SANTA CLARA, February 2, 2016 – The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the National Football League, PepsiCo, and CBS are honored to announce that Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin will convey the beauty of American Sign Language (ASL) at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California.
Earlier today, the National Football League and CBS announced that Matlin will be joining Lady Gaga to perform the National Anthem during the Super Bowl 50 pregame festivities on Sunday, February 7, 2016.
“The iconic Marlee Matlin will showcase the beauty of American Sign Language at Super Bowl 50,” said NAD CEO Howard A. Rosenblum. “The National Anthem is a time honored tradition that is accessible to all Americans thanks to the NFL and PepsiCo.”
“We are honored to have Marlee Matlin sign the National Anthem,” said NFL SVP of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. “With American Sign Language as part of the pregame festivities, all fans, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, can enjoy the Super Bowl experience equally.”
The NAD applauds the NFL for its full support for American Sign Language by ensuring that at every Super Bowl, the National Anthem is signed by ASL artists such as Marlee Matlin.
In addition, the NFL and CBS Sports will provide live streaming of Marlee Matlin and her entire performance in the CBS Sports apps for Xbox One and Windows 10, which will offer viewers alternate camera angles in addition to the broadcast coverage. Further, CBS Sports has ensured that the Super Bowl will be fully captioned including the game as well as all of the exciting national commercials and network promotions. The NAD commends the NFL and CBS Sports for making the Super Bowl an accessible experience.
PepsiCo has been a generous sponsor and partner of the NAD in bringing ASL artists to the Super Bowl, and is proud to be able to bring in Marlee Matlin as the ASL artist at Super Bowl 50. PepsiCo and the NAD have been Super Bowl partners beginning with the broadcast of a :30-second “silent ad” filmed entirely in ASL that debuted during the pre-game show of Super Bowl XLIII in 2008 and has continued with annual sponsorship of the American Sign Language anthem performer including John Maucere (Super Bowl XLVII), Amber Zion (Super Bowl XLVIII), and Treshelle Edmond (Super Bowl XLIX).
The NAD extends its gratitude and appreciation to PepsiCo and its EnAble group for their extraordinary support of the deaf and hard of hearing community. PepsiCo has been a strong partner in transforming how society perceives the community, including enhancing the visibility of American Sign Language.