Live From Super Bowl LIX: Inside the Big Game (and Studio) Production with Mike Davies of Fox Sports By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 3:21 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
When it comes to producing a Super Bowl in recent years, the reality is that the efforts are increasingly not just about the game on Sunday (and the pre-game) but how the event has become a true cultural touchstone complete with dozens of hours of coverage and plenty of innovations, both technical but, more and more, creative. And this weekend's Fox Sports production of Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is a perfect example.
Every year, one network is the steward of this seminal event. says Mike Davies, Fox Sports, EVP, technical and field operations. It is our mantra to elevate this game to the state of the art, making sure that every angle is covered and every moment on the field is available for replay after the fact in crisp, clean motion.
Despite the fact that each of these games has literally hundreds of cameras, our mantra is to very much keep things as similar to the regular season as possible so our lead producer Richie Zyontz, our lead director Rich Russo, as well as our full team are comfortable and in a familiar environment.
Mike Davies of Fox Sports says the production efforts have been months in the making for Super Bowl LIX.
For example, by the time Zyontz and Russo settle into their chairs on Sunday afternoon Fox Sports will have already delivered 67 hours of programming all week across Fox, FS1, and Fox Deportes as well as other initiatives planned for this weekend. And while there is always plenty of focus on the numbers like 149 cameras for the game and pre-game, 48 microphones, 53 miles of fiber and, of course, things like 2,783 Po boys set to be served up for lunch to the Fox Sports crew on Super Bowl Sunday, numbers don't tell the true story of a Super Bowl which is always a multiple month (or years) long project that involves plenty of planning designed not only to capture the game but also the story of the teams, players, and the host city from all angles.
We've been planning this daily for 14 months, says Davies. With New Orleans-hosting its first intracity' Super Bowl in years-playing a central role, our President of Production & Operations and Executive Producer, Brad Zager, challenged us to find the city's most iconic location. That had to be the French Quarter, and more specifically, Bourbon Street at St. Peter-arguably its cultural heart, surrounded by legendary spots like Maison Bourbon.
Having the French Quarter just a stone's throw from the stadium is a game-changer, shaping our entire approach to the Super Bowl beyond the Xs and Os. For example, we'll be using drone coverage to seamlessly connect the different areas of interest.
The end-product of the efforts involved not only Fox Sports but also state and local government officials, the New Orleans Police Department, and local civic leaders and business owners in the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. And that product will be on full display when the Fox Sports Super Bowl Sunday Pre-game Show takes to a parade float (a tribute to Mardi Gras) in the intersection of Bourbon and Mason Streets on Sunday morning.
When we first mentioned the idea of setting up on Bourbon Street, the reaction was, You're going to do what?' says Davies. But after some thought, they came back and said, Let's make this a reality'-after all, this city knows how to throw a party.
For this Super Bowl, Fox Sports fully embraced the local scene. The Solomon Group was instrumental in planning and production, and I can't say enough about Gary Solomon and his incredible team for making it all happen. Chris Young was a key piece of the puzzle, leveraging his relationships to help us communicate effectively with business owners.
We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the New Orleans Host Committee, whose connections and support opened doors across the city.
That focus on Bourbon Street was of course put to the test a little more than a month ago when 14 people were killed and 57 injured when a terrorist drove down Bourbon Street on the morning of January 1.
The attack on January 1 put everything into perspective, forcing us to view it through both the lens of loss and resilience, says Davies. Operationally, this event could not have continued without the support of the Governor's office, City Officials, and the invaluable assistance of the New Orleans and State Police, along with so many others. One of the greatest privileges of this show has been working with such incredible people-people I will always consider friends.
Game Time
With respect to the game itself, Davies thinks the game is going to be defined by instant replay and how good a job Fox Sports does getting the right looks.
Our ethos is a little different than other networks in that we don't really seek technology that might get used once or twice or that the audience really isn't going to see a lot, he says. We like to get the technology in the hands of the producers and directors so they can have multiple chances to work with it and see how it can be integrated.
Example one this year? The high SkyCam which features a Sony HDC-P50A 4K HFR box camera. Davies says because the camera has a 4K sensor it can fly a lot higher than previous second SkyCam but also do a lot more than just be a SkyCam.
One of the great things about 4K replay is that it can be used for many different things, especially on a SkyCam, he says. It can be used as a high all-22 where you can get both guards in the image and it's also a really great telestration device for [analyst] Tom Brady and others to show how a play is unfolding. And it can also ope
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Live From Super Bowl LIX: Inside the Big Game (and Studio) Production with Mike Davies of Fox Sports By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
