This is the 1,000-ton screen that brings Super Bowl LVI closer to the lucky fans inside the stadium

(CNN) — In Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, both teams will play with more than 1,000 tons hanging over their heads.

Suspended 37 meters above the pitch, the screen infinitySamsung’s 109-meter-long, oval-shaped screen is the largest screen in sports history, according to the Korean electronics giant. But even though it’s installed from mid 2020, I’ve never had a show like the Super Bowl before.

The screen is a key element at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, a massive $5 billion facility shared by two NFL teams, one of which will play this weekend’s big game.

When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals meet on Sunday, fans at the 70,000-capacity stadium will have access to all kinds of game data on the giant screen. Instant replays and close-ups, stats, scores and interactive updates will be scheduled on the screen in panels of between 6 and 12 meters high.

With 6,500 square meters of ultra-high-definition screen totaling 80 million pixels on its interior and exterior surfaces, fans seated lower down will see the screen inside the oval, while fans higher up will see the outside. Basically, there is no bad angle.

The screen makes a lot of noise, literally. It is equipped with the equivalent of 1,500 speaker systems of home theaterwhich means there is no chance of missing a call from the referee.

To infinity and beyond

Although SoFi Stadium hosted its first match in September 2020, COVID-19 protocols did not allow fans to enter until April 2021. The Super Bowl represents a kind of premiere in Hollywood after a season of previews.

The stadium was designed by HKS, and Samsung worked with the architectural plans to optimize the viewer experience, says Mark Quiroz, vice president of Marketing for Samsung’s Display Division. “The sheer complexity of the building, from concept to design to construction, was quite a challenge,” he told CNN.

“Time was also a very real challenge, ensuring that the Infinity Display was ready for the opening day of the NFL season, a day that cannot be moved,” he added. “This was also joined by the first days of the pandemic, and the possibility of establishing the appropriate health protocols to protect workers.”

However, the need to innovate was paramount.

Some sports fans argue, in many cases rightly so, that they can watch more of the game and receive more analysis during the game from the comfort of their homes, and teams have to put more effort into their in-stadium experiences than ever before.

“There is always going to be competition as the home viewing experience has been greatly improved by bigger and sharper screens, forcing venues and technology providers to raise the bar on what home entertainment should be. live fan experience to continue to engage fans and guests,” says Quiroz.

High risk on the field and high technology off it

Super Bowl LVI will be the most high-tech version of America’s biggest sporting event to date.

The Super Bowl has dabbled in virtual reality since 2017, when recaps were available through the Fox Sports VR app. Technology has evolved and proliferated, and this year you will be able to watch the entire match in an immersive virtual stadium run by the Bigscreen VR event company, in association with Meta.

On the other hand, the chain NBC will use a new augmented reality function to integrate statistics and icons into the images emitted by some 40 cameras that capture the game.

Business affairs are also embracing new user experiences on the “second screen” (a cell phone or tablet while watching TV).

The mobile application of Pepsi Halftime Show It will offer exclusive content and augmented reality features related to the artists of the show, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. Many brands they plan to make the most of their astronomically expensive commercials by supplementing their airtime with augmented reality to bring their products and characters into viewers’ living rooms. And it doesn’t end with the final whistle. After the game, the rock group Foo Fighters will perform in virtual reality through Horizon Venues, an app available on Meta Quest headsets, and on Facebook Live.

Samsung’s next project is at Citi Field, home of baseball’s New York Mets, where it intends to create the “Major League Baseball’s most technologically advanced ballpark“.

And before you ask, yes, it’s going to involve another giant screen.