT. Collingsworth is mustard on the hot dog. NBC is better than ESPN/ABC at producing NFL game coverage.
‘Not a huge Collinsworth fan but Mickey Mouse could call the game and I couldn’t care less as long as the Patriots are in it,’ another said.
‘Best in the business. Screw the Collinsworth haters,’ one fan wrote.
The veteran analyst has frequently faced backlash for his perceived bias toward certain players and teams during Sunday night broadcasts.
Some fans were left frustrated with Cris Collinsworth being part of the commentary team
While others were full of support for Collinsworth being included in NBC’s lineup next month
The Super Bowl LX assignment also features a dual-sideline reporter setup to provide dedicated coverage for each team.
Hartung will be making her Super Bowl debut, completing a rapid ascent through the network’s rotation.
The broadcast will also include the network’s standard production team as they aim to outperform rival coverage from ESPN and ABC in years gone by.
NBC’s coverage of the Patriots-Seahawks clash is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. on February 8th.
