Sony at Super Bowl LX: The Camera Tech Covering Football’s Biggest Stage

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Levi's Stadium with large "SUPER BOWL" signage and team banners displayed on the exterior. One person walks toward the entrance in the mostly empty parking lot under a clear blue sky.

The NFL announced back in July 2024 that Sony had become its official technology partner, providing everything from headphones to broadcast and Hawk-Eye cameras used at games. At Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on Sunday, Sony will again be pushing the envelope in the imaging technologies covering all angles of the game.

Sony invited PetaPixel this week on a behind-the-scenes tour at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara to see how deeply its gear is integrated into the biggest event of the NFL season.

A Stadium Blanketed in Sony Cameras

After 165 Sony cameras were used to cover Super Bowl LVIII and over 240 were used at Super Bowl LIX, this year’s Super Bowl will feature over 175 Sony cameras deployed on and around the field and stadium to capture both still photos and videos.

Associated Press photographers will be carrying 55 Sony camera bodies, 80 lenses, and 15 Sony PDT-FP1 portable data transmitters for their work. The NFL Focus Photography team will have 8 Sony bodies and 20 lenses, and Sony Image PRO support will be on site with 45 Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras (including the Alpha 1 II and Alpha 9 III), 90 E-mount lenses, portable data transmitters, and PXW-Z200 camcorders.

A large sign reads "Welcome to Super Bowl LX, San Francisco | Bay Area, 02.08.26" with colorful house designs and NFL logos, behind metal barricades.

On the broadcast side, NBC Sports is using quite the arsenal for its broadcast: its setup includes 37 Sony HDC broadcast cameras (35 HDC-5500 and 2 HDC-4300), 18 Sony HDC point-of-view cameras (6 HDC-P50A, 11 HDC-P50, and 1 HDC-P31), 5 Sony cinema cameras (3 PXW-FX9 and 2 PMW-F55), 2 Sony PTZ cameras (a ILME-FR7 and a BRC-AM7), and 3 aerial/specialty cameras (2 ILX-LR1 and 1 HDC-P50).

The NFL Half-Time show this year will be captured using 11 Sony VENICE 2 digital cinema cameras, 3 Sony BURANO digital cinema cameras, and 1 Sony FR7 Cinema Line PTZ Camera.

All the feeds are handled from within the NBC compound, a fleet of trucks parked on the side of the stadium from which the broadcast is carefully directed.

People stand in line outside temporary white tents and shipping containers next to a multi-level parking structure on a sunny day. Some are wearing backpacks; portable toilets and barriers are visible nearby.

A man stands between two large white trailers with metal stairs, holding a folder. It’s sunny, and the sky is clear and blue. Industrial equipment and scaffolding are visible in the background.

NBC Senior Director of Remote Technical Operations Keith Kice will be the person calling the shots on the big day, and he says that 2.5 years of work have gone into preparing to cover one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The broadcast team will be based out of an NBC compound that comprises a fleet of trucks parked right next to the stadium, connected to Levi Stadium and to each other with 75 miles of cables. Each truck has its own area and specifications, including a main control room.

The pop-out of one of the broadcast trailers.

75 miles of cables are used for data transmission in the NBC compound.

A behind-the-scenes view of a film or TV production setup, showing metal stairs, racks filled with tangled cables, electronic equipment, and a person holding a camera on the right edge of the image.

A person wearing black works in front of a large setup of cables and electronic equipment inside a red-walled garage or booth, with sunlight casting shadows on the ground outside.

Inside the trucks are a huge number of displays showing feeds from the different Sony cameras.

A production control room with large monitors displaying video feeds, equipment, and several people working. Popcorn tubs are on the desk, and the setting appears busy and focused.

A busy broadcast control room with numerous monitors displaying sports events, graphics, and color bars. Several people are seated at desks, operating equipment and managing the live broadcast.

A broadcast control room filled with racks of cables and equipment on the left, and multiple monitors, audio mixers, and computers on desks to the right. The room is brightly lit and organized for live production.

There are about 700 to 800 credentialed crew members setting up for each broadcast, and days leading up to the Super Bowl are spent rehearsing the broadcast elements using footage from old games. It takes the crew 2 days to set up, 2 hours to take down, and through the season, they move from city to city, stadium to stadium.

Several people work inside a broadcast control room, monitoring multiple screens displaying football game footage and graphics. The room is filled with equipment, control panels, and monitors.

A person sits at a control panel in front of dozens of monitors displaying sports broadcasts, color bars, and camera feeds in a busy video production control room.

The NBC Super Bowl pregame set is also filled with Sony camera gear.

Two people walk toward a Super Bowl LX media setup at a stadium, passing equipment crates and NBC-branded items under a large blue Super Bowl LX sign.

TV studio setup for NBC’s Super Bowl coverage, with cameras, two ladders, crew members, and a large screen showing an empty football stadium with red seats in the background.

