Smile, you’re on the ‘doink’ cam: CBS reveals Super Bowl coverage plan
CBS Sports will utilize 165 cameras and new technology to broadcast Las Vegas’ first Super Bowl to the world.
Those cameras will be set up in and around Allegiant Stadium, site of the big game Feb. 11, and on the Las Vegas Strip, where the network’s Super Bowl television set is stationed at the Fountains of Bellagio. The game will be broadcast on CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount and the NFL+ app.
CBS for the first time will broadcast the game to the masses in 1080p high dynamic range and 4K HDR, as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs vie for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
New technology and production assets being used in the broadcast include:
Army of 4K cameras
Plans call for 48 cameras with super slow-motion capability, including 24 4K zoom extraction cameras, to provide different angles inside Allegiant Stadium, including from the ceiling, along the goal lines and embedded inside the end zone pylons.
The enhanced 4K zoom allows for better replay capabilities that and will give officials a closer look at the game’s most crucial plays, with higher resolution and enhanced detail.
“Doink” cameras
CBS for the first time will insert small cameras into the field goal upright cutouts, with six 4K cameras capturing innovative angles of field goals and extra points. The cameras will feature high-resolution zoom capability, which can be used for super slow-motion replays.
Aerial views
CBS will utilize three sky cams, two fly cams, including a “trolley cam,” and three drones between the stadium and areas of the Strip, including the Sphere, to capture the vibrancy of Las Vegas. Additionally, 24 live robotic cameras will be mounted inside the stadium and throughout the city to showcase elevated vantage points of Las Vegas.
Augmented reality cameras and graphic enhancements
There will be 23 augmented reality cameras in use during the Super Bowl, with 11 to be used during the CBS broadcast, eight during the Nickelodeon alternative broadcast and four at the network’s set at the Fountains of Bellagio.
That is in addition to a collection of augmented reality graphics that will be integrated into coverage, including graphics over the fountains utilizing a drone and fly cam, as well as virtual augmented reality elements utilizing the Strip.
Other broadcast technologies set to be used feature a mix of cameras that allow for cinematic-esque shots; the use of post-production tools to accelerate processing to allow for more dynamic replays, the use of a 53-foot crane normally used in motion pictures to provide broad views of the stadium; 360 cameras for panoramic stadium shots; and 12 wireless remote frequency cameras, including a pair of “line to gain” vantage points.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
