The 2021 Super Bowl will not be available to stream in 4K or HDR this year when it airs February 7, CBS Sports Digital has confirmed that The edge. The company cites production limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
Last year was the first time the Super Bowl was available in 4K and HDR, but that stream was broadcast by Fox Sports, which had a lot more experience broadcasting 4K NFL games, having previously offered numerous games in 4K during both the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
CBS, on the other hand, has never offered an NFL game in 4K / HDR before. Given the added complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring more remote operations than usual, the company had to change plans for this year’s big game.
For what it’s worth, even Fox’s streams weren’t in true 4K, thanks to the complexity of live sports broadcasts – which for the NFL includes dozens of multi-location cameras that shoot different angles of the action, along with dedicated slow-motion equipment. Previous 4K streams – including last year’s Super Bowl – were actually recorded in 1080p and HDR, then upscaled to 4K for broadcast.
Despite the lack of 4K or HDR for this year’s Championship, CBS Sports Digital promises that it will focus on ensuring that streams are reliable and have low latency for this year’s broadcast, and that it remains committed to it. offering more live sports in 4K. and HDR in the future.