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CBS Pulling Out All The Stops For Thursday Night Football

BALTIMORE (KDKA) -- CBS isn't holding anything back for their Thursday Night Football production.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens Thursday night will be the first one.

CBS is pulling out all the stops - more cameras, their lead broadcast team - a production that will compare to a Super Bowl.

"We've got a large, traveling road show. It's a big effort, it's a big challenge, but it's one that we at CBS Sports think we're up to," said Ken Aagaard, the executive vice president of CBS Sports Operations.

CBS has partnered up with the NFL Network for Thursday night games.

"We have as many as 300 to 350 people that will be traveling every week, so for us it's all about setting up and tearing down, and then there's that game and show in between," says Aagaard.

Not only are there hundreds of people involved with the Thursday night production, more than 30 cameras will capture it all, including something new on the sidelines.

"We do have some new technology. We're using three 4K systems, a couple of them are on robotics that look down the sidelines, but it will always be over the line of scrimmage. It gives us a unique perspective," Aagaard said.

There will be 11 announcers. Jim Nantz will call the game; former Steelers coach Bill Cowher will also be involved, along with former players Deion Sanders Michael Irving and Marshall Faulk.

"These are all our best people, whether it's production people, whether its technical people, whether it's management, we've got our A-team everywhere and [we're] putting our best foot forward for Thursday Night Football," adds Aagaard.

CBS will start their pregame coverage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Steelers and Ravens kickoff at 8:25 p.m.

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