MUMBAI: The live broadcast of the 2013 National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl XLVII featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens will be broadcast on Star Sports and in high-definition on ESPN HD on 4 February at 5.00am (IST), .

The 2013 Super Bowl XLVII will be held in New Orleans and features the newly-crowned AFC Champions Baltimore Ravens, who survived a tough playoff season against formidable conference rivals, such as Peyton Manning?s tough Denver Broncos and ending Tom Brady?s quest for his fourth Super Bowl by beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

The NFC Champions San Francisco 49ers also had an inspiring run to this year?s Super Bowl by beating 2010 Champions Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs followed by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. History appears to be in their favour as the San Francisco 49ers are the only team never to have lost in the Super Bowl with a 5-0 winning record.

The 2013 Super Bowl also features several intriguing tales that go beyond the tape, such as two brothers who will coach opposing teams on America?s biggest sports stage in Jim and John Harbaugh. The Harbaugh brothers will become the first siblings in history to coach against each other at the Super Bowl when Jim?s San Francisco 49ers goes up against John?s Baltimore Ravens on Monday morning.

Another story-line includes the inspirational 37-year-old leader Ray Lewis, who recently announced that he will be playing his last game as a Baltimore Raven after the Super Bowl. Lewis is the last player remaining from the Ravens? inaugural season, earning himself 13 Pro Bowl appearances and the honour of being the first defensive linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award, and will be looking to make his very last season count and finish his career on a high next Monday.

MUMBAI: Elite Football League of India, the professional American sports football league in India, got a further boost as top American sports director Sandy Grossman agreed to lend his vast experience in the television production of the ambitious league.

An eight-time Emmy Award-winning director will head to India for pre-production and training of the Indian and American film crew and production teams in early March.

Grossman, who is one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the sports media industry, had spent a major part of his career working with NFL before moving to Fox Sports where he spent 17 years working as a television director.

?I?ve spent my life producing and perfecting the art of capturing the power and passion of the game of football. I would like to think that I?ve helped shaped the way the game of football is projected to fans across the US and the World. Hearing about the growth and excitement surrounding sports in India, this is a great opportunity for me to teach future football directors in India how to cover this game and hopefully, leave a legacy for generations of young Indian directors. I look forward to my trip to India in March and many more thereafter,? said Grossman.

Earlier, last month former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and American actor and producer Mark Wahlberg had picked up stake in the venture. Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka and ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski are also investors in the league.

An elated EFLI founder and co-CEO Sunday Zeller said, ?The most exciting aspect, for me, was learning that one of the reasons the Fox Network became so successful after outbidding CBS for the NFL?s broadcast rights, was their decision to hire Sandy and allow him the freedom to direct a more advanced and progressive broadcast production. Sandy?s artistic freedom clearly paid off for Fox as they rose to one of the most watched stations in America."

According to Zeller, the EFLI will aim to raise the bar in the television production of sporting events in India and Sandy with his vast experience in American sports television production will lead from the front.
?Sandy stated that given freedom and support, he can direct an improved and advanced version of a football game for television broadcast applying the latest technologies and employing the newest artistic enhancements acquired over the years. The EFLI intends to raise the bar in final production standards both for the game of football as well as for the country of India in terms of television sports production. The EFLI looks to take advantage of this fresh start, so to speak, as a clean slate upon which to eventually telecast the top production in the world,? he added.

The league will have 12 teams ? 10 from India and one each from India and Sri Lanka - in the first year which includes Bangalore Warhawks, Bangladesh Tigers, Chennai Swarm, Colombo Lions, Delhi Defenders, Hyderabad Skykings, Kolkata Vipers, Mumbai Gladiators, Pune Marathas, and Punjab Warriors with two more teams yet to be named.

Taj Television-owned sports channel Ten Sports has signed an MoU with EFLI to broadcast the league in India. The first season will begin on 12 November this year and last till 18 February 2013 involving 56 matches in group stage and two play-offs.