The run started in 1989. Super Bowl XXIII. Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. The San Francisco 49ers against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was the first year that Level 3 Communications, the Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. spinoff and global fiber-optic network provider, was chosen as the broadcasting backbone for the big game.
Tonight, 23 years later, the string will continue as Level 3 streams more than 3,000 hours of high-definition video during NBC's coverage of Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
The Broomfield, Colo.-based company's Vyvx VenueNet+ network is connected directly to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the game is being played. The network is connected to all 31 venues in the United States where professional football games are played.
The deal allows NBC to broadcast the contest without having to actually manage its own network. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"A television event like this, which continues to set viewership records every year, leaves no room for error," said Mike Meehan, NBC's senior vice president of sports network operations. "Level 3's service provides us with the performance, reliability and simplicity we need to ensure a successful broadcast."
So, you're probably wondering, how does the setup work?
NBC video cameras capturing the live game action send the video to television trucks on site. The stream is then encoded and travels along Level 3's network until it's distributed to the broadcaster, Level 3's television operations center and the online streaming network for Comcast, the cable company that owns NBC. The broadcaster then sends the signal to its satellites, which distribute the video feed to satellite video providers, cable providers and local television affiliates.
The feed is also transmitted to NFL operations centers in Mount Laurel, N.J., Culver City, Calif., and NFL Network's master control facility in Atlanta.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1414, ross.boettcher@owh.com
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