The world will be watching on Sunday night when Super Bowl XLVII is contested at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, live on BBC Two and Sky Sports.
Baltimore Ravens will meet San Francisco 49ers in this year’s showdown after the 49ers defeated Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship match, while the Ravens beat New England Patriots in the AFC Championship finale.
The NFL’s climactic showpiece is always one the biggest events on the sporting calendar and this year’s game will be no exception, with New Orleans hosting the game for the first time since the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The 2012 NFL campaign has been a thrill-a-minute and all that remains is 60 minutes of action as the Baltimore face San Francisco.
Eight teams made it to the post-season dance, but only two were still left standing as they extended their run all the way to Super Bowl XLVII.
There were huge twists and turns at every step of the way, including Baltimore somehow beating Denver in Denver thanks to a last-minute Hail Mary touchdown, ending Payton Manning’s season.
Colin Kaerpernick exploded onto the scene as well with his all-action quarterback play eventually firing the 49ers to the big game for the first time since 1995, while the Falcons finally won a play-off game but could not make it all the way.
Tom Brady also fell one game short of an immediate return to the Super Bowl, as Ravens’ Ray Lewis booked himself a retirement party on the biggest stage of all.
This will mark the first Super Bowl in which both of the teams have appeared in, but not yet lost, a previous Super Bowl.
Tthe 49ers have won all five of their previous Super Bowls while the Ravens won in their only previous Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants.
At the centre of all the pre-game media hype are the Harbaugh brothers, with John taking his Baltimore Ravens side into battle against his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers had recently emerged as a dominant team after nearly a decade of ineptitude.
During the 80’s and 90’s, they had been one of the NFL top contenders, playing in nine conference championship games and winning five Super Bowls.
Despite San Francisco being the favourites to lift the famous Vince Lombardi trophy on Sunday, Baltimore won’t go down without a fight though.
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis is arguably one of the greatest ever players in his position and will be hell bent on finishing on a high before he retires at the end of the campaign, as he plays the last game of his 17-year NFL career.
A highlight of the Super Bowl experience is the half-time show with Beyoncé, according to PA reports, being chosen as the headline performer, with a reunited Destiny’s Child and Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband, as potential collaborators.
Singer Alicia Keys will perform the national anthem ahead of kick-off, forming part of the showbiz and razamatazz that is so associated with the United States’ biggest and most watched single sporting event.
It promises to be an fitting climax to an exhilarating season on Sunday, regardless of the result, in what should be a fascinating Super Bowl.
BBC Two will have live free-to-air coverage of Super Bowl XLVII, with Mark Chapman presenting the BBC’s coverage on-site in New Orleans.
Mike Carlson and Darren Sharper will be in the studio to offer analysis of the action, with match commentary being provided by CBS’s Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.
Coverage will also be simulcast online via the BBC Sport website, and the full transmission can be seen on-demand via BBC iPlayer for up to seven days after transmission.
Sky Sports will have comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl weekend, including full live coverage of the showpiece game.
Kevin Cadle presents all the action from the Superdome in New Orleans, where he will be joined for expert analysis by Neil Reynolds.
Sky will also be taking the CBS feed for its coverage with commentary from Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, plus analysis from Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots.
Coverage begins with a special preview show with the Sky Sports team in New Orleans on Saturday ahead of the big game on Sunday night.
Further news, previews, interviews and analysis regarding Super Bowl XLVII can be found via skysports.com/nfl.
BBC Radio 5 live will also have full commentary of the game from 11pm, with Darren Fletcher introducing coverage from New Orleans.
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