USA – Sony’s imaging tech is ‘the literal lens through which the spectacle and excitement of the Super Bowl is truly experienced’.
It’s simply not a Super Bowl without a cavalcade of Sony gear. That legacy continues today at Super Bowl LX, where the company has rolled out its most significant presence at the Big Game to date. As an official NFL technology partner, Sony is powering Super Bowl LX with an integrated ecosystem spanning sideline communication, broadcast imaging, officiating technology, and player tracking.
“Sony is intrinsically involved in all aspects of the game experience, so we’re excited to help power so many end-to-end elements of the Super Bowl,” says Theresa Alesso, president, Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics. “From pregame, in-game, halftime show, and postgame action, as well as additional studio shows, to sideline still photography and commercials, Sony’s imaging technology is the literal lens through which the spectacle and excitement of the Super Bowl is truly experienced.”
A whopping 175+ Sony cameras will capture the game across broadcast, aerial, POV, cinema, still photography, and in-venue production at Levi’s Stadium, with Sony VENICE 2, BURANO, Alpha, and HDC systems supporting everything from NBC’s broadcast to the halftime show to sideline storytelling.
As Sony’s technology partnership with the NFL expands, Sunday’s game will also feature a number of firsts. Super Bowl LX is the first to feature Sony’s NFL Coach’s Headsets, which will enable the sharing of critical and strategic communications and game plans throughout the event. Additionally, the game marks the first-ever Super Bowl use of Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement for line-to-gain decisions, as well as integrated optical player and ball tracking with Sony’s Hawk-Eye SkeleTRACK technology.
“Technology plays a central role in how the NFL continues to evolve the game,” saysAaron Amendolia, deputy CIO, NFL. “Sony’s integrated systems, whether officiating data or sideline communication, help us deliver a faster, clearer, and more consistent experience on our biggest stage.”
NBC Sports will deploy more than 65 Sony cameras across its Super Bowl LX broadcast footprint, from primary game coverage to specialty capture, Skycam, and on‑field features.
“As the biggest game and the most-watched show of the year, the Super Bowl production requires tools we can trust,” says Ken Goss, EVP, studio and remote operations, NBC Sports. “Working with Sony allows us to flawlessly deliver every angle, replay, and on-field moment to viewers watching around the world.”
Sony’s HDC-F5500V is making its debut in a Super Bowl, providing a shallow–depth-of-field look to the wide shots for pre/postgame and halftime shows. In addition, the BRC-AM7 PTZ camera will be used for the first time at a Super Bowl to provide auto tracking.
The versatile HDC-P50A and P50 POV cameras will be deployed for capture from unique setups and vantage points and with some used at high frame rates. Among the uses will be as part of the wired Skycam solution, as a sideline Steadicam, and on the walkway between the locker room and stadium to document player entrances and exits.
In all, NBC’s camera complement will comprise 35 HDC-5500’s and two HDC-4300’s, 18 HDC-Series POV cameras (six HDC-P50A 4X-slo-mo 4K systems, 11 HDC-P50’s, and one HDC-P31), two PTZ cameras (an ILME-FR and a BRC-AM7), and three aerial/specialty systems (two ILX-LR1’s and an HDC-P50.
Five Sony cinema cameras — three Sony PXW-FX9’s and two Sony PMW-F55’s — will also play major roles in NBC’s coverage. “Cinematic cameras and shallow depth of field,” notes Alesso, “are being used on the sidelines and in interviews to create additional emotion and engagement and to add visual variety and more focused narratives. The stakes at a championship game are high, so the cinematic aesthetic can help to underscore the action, outcomes, and reactions of such a pivotal game.”
Of course, Super Bowl Sunday is about much more than just the game. The halftime performance — which has lately drawn more viewers than the game itself — this year will star multiple–Grammy Award–winner Bad Bunny. The NFL’s halftime-show production partner Funicular Goats will rely on 11 Sony VENICE 2 digital cinema cameras, three Sony BURANO digital cinema cameras, and one Sony FR7 Cinema Line PTZ camera to capture all the halftime festivities with a truly cinematic look.
“Sony’s Cinema Line cameras will be powering the Funicular Goats’ halftime-show production to enhance storytelling,” says Alesso, “and create a look that blends creativity and artistry and supports the most talked about moments outside of game play.”
Sony’s imaging technology will also play a major role supporting the in-venue production team at Levi’s Stadium. Ten Sony UHD cameras, including the HDC-3500 (hard positions), HDC-5500 (HFR), HDC-3500 (RF wireless), and ILME-FX3A (RF shallow depth of field) will deliver images to the in-venue videoboards for fans inside Levi’s Stadium.
Sony will also support sideline photographers including the Associated Press and the NFL’s in-house photography and media teams. The Associated Press will deploy 55 Sony camera bodies, 80 lenses, 15 PDT-FP1 portable data transmitters; the NFL Focus Photography Team will have eight Sony cameras and 20 lenses at its disposal.
In addition, the Sony Imaging PRO Support Depot is handling 45 Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, 90 E-mount lenses, 12 PDT-FP1 portable data transmitters, and multiple PXW-Z200 camcorders. An estimated 10 bodies and 15 lenses were shipped in advance for the Big Game via Sony’s Pre‑Loan Program.
The NFL Coach’s Headsets debuted at the start of the 2025 season. Inspired by Sony’s 1000X headphone series and designed to optimize sound quality and maximize durability, comfort, and clarity, the headsets have supported coaches and staff across all 32 NFL teams reliably in high-noise, high-pressure environments in all types of weather conditions.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology, the NFL Virtual Measurement system, will also be used for the first time in a Super Bowl. The system provides consistent and efficient line-to-gain measurement once the ball is spotted on the field. Hawk-Eye video and replay technology will also be used to support officiating and video reviews on all eligible plays. In addition, Sony will provide video and replay technology to support officiating and video reviews to “promote a safer, fairer, and more engaging game,” according to Alesso.
In its inaugural season of being the NFL Virtual Measurement System, Hawkeye has provided a 40% increase in speed and efficiency relative to the use of the chains for measurement in previous seasons.
In addition to NFL Virtual Measurement and officiating replay and video support, this year’s Super Bowl will feature the first fully integrated optical player- and ball-tracking environment powered by Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations. Hawk-Eye’s SkeleTRACK system tracks 29 points on each player and 3D ball tracking. SkeleTRACK and Zebra Technologies’ RFID wearables will combine to provide a player-tracking system that enhances the league’s ability to analyze on-field movement and ball position with greater clarity and consistency.
“Our partnership with the NFL is built on a shared commitment to innovation,” says Alesso. “This year’s Super Bowl reflects how Sony technologies work together through data, communication, and imaging to support every moment of the game, from the field to the broadcast to the fan experience.”
