Live From Super Bowl LIX: Inside SkyCam and Sony's Efforts to Make 4K 240 fps Imaging on SkyCam a Reality By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Saturday, February 8, 2025 - 7:49 pm
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SkyCam having a big presence at a Super Bowl is nothing new but this yeartwo SkyCam units that will be flying around the Caesars Superdome and each will bring something new to the world of cabled camera systems. First, the lower one will have a Kudan Lidar sensor mounted on the bottom of it which will improve the stability of AR graphics that are inserted into SkyCam shots. And the upper SkyCam features a new Sony P50A camera which will capture 4k images at 240 frames per second, providing a new pixel and frame-rich environment for the Fox Sports replay team to do everything from HD cutouts to tracking objects, telestration, and much more.
(l-to-r): Stephen Wharton SkyCam, GM, COO; Jason Curl, Game High Sky EIC; Brad Eisele SkyCam Lead EIC; and Tim Demers, SkyCam, VP Software
It will provide more of a tactical view where you can see the routes and a lot of the blocking, especially on the edges of the line, says Steve Wharton, SkyCam, GM, COO, and CTO. So on the lower SkyCam we can get show the big pockets and holes from a low perspective but then the high SkyCam can offer a tactical view.
The high SkyCam at Super Bowl LIX is outfitted with a Sony P50A which will capture 4K images at 240 frames per second.
SkyCam has about 20 people on site including four sets of pilots and operators: one set for the low SkyCam, one for the high SkyCam, a third for the pre-game show, and then a fourth for the halftime show.
Each of the guys has a set of responsibilities and controls, says Wharton. The pilots are responsible for flying the SkyCam and you can think of it like flying a fighter jet. And then the operators are the ones pulling focus.
The SkyCam system is comprised of three distinct components: the cameras and the pilot and operator controls; the winches and cabling (which will be located on the 600 level for Super Bowl LIX); and then the truck ties and the AR graphics.
Everything gets orchestrated together, adds Wharton.
(l-to-r): Austin Ellsworth, High Sky Operator; Alex Milton Low Sky Pilot; Sam Walker High Sky Pilot;
Tim Demers, SkyCam, VP Software; Stephen Wharton, SkyCam, GM, COO & CTO; Mark Streapy, SkyCam, Technical Operations Manager
Getting SkyCam ready for a Super Bowl requires months of planning as they have to not only figure out where to rig the system but also make sure they are aware of the additional speaker and lighting clusters that are put in place for the halftime show. And then this year getting the new Sony camera integrated into the SkyCam workflow took some time as well to ensure signals were transported properly across fiber connects that run from the camera to the production team.
This camera is going to get looks the production team otherwise would not have, says Wharton. And it's not like a pylon cam which is only useful for plays on the goal line: this is useful on every play.
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Live From Super Bowl LIX: Inside SkyCam and Sony's Efforts to Make 4K 240 fps Imaging on SkyCam a Reality By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
