Have broadcast innovations gone too far?
One wouldn’t be faulted for asking that very question while watching Fox NFL Sunday prior to the weekend’s NFL slate. Following an interview in which Fox’s lead NFL analyst Tom Brady sat down with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brady joined the Fox NFL Sunday crew through unusual means.
Rather than simply remoting in for a quick debrief from Levi’s Stadium where he will call the San Francisco 49ers and Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, Brady instead appeared alongside Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Jimmy Johnson via hologram in the Fox studio.
“Through the magic of television,” Tom Brady was in studio to talk Sunday’s Chiefs vs. 49ers game.pic.twitter.com/C1uVWNwxFN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 20, 2024
“We are in Los Angeles. Tom Brady is in Santa Clara getting ready to call that game. But through the magic of television, there he is,” Menefee said snapping his fingers and pointing to the spot where hologram Brady appeared.
Then began a nearly five-minute segment featuring hologram Brady discussing his interview with Mahomes earlier that week. The experience was a new one for Brady, who sat in the interviewer’s chair for the first time in his career.
Credit to Fox, the hologram segment with Brady went off without any technical hitches. It was almost uncanny how realistic it looked.
And he vanished as quickly as he arrived. pic.twitter.com/ISIrYSiK6i
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 20, 2024
The question is, why?
It’s undeniably cool technology to be able to seamlessly superimpose Brady into the studio and have him converse with the show’s cast in real-time. But did it add anything to the broadcast? That’s difficult to say.
Perhaps there are use cases for this technology that could allow for a more immersive experience for the viewer. For now? It seems gimmicky. Though one couldn’t blame Fox for giving it a shot. They’ve clearly spent time refining this technology.
It’ll be interesting to see exactly how the hologram tech is deployed in the future, and if other networks will follow Fox’s lead and develop their own hologram abilities. It’s a great sign that networks continue to try and push the boundaries of broadcast innovation rather than stagnate. But of course, not every innovation will be a hit.
The jury is still out on holograms.
[Photo Credit: Fox]
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.