The number of cameras used to broadcast, record and photograph Super Bowl LIX will number well past 200. Sony, the official technology partner of the NFL, has revealed that more than 240 cameras will be used during the February 09 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome.
That 240 number comes from the cameras used to broadcast the game to the cameras used for still photography by Associated Press photographers. Sony says that 14 cameras will be used for streaming the game, positioned in the end zone, sidelines and throughout the stadium. And yes, the SkyCam delivering the overhead views is a Sony too.
The number of cameras used for broadcasting the game tip over 100, starting with 97 Sony HBC series cameras. A trifecta of Sony FX6 cinema cameras, as well as a Sony FR7, Sony Venice 2 and a Sony A7 III are planned for the broadcast, from pre-game to post-game.
Fox Sports will broadcast the game this year, with Game Creek video aiding in videography for the event that traditionally winds up as the most-watched broadcast of the year in the US. Even Sony monitors will be used for color gradation for the Fox broadcast.
Sony estimates more than 60 cameras will be on the sideline for photography. Why so many from one brand? Sony is the exclusive imaging product and support provider for the Associated Press, with 14 photographers and 9 editors from that team scheduled to cover the NFL championship. Sony’s PDT-FP1 transmitter will deliver photos from cameras to editors to quickly publish throughout the game.
Sony’s support team will also have 65 additional full-frame cameras on hand, along with a selection of 140 Sony lenses. The company notes those loaners will include the new Sony A1 II, along with 600mm (14 of them), 400mm (numbering 10) and 300mm (a total of 6) telephoto lenses.
For the halftime show, Sony counts 13 Venice 2 cinema cameras and a Venice extension system, plus a Sony Burano cinema camera. Sony notes that Funicular Goats is the technical producer for the halftime show and that the team has, for the last four years, chosen Sony gear.
“There are less than five minutes to set up and deliver a cinematic concert to millions of people,” James Coker, head of engineering and technical management at Funicular Goats, said, “and the Sony Cinema Line cameras provide the perfect combination of full-frame sensor with broadcast compatibility to work seamlessly within the show’s structure and achieve this challenge.”
Reading those numbers, I no longer feel like the only one eyeing the cameras on the sideline throughout the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 18:30 EST on February 09. The game will air on Fox with streaming on Tubi.
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