TUSCON, Ariz. - A 30-second porn clip gave viewers a shock when it appeared Sunday during a Super Bowl telecast for Comcast subscribers in the Tucson area.
Following a touchdown catch by the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald that placed the team temporarily in the lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the image re-pixelated into a short scene from the adult channel Club Jenna.
The clip showed a girl trying to open adult star Evan Stone's pants, which he then unzipped to reveal an erection in progress. While tame by hardcore porn standards, it most certainly was a surprise for Tucson Super Bowl viewers.
The feed originated with NBC affiliate KVOA via the Cox cable company and was then passed on to Comcast.
According to reports, the porn channel clip was seen only by standard broadcast/analog subscribers. Those with digital and high-definition service did not experience the accidental interruption.
KVOA and Cox are blaming the glitch on Comcast.
"When the NBC feed of the Super Bowl was transmitted from KVOA to local cable providers and through over-the-air antennas, there was no pornographic material," KVOA president and general manager Gary Nielsen said in a statement to the press.
Did the porn images result from a hacker's prank, a computer error, or operator failure?
"We are mortified by last evening's Super Bowl interruption, and deeply apologize to our customers for the inappropriate programming," Comcast representatives said in a written statement. "Our initial investigation suggests this was an isolated, malicious act."
