It's the (relative) calm before the Super Bowl storm. At Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, golf carts buzz around carrying people and equipment. Workers water the lush field as the afternoon sun beams in. And broadcast crews run through rehearsals to make sure everything looks good on your TV come game day.
Earlier this week, I swung by Levi's Stadium to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the tech powering the US's biggest sporting event, which this year takes place on Sunday, Feb. 8, and pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots.
The Super Bowl has long been a staple for football fans, but in recent years, it's also morphed into a showcase for cutting-edge technology, whether it's advanced connectivity, improved sound systems or state-of-the-art displays. During my tour, I got a look at everything from high-end camera equipment to security rooms and even the custom-made headsets coaches wear to communicate with players.
In short, there are many moving pieces to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible -- both on the ground and on TV. Here's what I explored throughout the stadium.
Watch this: The Big Game and the Tech Behind the Broadcast | Tech Today 02:47
Capturing and editing the big game
In the shadow of the stadium sit about two dozen white NBC production trucks, where hundreds of people work together to beam the Super Bowl to viewers at home. Stepping inside the unassuming structures, it's as if a Mary Poppins-like enchantment has made their interiors much larger than their external dimensions suggest. Numerous screens and swaths of cables cover almost every inch of space, and switchboards are stacked with endless pulsing buttons.
Around two dozen production trucks are lined up outside the stadium. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET
Each trailer has a different function. In one, which houses the main control room, the technical director will work with the producer and director to ensure the right shots are being broadcast. An assistant director sees to it that those pricey Super Bowl ads run when they're supposed to. And in an adjoining room is where the audio gets mixed.
"A lot of important decisions are made in this room in a split second, so they need to be executed perfectly with zero margin of error," said Keith Kice, NBC Sports' senior director of remote tech operations.
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