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Escape from Super Bowl The networks are reaching out to non-football fans Jan 30, 2008
But on cable, big game counter-programming is rampant this year, and not just among networks that target women. Even Spike and Speed, two male-skewing channels, have specials set for Sunday evening. The reason is that, unlike broadcast, cable actually stands a chance of drawing a decent crowd that night. “Cable networks are more branded and more targeted,” notes Lifetime executive vice president of research Mike Greco. Both Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network will air 10 hours worth of original and theatrical movies opposite the game, aiming to woo women 18-49 and 25-54 who are not football fans. But there’s room to draw men to cable, too, even those who are watching the game. Many click away at halftime or if the second half turns into a blowout, points out Speed vice president of scheduling and research Paul Duong, whose network is running counter-programming for the second year. “Sometimes when you’re watching the Super Bowl there is a lull in the action,” Duong says. “We feel, particularly with men 18-34 who may not be so traditional in their TV viewing, they don’t need to watch every single minute of the Super Bowl.” Speed will air three mini-marathons of five to seven episodes Sunday, featuring the lawnmower racing series “Lucas Oil on the Edge,” monster truck series “Monster Jams” and drag racing series “PINKS All Out.” Spike, which also targets men, plans a halftime special called “MLE Chowdown Championship: Ham N’ Egg,” in which contestants will try to break world records for hard-boiled egg and spiral ham eating. For those who prefer their counter-programming less greasy but just as gluttonous, “Food Network Challenge” follows a wedding cake cookoff for six hours starting at 3 p.m. There’s something for just about every taste airing opposite the Super Bowl. Animal Planet airs its fourth annual Puppy Bowl, a coronation of cute furballs, starting at 3 p.m. TNT has a 12-hour marathon of “The Closer” starting at noon, while sister network TBS will air six chick flicks like “The Wedding Planner” and “Fools Rush In” in a marathon called “What Women Want.” African-American-focused TV One is courting women with the special “Essence Magazine Presents: Will You Marry Me” at 8 p.m. and the Whoopi Goldberg film “Made in America” at 9 p.m. Also targeting women, TLC is reairing the “Miss America Pageant” with added commentary from contestants and judges running on a scroll, while Hallmark Channel has a day-long “Murder She Wrote” marathon and WE has five hours of “Rich Bride, Poor Bride” starting at 4 p.m. Oxygen, another women’s network, plans a sneak peek at its new reality series “Deion & Pilar: Primetime of Love” at halftime of the game. The show focuses on former NFL all-star Deion Sanders, wife Pilar and their five kids.
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