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Tech putting the ‘super’ in Super Bowl
Today’s big game isn’t just about touchdowns and tackles. There’s a ton of tech in play. Here are some highlights for you to keep in mind while you’re watching the game and share with others. You will sound so dang smart!
📺 The sights and sounds
The game is broadcast in 1080p HDR upscaled to 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound. Ultra-high-definition cameras capture every angle, while augmented reality (AR) overlays that update in under a second deliver live stats, player bios and play diagrams to your screen.
It usually takes 35 to 40 cameras to cover a football game’s broadcast, but for Super Bowl LIX, Fox is deploying around 150 cameras. This expansive setup includes a mix of super-slow-motion, robotic, wireless and field-level cameras designed to capture the game from every possible angle.
Fun fact: The Dolby Atmos system used was originally engineered for concert halls and supports up to 128 audio tracks. This lets you hear the rustle of the crowd, the impact of every tackle and the stadium’s ambient noise.
🎥 The calls
Hawk-Eye’s SMART advanced replay systems use 59 high-speed cameras to capture every moment from multiple perspectives. In tandem with AI-powered analysis, these systems help referees make decisions. They see 3D animations of the plays in question in under two seconds.
Fun fact: Each camera captures 1,000 frames per second, meaning the entire system can record 59,000 frames in just one second. Whoa.
⛑️ Smart helmets
The player’s helmets have built-in sensors that measure the force and location of impacts. Using low-power Bluetooth or specialized RF, real-time data is relayed to medical teams and sideline monitors. Today’s helmets are built with polycarbonate composites and thermoplastic polymers. This reduces their weight by up to 30% compared to older ones.
Fun fact: The helmet’s sensors are only about two centimeters in diameter and a few millimeters thick. They’re placed in the helmet’s inside padding.
🏈 Smart footballs
Official game balls have tracking chips embedded that record speed, spin rate, trajectory, acceleration and impact force. This lets coaches and analysts dissect every play, from the perfect throw to the exact moment of a game-changing fumble. Each team receives 108 footballs, complete with the Super Bowl logo, and all made since 1955 by the Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio.
Fun fact: A ball’s sensor weighs about five grams, measures only one centimeter and doesn’t affect its natural flight dynamics. It collects data up to 1,000 times per second, so during a typical five-second play, the ball can record over 5,000 individual data points.
🤖 The AI coaches
During the game, each team’s coaches will use AI to make decisions on the plays and players. These AI models were trained on over 30 years of NFL data, analyzing millions of plays and surprises. That’s a staggering library of football history at their digital fingertips, allowing them to spot trends even veteran analysts might overlook.
Fun fact: The AI considers over 200 variables in their predictions. It covers everything from individual player stats and weather conditions to the type of turf and even historical performance in similar game scenarios.
I thought this was amazing, too, but I’m a geek. These AI systems process 10 terabytes of data. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the storage capacity of 2,500 high-definition movies, each packed with stats, plays and critical game moments.
🥔 What do you call a group of potatoes at a football game? Spec-taters. (Yeah, you’re gonna use that today. I know it.)
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