LIVE PRODUCTION
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production space, we moved into power planning and redundancy set-ups to ensure a seamless broadcast.” The mobile production units themselves had a complicated journey to New Orleans. “The trucks came from the NFC championship game in Philadelphia on 26 January. They all drove down and parked on the 29th and, when working with 16 units, it took nearly six hours just to get them all positioned correctly.” In a surprising turn, the set-up process in New Orleans was interrupted by an unexpected weather event. “We got a foot of snow during the set-up,” reveals Callahan. “But, being a Southern city, New Orleans didn’t have ice melt or snow ploughs, which created some challenges. Fortunately, though, it happened early enough that we were able to recover quickly.” Despite months of planning, last- minute changes are inevitable. Major networks like Fox need to be able to adjust to breaking news, unexpected developments and any eleventh-hour creative decisions at a moment’s notice. “The first 15 minutes of the main game broadcast changed entirely in the last week,” shares Callahan. “Having all the production galleries on-site allowed us to adapt quickly. We had equipment available that we initially planned to use for testing and rehearsals – but we pivoted and integrated it into the augmented reality portion of the show.” TOP-TIER TOOLKIT Fox Sports leveraged an array of state-of-the-art technology to enhance
“We had two different panels on the same switcher frame. One was handling sub switch, while the other controlled the augmented reality suite. Sharing resources like that was a big win.” Fox also continued its push for high- quality visuals, delivering the Super Bowl broadcast in high dynamic range (HDR) for the third time. “We’re big believers in high frame rate,” says Callahan. “It provides a unique visual difference to viewers at home and enables super-clear replays. We’re also seeing more demand for multiple feeds, whether it’s shoulder programming, international feeds or custom graphics for different markets and geographies.” PRESERVING THE LEGACY For the team at Fox Sports, producing the Super Bowl is both a challenge and an honour in equal measures. “We refer to ourselves as stewards of the event,” notes Callahan. “We’re lucky to do this every three to four years and are always looking to push the envelope. The Super Bowl allows us to work with top vendors and explore the latest tech, ensuring that every broadcast debuts cutting-edge advancements.” As the Super Bowl continues to evolve, so will the technology and techniques used to bring it to audiences worldwide. With each iteration, broadcasters like Fox Sports will seek to refine their approach, learning from the past to create an even better experience in future. Super Bowl LIX was another milestone in this journey – showcasing the remarkable dedication and innovation behind one of the biggest nights in US sports.
the Super Bowl viewing experience. This included Grass Valley switchers, which played a critical role in managing the overall broadcast output. “The switchers were the lifeblood of the production,” Callahan emphasises. “Every signal that a viewer sees goes through it. We had to provide multiple outputs, including the world feed for the NFL – and a clean feed for another NFL entity. Having the flexibility to manage multiple feeds was absolutely essential.” Working at the heart of the action, there were around 30 Grass Valley switchers on-site in total – working tirelessly across the OB trucks in the production compound to ensure the broadcast’s success. One vital aspect of Fox Sports’ workflow is the ability to integrate both traditional and modern production methods. “All our primary events are done with Grass Valley switchers. At the Super Bowl, we had a mixture of legacy SDI switchers and newer 2110 switchers. Even though our main production truck was a legacy IP one, we had to operate it as if it were SDI while integrating newer 2110- based mobile units. For our operators, it offers the same user interface that they are comfortable with.” Scaling production efforts smoothly is key for a production of this magnitude. The switchers were the lifeblood of the production”
Grass Valley’s Kayenne production switcher is a highly modular system that’s perfect for any live broadcast situations where scalability is key
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