NFL Playoffs 2026: NBC Sports Is Set To Roll Out New Scorebar, Insert Graphics This WeekendThe effort will be a mix of innovation and tech familiar to the production team and fansBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Friday, January 9, 2026 - 1:14 pm
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NBC Sports is clearly focused on getting set for its Legendary February, but this weekend's effort for its first 2026 NFL Playoff game, between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers, on Sunday night will feature a brand-new insert package and scorebar. That move marks a departure from other Super Bowl broadcasters, who have waited until the Big Game to deploy new graphics packages.
The scorebar that you'll see on Sunday in the Wild Card game will be the scorebar for the Super Bowl, says NBC Sports Coordinating Producer, Sunday Night Football, Rob Hyland, who will also be Super Bowl coordinating producer for the first time. I want our team to get a couple of reps with it. Our insert package will also be the DNA of the Super Bowl [package]. The Super Bowl animations and all that will be reserved for Super Bowl Sunday, but I've always thought, why save it for the Super Bowl? Let's get it right for the Super Bowl, not save it for the Super Bowl.
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To NBC Sports Director, Sunday Night Football, Drew Esocoff, debuting the graphics package this weekend is as good a time as any. Usually, these things are done leading up to a Super Bowl. This lets us iron out any wrinkles, although I hope there are none! On Feb. 8, he will direct his eighth Super Bowl.
According to Craig Bernstein, VP, remote tech operations and engineering, NBC Sports, NEP ND2 A, B, C, and D mobile units will be used for the two playoff games, and NEP Supershooter 54 A, B, and E units will handle pregame coverage for the divisional game next weekend, as well as for Super Bowl LX. Also, NEP Supershooter 55 A and B units will be added to the game-coverage arsenal on Feb. 8. NEP Specialty Cameras this weekend include 4K/HFR robos with Canon lenses on the goal line and sidelines as well as goal post robotic cameras, Sony P50/Canon booth talent robos, and Sony P50/Canon lenses for two HD RF Steadicams.
NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage is led by Hyland and director Esocoff, with Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Fred Gaudelli, who has been coordinating producer, serving as executive producer of NBC Sports' NFL coverage.
Freddy has set the standard, says Hyland of sliding into Gaudelli's slot. We'll have every camera angle, every replay source, every microphone covering Levi's Stadium, and we will cover the game expertly. We will have some new technological advances available should the game take us in [a new] direction.
In all, NBC will deploy 80-plus cameras (including SkyCam, jib, live drone, and Steadicam systems), more than 150 microphones, and augmented-reality graphics on multiple cameras for Super Bowl LX. However, Sunday Night Football is such a massive production that NBC's camera count will be largely the same as its week-to-week complement.
According to Hyland, NBC tested several tech innovations at Levi's Stadium during last month's Sunday Night Football Bears-49ers matchup: among them was Weather Applied Metrics, which provides reports that quantify how much past, present, and future weather conditions affect the outcome of sports events.
They have an interesting way of interpreting wind data and presenting it graphically three-dimensionally, Hyland explains. If we were to get wind on Super Bowl Sunday, for the first time, we could graphically illustrate how the wind affects the flight of the ball. The problem is, there was no wind [during the test], and we might get zero wind on Super Bowl Sunday. But, if the [opportunity] presents itself in the game, we will use some things that you haven't seen on Sunday Night Football [this season].
Other tech also will be carried over from the regular season, he adds. My monitor wall for the Super Bowl is not changing [since] we do a very big show [on SNF]. There's a whole other row of monitors for the supplemental cameras, which are really enhancement cameras. It's a big show already, but, yes, we will have a lot of fun bells and whistles to have at our disposal if the game takes us there.
This weekend's coverage begins with Football Night in America at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The special edition of the pregame show will feature host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy-sports- industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, and co-host Jac Collinsworth will report onsite from Gillette Stadium.
Telemundo Deportes will again provide exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the entire NBC Sunday Night Football package, including Super Bowl LX and two playoffs. Games will also be available on livestream via the Telemundo Deportes app.
NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo will air a Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of Jan. 17-18, and then it's all eyes on Feb. 8 for Super Bowl LX. Throughout, play-by-play caller Mike Tirico (setting up to be the busiest man in sports in February), 17-time Emmy Award-winning analyst Cris Collinsworth, and sideline reporter Melissa Stark will be at the center of the action, along with three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay serving as rules analyst.
On Super Bowl Sunday, NBC Sports will provide extensive live coverage of Super Bowl LX from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Live game coverage will begin
