Live From Super Bowl LIX: Inside the Big Game (and Studio) Production With FOX Sports' Mike Davies With week-long coverage and tons of tech innovation, it is way more than just a football game By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 3:21 pm
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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 pregame) but how the event has become a true cultural touchstone, with dozens of hours of coverage and plenty of innovations - chiefly technical but, more and more, creative. This weekend's FOX Sports production of Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is a perfect example.
Every year, one network is the steward of this seminal event. says Mike Davies, EVP, technical and field operations, FOX Sports. 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, he continues, 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, and our full team are comfortable and in a familiar environment.
FOX Sports' Mike Davies says production efforts for Super Bowl LIX have been in the making for months.
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 across FOX, FS1, and FOX Deportes this week, along with other initiatives planned for this weekend. Although there is always plenty of focus on the numbers - 149 cameras for the game and pregame, 48 mics, 53 miles of fiber, 2,783 Po boys set to be served to the FOX Sports crew for lunch on Sunday - numbers don't tell the true story of a Super Bowl, which is always a multiple months- (or year-) long project involving plenty of planning for capturing not only the game but also telling the story of the teams, players, and host city from all angles.
We've been planning this daily for 14 months, says Davies. With New Orleans playing a central role, our President, Production and Operations/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, he continues, shaping our entire approach to the Super Bowl beyond the X's and O's. 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 FOX Super Bowl LIX Pregame takes to a parade float (a tribute to Mardi Gras) at the intersection of Bourbon and Mason Streets on Sunday morning.
When we first mentioned the idea of setting up on Bourbon Street, says Davies, the reaction was, You're going to do what?' 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, he continues. The Solomon Group was instrumental in planning and production, and I can't say enough about [co-founder/CEO] Gary Solomon Jr. 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, Davies adds, 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 Jan. 1.
The attack on Jan. 1 put everything into perspective, forcing us to view it through the lens of both 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 from other networks' in that we don't 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. Because the camera has a 4K sensor, Davies notes, it can fly a lot higher than the previous second Skycam but also do a lot more than just be a Skycam.
One of the great things about 4K replay, he says, is that it can be used for many different things, especially on a Skycam. It can be used as a high all-22 where you can get both guards in the image, and it's also a great telestration device for [analyst] Tom Brady and others to show ho
