“This will be the most technologically advanced Super Bowl ever,” says Keith Bruce, CEO of the Super Bowl Host Committee, the liaison between the NFL and the local community. “It will usher in a new era for Super Bowls in how technology is used to enhance the fan’s experience.”
In terms of technology, Super Bowl 50 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting sporting events in history. San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium will bring together a range of technological innovations on Sunday but there are four specific tech angles to keep in mind when watching the big game.
EyeVision 360
One of the innovations making it’s debut at SB50 will be EyeVision 360, a system complied of 36 cameras that will be scattered around the stadium, capable of giving viewers a 360 degree look at the action. Instant replays can be frozen and examined from all angles before returning to play.
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While the camera system will be beneficial for officials in the game, fans will also be able to see the action from where the quarterback stands in the pocket, the safety’s point of view or any other spot on the field.
Social Media Monitoring
The social media monitoring at SB50 may be one of the most important technology systems in play on Sunday. Usually the thousands of security specialists and federal agents are employed to scan the ground and the sky for any trouble, but this year the scan will enter the social media dimension.
Analysis tools will be collecting information in relation to threats of violence, while choppers, a robot and an app will put all the threat intelligence into a single feed. There’s a projection of over 1 million people being in and around the Bay Area celebrating SB50. That number of people combined with the game’s international exposure is the reason why the Department of Homeland Security have labelled it as a Level 1 Special Event.
“We’ve planned for a number of contingencies and possibilities,” said John Lightfoot, FBI assistant special agent in charge in San Francisco, according to CNET. “Doesn’t mean we think they are going to happen, but we’re ready.”
The scanning system will run out of a Joint Operations Center at an undisclosed location roughly six miles from the stadium, with nearly 2 dozen agents and security professionals analyzing the information in real time.
Super Bowl 50 App
VenueNext is a team that has been working in Levi’s Stadium well before it’s opening. Thanks to this team, fans at the game on Sunday will be able to use the Road to 50 App phones to scan their tickets into the game, to find their way through the stadium to their seats, to order hot dogs or foam fingers, to watch replays, and then to order another beer.
All season the team has been making modifications and improvements all in a build-up for SB50, using this season as a trial period for the big stage, which will come on Sunday. Which will kick-start what the company hopes to be a highly successful brand.
“This is a chance for the world to see what we do here,” said John Paul, Founder and CEO of VenueNext , according to Wired. “When a future customer is thinking about should they work with us or not, knowing that it worked for the Super Bowl … it’ll work for us.”
Throughout the season fans have actually been able to have their food delivered to their seat, however, the logistics of such a big event such as the Super Bowl suggested that it would be difficult.
“They wanted to make sure that everyone had a great experience, and they were a little bit nervous that everyone orders and it takes too long,” Paul said.
Some of the other features involve fans being able to watch the Super Bowl ads on the app as they hit television, as well as a live camera feed that’s sole purpose is to look for celebrities that are in attendance. The app is loaded with exciting content and will no doubt be a hit for fans in the stadium.
Pylon Cam
Pylon cam has been one of the great technological successes of this season and will now be making its Super Bowl debut. There will be 16 cameras inside 8 pylons in the end zones to film the goal lines and sidelines of both teams. The cameras also have embedded microphones to capture the sounds on the ground.
Not only does the pylon cam enhance the viewing experience, but it also acts as an aid to the officials. In such a high-profile sporting event it is important for the officials to make every call the right call and pylon cam will provide angles and insights that will make decisions clearer.
According to WRGZ, founder of the pylon camera, Paul Halsey agrees that it is a great tool for officials to make use of. “There’d definitely be plays that get turned over and seasons could get turned over by what you see from these little cameras.”