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
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
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.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
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 
