What Channel is the 2011 Super Bowl on and What Time is the Kickoff?

What channel is the 2011 Super Bowl on and what time is the kickoff? The answers to those questions are all that anybody really seems to care about this afternoon, as winter hits its approximate mid-way point, pitchers and catchers are still a couple of weeks away, and the nation settles in to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.

Football, particularly of the NFL variety, has never been more popular in the United States. While all other types of major television programming, including other sports, sitcoms, and the news, struggle to maintain more than a niche appeal, the National Football League continues to astound with its ability to draw massive numbers of viewers across all demographics. The Super Bowl itself is traditionally the most highly rated show of the year. This year should be no exception.

The Super Bowl has become a part of Americana. As far as television ratings are concerned, it is has everything going for it.

It is played in the depths of winter, and, as with all football games, it is neatly packaged into a three hour time slot. More than basketball and much more than baseball, football seems to be designed for television. Football is also conducive to gambling...allowing those without a natural rooting interest to have one. While today's game is expected to be close (the Packers are two and a half point favorites), there are so many different angles and routes that people have a vested interest in the game that it could be said that at least as many are rooting for themselves as are rooting for a particular team.

Finally, football appeals to two otherwise contradictory impulses. The violence and chaos in football bray against the rigid discipline and detail orientation of sophisticated game plans and strategies. Football, simply put, offers it all.

Make no mistake; the NFL itself has done a brilliant job of building on top of the fundamental television appeal of its sport. It has created on field rules and off the field salary structures that help drive the game towards parity and give fans of every team at least the illusion that they have a real, legitimate chance to go to the Super Bowl. While there are only two teams out of 32 that actually go to the big game, the vast majority of teams have a realistic mathematical shot of doing so deep into the season.

The Super Bowl is always a bit bittersweet at the end. While in recent years, the games have been compelling, the Super Bowl us also, after all, the finale for the year.

But for those living in the moment and getting ready to enjoy the big game, the answers to what channel is the 2011 Super Bowl on and what time is the 2011 Super Bowl kickoff are what are needed. The 2011 Super Bowl will be shown on the Fox Network and kickoff is at 6:29 pm EST.

http://www.myfoxny.com/subindex/entertainment/station_sched