List of NFL Championship Game broadcasters

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The following is a list of the television networks and announcers that broadcast the National Football League Championship Game from the 1940s until the 1969 NFL season (after which the NFL merged with the American Football League). The National Football League first held a championship game in 1933, it took until 1948 before a championship game would be televised. The successor to the NFL Championship Game is the NFC Championship Game.

Contents

Television

SeasonTeamsNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s)Sideline reporter(s)
1948 Chicago Cardinals at Philadelphia ABC Harry Wismer [1]
1949 Philadelphia at Los Angeles No Network Telecast (game was played in Los Angeles, and at the time, there was no way to send live TV programs from the West Coast to the East Coast and vice versa)
1950 Los Angeles at Cleveland ABC Red Grange [1] Joe Hasel [1]
1951 Cleveland at Los Angeles DuMont (first NFL Championship Game to be televised live from coast-to-coast) Red Grange [1] Earl Gillespie
1952 Detroit at Cleveland DuMont Harry Wismer
1953 Cleveland at Detroit DuMont Chris Schenkel, Ken Coleman [1]
1954 Detroit at Cleveland DuMont Chris Schenkel, Ken Coleman [1]
1955 Cleveland at Los Angeles NBC [2] Bob Kelley, Ken Coleman [1] Bob Graham
1956 Chicago Bears at New York NBC Chris Schenkel, Jack Brickhouse [1] Red Grange
1957 Cleveland at Detroit NBC Van Patrick, Ken Coleman [1] Red Grange
1958 Baltimore at New York NBC Chris Schenkel, Chuck Thompson [1]
1959 New York at Baltimore NBC Chuck Thompson, Chris Schenkel [1]
1960 Green Bay at Philadelphia NBC Lindsey Nelson (first half) and Ray Scott (second half)
1961 New York Giants at Green Bay NBC Lindsey Nelson (first half) and Chris Schenkel (second half)
1962 Green Bay at New York Giants NBC Chris Schenkel (first half) and Ray Scott (second half)
1963 New York Giants at Chicago NBC Jack Brickhouse (first half) and Chris Schenkel (second half) George Connor
1964 Baltimore at Cleveland CBS Ken Coleman (first half) and Chuck Thompson (second half) Frank Gifford
1965 Cleveland at Green Bay CBS (first NFL Championship Game to be televised in color [3] ) Ray Scott (first half) and Ken Coleman (second half) Frank Gifford
1966 Green Bay at Dallas CBS Jack Buck (first half) and Ray Scott (second half) Frank Gifford Pat Summerall
1967 Dallas at Green Bay CBS Ray Scott (first half) and Jack Buck (second half) Frank Gifford Tom Brookshier
1968 Baltimore at Cleveland CBS Jack Buck Pat Summerall Tom Brookshier
1969 Cleveland at Minnesota CBS Ray Scott Paul Christman Bruce Roberts

Notes

Radio

1960s

SeasonTeamsNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
1964 Baltimore at Cleveland CBS Jack Drees Jim Morse
1965 Cleveland at Green Bay CBS Jack Drees Jim Morse
1966 Green Bay at Dallas CBS Jack Drees Jim Morse
1967 Dallas at Green Bay CBS Jack Drees Jim Morse

Local radio

1960s

SeasonTeamsNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
1964 Baltimore at Cleveland WCBM-AM (Baltimore) Frank Messer John Steadman
WERE-AM (Cleveland) Gib Shanley Jim Graner
1965 Cleveland at Green Bay WERE-AM (Cleveland) Gib Shanley Jim Graner
WTMJ-AM (Green Bay) Ted Moore Blaine Walsh
1966 Green Bay at Dallas WTMJ-AM (Green Bay) Ted Moore Blaine Walsh
KLIF-AM (Dallas) Bill Mercer Blackie Sherrod
1967 Dallas at Green Bay KLIF-AM (Dallas) Bill Mercer Blackie Sherrod
WTMJ-AM (Green Bay) Ted Moore Chuck Johnson

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Tim Brulia (2004). "A Chronology of Pro Football on Television: Part 1" (PDF). The Coffin Corner, Vol. 26, No. 3. Pro Football Researchers Association.
  2. "NBC purchases rights to 1955 NFL Championship Game". NBC Sports History Page. Archived from the original on 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  3. "CBS TV audio from 1965 NFL Championship game". Classic TV Sports. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. Shropshire, 1997 pg. 173
  5. "Pro football players await big payday from title game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 22, 1964. p. 14.
  6. "Each member of NFL champs will get $8,000". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 22, 1964. p. 2, part 2.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. "Facts and figures". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 28, 1964. p. 13, part 2.
  8. "Linebacker key in Buffalo win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 28, 1964. p. 10.
  9. "Theater TV possible for title game". Chicago Tribune. December 17, 1963. p. 3, section 3.
  10. "Rozelle sees record gross for playoff". Chicago Tribune. December 21, 1963. p. 1, section 2.
  11. 1 2 Rollow, Cooper (December 19, 1963). "N.F.L. sets up theater TV title game". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 3.
  12. Rivera, Thomas (December 30, 1963). "26,000 warmly approve big screen telecast in three Chicago arenas". Chicago Tribune. p. 5, section 3.
  13. "Each Bear got $5,899, NY $4,218". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. January 29, 1964. p. 3, part 2.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. Associated Press. Giants-Packers title games in '61 and '62 part of NFL lore, nfl.com, accessed December 1, 2010.
  15. "Packers-Giants in NFL title clash tomorrow". Nashua Telegraph. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. December 29, 1962. p. 11.
  16. "Fans flee N.Y. area for TV look". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 31, 1962. p. 8.
  17. Gottehrer. pg. 17–22
  18. Lindsey Nelson, "NBC Pregame Telecast," (video), 1:30 mark.
  19. Johnson, Chuck (December 31, 1961). "Packers play Giants in 'million dollar' game". Milwaukee Journal. p. 2, sports.
  20. Gifford and Richmond, p. 223.
  21. Bowden, pp. 203–206.
  22. Gifford and Richmond, p. 95.
  23. "Colts face Giants for NFL title". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 28, 1958. p. 28.
  24. Gifford and Richmond, p. 214.
  25. MacCambridge, 2005, p. 73.
  26. Hall, Dan (May 22, 1951). "Hallucinations". St. Petersburg Times . p. 17. Retrieved October 31, 2011. Bell said the money received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.
  27. "Du Mont buys rights to pro title contest". Milwaukee Journal. May 22, 1951. p. 6, part 2.
  28. "Pro Football and DuMont Sign a $475,000 TV Pact" (PDF). The New York Times . May 22, 1951. Retrieved October 31, 2011. Bell said the $95,000 received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.
  29. "Fans Rush for Tickets to NFL Playoff Game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press. December 18, 1951. p. 18. Retrieved October 30, 2011.The Pittsburgh Press and Patton p. 35 incorrectly state it was for $75,000.
  30. Rader, 1984, p. 35.
  31. "Rams collect $2,108 each". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 24, 1951. p. 4, part 2.
  32. Lyons: 156–157

See also