A busy TV studio with crew members, cameras, and equipment preparing for a Super Bowl broadcast. Bright lights hang from the ceiling, and the Super Bowl logo is displayed on a backdrop. A stadium is visible through the window.

Professional video cameras and a teleprompter are set up in a colorful studio. Several people are gathered in the background near bright wall art featuring the Golden Gate Bridge. The atmosphere is busy and collaborative.

The Sony broadcast cameras around the stadium are equipped with lenses by companies such as Canon and Fujifilm, as Sony does not manufacture those types of broadcast lenses.

A cameraman in a mask operates a large TV camera at an empty stadium with red seats. A scoreboard and a large screen showing a woman talking are visible in the background. It's a bright, sunny day at Levi’s Stadium.

Television broadcast cameras set up in a stadium overlooking a football field, with empty red seats and a large screen displaying a sports broadcast. The stadium scoreboard reads "Levi's Stadium.

Wide-angle view of an empty football stadium with red seats, a green field marked for an NFL game, and team logos at midfield, under a clear blue sky.

A broadcast booth overlooks a football stadium, with several people standing near technical equipment and monitors; some are working while others observe the field below.

An older man in a blue sweater stands smiling in a broadcast booth overlooking a football stadium, holding a book. Another person adjusts equipment nearby. Multiple monitors and large display screens are visible.

People walk through a busy backstage area filled with computer equipment, cables, and monitors. Various technical gear is set up on shelves and tables; some individuals are working while others move through the space.

Sony Hawk-Eye

This year’s Super Bowl will be the first ever to feature Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology. As the NFL’s Virtual Measurement system, the camera-based system replaces the “Chain Gang” as a consistent and efficient way to measure Line to Gain after a ball is spotted on the field.

Furthermore, Sony Hawk-Eye video and replay technology will also support reviews for things like officiating and medical evaluations.

The Sony Hawk-Eye system is directed from a row of booth rooms that include spaces for everyone from coaches and coordinators to replay centers for officiating.

A group of people walk down a brightly lit hallway with red carpet and walls, some carrying backpacks. One person has a camera on their shoulder. Posters and signage are visible on the walls.

A door with a sign reading "POSITIVELY NO VISITORS COACHES BOOTH" is shown. Next to the door is a label for "COACHES BOOTH" and an NFL notice about the NFL electronic device policy.

A row of empty broadcast booths with chairs and equipment overlooks a football stadium, visible through large glass windows. The stadium seating and field can be seen outside.

Switching between the different camera feeds and operating the software UI is done using an Xbox controller (as well as the touchscreen).

A desk with a computer monitor displaying football footage, keyboard, mouse, headphones, camera, and game controller, with "SEAHAWKS" labeled on the chair. A football stadium is visible through the window behind the desk.

The Instant Replay booth is where Sony Hawk-Eye is used to determine Line to Gain.

A man in a striped polo shirt stands by a large touchscreen monitor displaying a football field. He is in a stadium press box overlooking an empty field and stands, with another monitor and a person nearby.

A monitor displays a football field with a "Virtual Measurement" graphic. The field is marked at the 50-yard line, and a football rests nearby. Stadium seating filled with spectators is visible in the background.

A graphic on a football field background shows a football next to a line labeled "SHORT" with the text "1 YARD" indicating the distance to the first down marker.

“As the biggest game and the most-watched show of the year, the Super Bowl production requires tools we can trust,” says NBC Sports EVP of Studio and Remote OperationsKen Goss. “Working with Sony allows us to flawlessly deliver every angle, replay and on-field moment to viewers watching around the world.”

In addition to Sony Hawk-Eye’s virtual measurement and replay abilities, Super Bowl LX will also for the first time feature the first fully integrated camera-based player and ball tracking environment. The SkeleTRACK system will follow 29 points on each player as well as track the football in 3D space. This player tracking system will help the NFL analyze on-field movements and ball positioning with greater clarity and consistency than ever before.

Sony Audio

Aside from imaging, Sony’s audio technologies will also play a critical role in the big game. This will be the first Super Bowl to utilize Sony’s specially designed NFL Coach Headsets that debuted at the beginning of the season.

A Sony headset with a microphone is connected to an audio receiver labeled "NFL" and "WR ACT." The equipment is on an office desk with two office phones, a keyboard, and a chair nearby.

Based on Sony’s 1000X headphone series, the headsets optimize sound quality and durability specifically for the needs of the loud and rough environments of NFL games. Used by coaches and staff across all 32 NFL teams, the all-weather headsets can withstand freezing temperatures and coach tempers while cutting out crowd and game noise to facilitate the strategic communication for each team.

“Technology plays a central role in how the NFL continues to evolve the game,” says NFL Deputy CIO Aaron Amendolia. “Sony’s integrated systems, whether officiating data or sideline communication, help us deliver a faster, clearer, and more consistent experience on our biggest stage.”

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