What’s new for Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LIV?
Each year the Super Bowl is one of the most-watched programs in the world. And each year there are more advancements that put the broadcast over the top.
For Super Bowl LIV on Fox, the main innovation is utilizing 4K ultra-high definition and high-dynamic range. For the first time, the Super Bowl will be available to stream in both formats, which Fox said will provide improved color and contrast to the entire broadcast.
There is a catch, though — you must have either a Roku device or an Amazon FireTV 4K television to actually see the game with that level of clarity. An AppleTV 4K device will also stream the broadcast in 4K, but it will only have standard dynamic range.
For those who have access, Fox said, everything from the pregame show to the halftime show, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, to the postgame celebration will be broadcast in 4K UHD/HDR.
Another significant change may not be that noticeable, but it will happen through the commercials. There will be fewer commercial breaks per quarter — going from the normal five to four. The number of ads will remain the same, which means that each commercial break will be 30 seconds longer. This is a technique that networks already have used for playoff games over the last few years, but it hasn’t been integrated into the Super Bowl until this year.
The NFL and Fox wanted to make the move so that the game may appear to move along faster. Networks are keenly aware that many younger viewers have shorter attension spans and are accustomed to consuming content in quicker, less traditional ways.
Still, Fox announced in late November that the network had sold out its ad inventory for Super Bowl LIV, with some 30-second spots selling for a record $5.6 million. For perspective, in 1997, the average price of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was $1.2 million. Fox has said the vast majority of this year’s Super Bowl ads sold for at least $5 million.
The demand for ads in the biggest live event of the year was so strong that Fox even added a commercial break to accommodate a significant sponsor of both the league and the network, which it chose not to name. And instead of being planned for a specific part of the game, it will air when there is an unplanned break in the action — such as an injury — according to Fox.
This will be Fox’s ninth Super Bowl. Its first, Super Bowl XXXI, in 1997, was watched by an estimated 87 million . This year’s version is expected to be watched by upward of 120 million across all platforms.
Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter
Buck and Aikman on the call
Fox's lead broadcasting team Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call, paired for their sixth Super Bowl together. They've been on the call for two of the more iconic Super Bowls in recent memory, one of which being the Patriots famed comeback from being down 28-3 to the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. They were also on the call for Giants wide receiver David Tyree's helmet catch that helped beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Erin Andrews and Chris Meyers will serve as Fox's sideline reporters. And two former heads of officiating, Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino, will serve as rules analysts for the broadcast.
