Super Bowl I aired live on both NBC and CBS, but in those days, when home viewers had no way to record games and networks didn’t put much thought into their archives, the game disappeared. Tapes were recorded over, films were lost, and it was believed that a full recreation of the first Super Bowl could never be seen again.
On Friday night, Super Bowl I will air on NFL Network. Not just highlights and not just part of the game, but every single play. NFL Films went through an exhaustive process, searching through dozens of sources, and was able to find at least one camera angle of all 145 plays of the first Super Bowl and stitch it all together for the first time.
The game will air in its entirety on Friday along with audio from the original NBC radio broadcast, as well as additional footage including sideline footage of Packers coach Vince Lombardi, a postgame interview with Chiefs coach Hank Stram and a conversation between Commissioner Pete Rozelle and player-turned-broadcaster Pat Summerall.
Friday is the 49th anniversary of Super Bowl I, which was played on January 15, 1967 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Spoiler alert: The Packers won, 35-10.
