Tech And Innovations In The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the most significant events in American sports, drawing in millions of viewers across the country. Technology has played an increasingly important role in increasing Super Bowl odds in recent years.
From the use of advanced analytics to enhance on-field performance to the deployment of cutting-edge broadcast technology to bring the game to fans in new and exciting ways, technology is changing how we experience the Super Bowl. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most exciting and innovative ways technology is being used to enhance the Super Bowl experience.
Virtual/Augmented Reality
It’s not surprising that VR/AR has made its way into the Super Bowl, given its prevalence in other industries, from property investment to the Olympics to amusement parks. Since 2017, when FOX Sports broadcasted Super Bowl LI Highlights in near real-time, virtual reality and augmented reality experiences have been accessible for the Super Bowl. Streaming the entire game in VR on programs like Bigscreen is now possible because of the rapid development of VR and AR over the past few years. Bigscreen is a virtual reality (VR) program made so users may watch content with others in the metaverse.
As part of its partnership with Meta, the NFL allows fans to dress up their 3D avatars in virtual NFL gear. Officials from Meta claim that these 3D, editable avatars reflect virtual reality and augmented reality and more conventional digital devices such as smartphones and computers. Modifications as simple as a unified 3D avatar throughout all platforms could pave the way for new users to enter the metaverse.
NFT
The NFL took another step toward upgrading the Super Bowl by providing each attendee of Super Bowl LVI with a non-fungible token (NFT) ticket that was encoded with their specific seat number. The Super Bowl NFTs are now treasured collectibles. Tickets with NFTs could be used for future NFL experiences and activations. Although this was the first time NFTs were used in the Super Bowl, they had been used in other professional sports. NFTs were first made available by the NFL in November 2021 to customers who bought tickets to certain games through third-party marketplaces like Ticketmaster, StubHub, and SeatGeek. For the last 21 games of the 2021 NBA season, fans can purchase collectible NFTs.
SoFi Stadium
The SoFi Stadium, where the 2022 Super Bowl was held, is an integral part of any discussion about the game’s innovative features. Furthermore, it is the most technologically advanced stadium in existence today.
The ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) materials and retractable panels on the roof make this the first indoor-outdoor stadium in the world. The top and its panels work in tandem to take advantage of the sun’s rays and the coastal breezes to provide natural lighting and ventilation for the stadium’s interior. In addition, the stadium has Samsung’s Infinity Screen, the world’s most giant sports video board. There are more than 25,000 feet of wiring in this 1,000-ton screen, enough to go around the planet three times.
Data Analysis
There’s no denying the importance of statistics in football, and the Super Bowl has the most cutting-edge data and technology to date. Next Gen Stats is a program for the NFL developed by the NFL, tracking technology provider Zebra Technologies, and cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services (AWS). Since 2018, when the league began using Next Gen Stats, deep learning and its accompanying statistics have only gotten better and more extensive.
The decision equation generated by Next Gen Stats considers the likelihood of a successful two-point conversion or fourth-down play by the offense. It compares it to the chance of a successful game outcome.
The Digital Athlete, a virtual version of an NFL player built on Amazon Web Services, was updated with data from the 2022 Super Bowl to forecast better and prevent player injuries.
As technology continues to evolve, we expect to see more ways it will change the Super Bowl experience for fans and players alike. The future of the Super Bowl is looking brighter and more interactive than ever.