Live From Super Bowl LIX: NFL Tech Ops Rides Years of Experience for Biggest, Most Complex Broadcast of the Season

Live From Super Bowl LIX: NFL Tech Ops Rides Years of Experience for Biggest, Most Complex Broadcast of the Season Wireless-frequency testing and coordination pose a big challenge By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Sunday, February 9, 2025 - 1:57 pm

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Even though played so early in the year, the Super Bowl is undoubtedly the most-watched event on the sports calendar. That brings added attention, to say the least, and requires the domestic and international broadcasts, in-venue show, and other live activations taking place inside the stadium on game day to go off without a hitch. Since it isn't a normal game, NFL Technology Operations has access to a lot more resources than usual but relies on an extensive reservoir of knowledge to supply the participating clubs, television partners, and others with everything they need.

We'll be dealing with a lot of video, which is probably one of the biggest changes [from the regular season], says Chris Vassallo, director, stadium infrastructure and football technology, NFL. We want to make sure that all the typical services that a team is used to having throughout the season are here.

The NFL Technology Operations team on the field at Super Bowl LIX: (from left) Michael Zagreda, Stephon Chapman, Chris Caccamo, Juan Montalvo, TJ Williams, Pat Sellers, David Ng, Chris Vassallo, Nik Stamatakis, Rama Ravindranathan, and Michael Katzenoff

On the Right Frequency: Testing, Coordination Are Paramount for Success To ensure a smooth operation, from a broadcast perspective, Vassallo and his crew have performed numerous tests of wireless communication and RF. During the regular season, a packed stadium with fans and a broadcast entity present a challenge, but, when it's the Super Bowl, that challenge is significantly magnified. The most important test was three days before kickoff on Thursday: all wireless and transmittable devices were turned on to somewhat replicate the traffic that would be seen on Sunday. The rehearsal allows the crew to detect potential problems and jot down areas for improvement, but the team will know if everything is operating properly is only when more than 73,000 fans fill the seats on game day.

There's really no way of simulating a Super Bowl at kickoff, says Vassallo. This is the closest we can get from a frequency-coordination [standpoint].

With so many cable networks, broadcast outlets, and digital platforms onsite in New Orleans, it could be tough to keep track of - or contain - the frequencies emitted by any sort of device inside the building. The league combats this possibility with a system of tags that designate whether a certain camera, microphone, or other piece of equipment is allowed to transmit. Without this tag, the device needs to be wired to its own source of connectivity and not be using the NFL's dedicated network.

Anything wireless being used on the field should have gone through frequency coordination, notes Vassallo. We'll have staff that'll be on the lookout for these tags as a visual indicator that that piece of equipment is accounted for.

Backup by Verizon: On-Field Antennas Provide Much-Needed Safety Net RF testing is an essential portion of the NFL's plan, and, through the league's ongoing partnership with Verizon, Super Bowl LIX will have four antennas on the field - two active and two backups on different frequencies - to ensure maximum coverage.

They're positioned on walls of the field and are the same antennas that were used all season long, says Vassallo. We've done some additional testing to fine-tune some things, including a small increase in power.

Each team's coaches will be using headsets powered by Verizon, but one of the biggest uses of RF during the Super Bowl is the halftime show. For example, Riedel Bolero wireless intercom will be used not only by the referees but also by most of the on-field personnel for the halftime show. This presented another layer of frequency coordination to prevent disruptions on both sets of comms.

We want to make sure that there's no overlap and bumping into each other, Vassallo adds. We want to make sure our officials on the field can communicate.

Standard Fare: League Deploys Traditional Infrastructure To Minimize Interruptions As if so many moving parts weren't enough, providing operational and logistical needs for a marquee event like the Super Bowl leaves little room for error. To offset the complexity and robust outline for the league's biggest game, NFL Operations is relying on a more standard approach to avoid hiccups.

There is very little [tech] experimentation, says Vassallo. As much as we can keep it to as standard a game as possible, that's what we want to do.

Most of the time, the league has only a short time to make sure the infrastructure at all 30 stadiums is ready to go. On the bright side, the fact that this is the most important game of the year allows many days of preparation. For instance, once the equipment is installed, tested and approved for game day, it's left alone until it's time for kickoff.

We have a lot of stuff turned on, and it won't be turned off until after the game is over, says Vassallo. This is a game to stay as consistent as possible and do what we normally do.

One element that will remain the same is the league's official replay and review system. To streamline the process, a full replay setup will be at the venue, and the NFL's Art McNally GameDay Central officiating room will also be active.

We'll be receiving an excessive number of video feeds compared with any other game that we do, Vassallo says. During a normal game, we plug into the onsite truck, but, with the compound being far away here, I have to bring some additional equipment to get

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