Fox To Test Weather-Related Tech For NFC Championship In Prep For Super Bowl

Fox has a "few weather-related tricks up its sleeve for next month's Super Bowl telecast," and the net plans to "test them out before the Feb. 2 game," according to Beth Harris of the AP. Fox will use Sunday's 49ers-Seahawks NFC Championship Game to "test an infrared camera that will show how players' body temperatures change throughout the game." Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks yesterday said, "I don't know what story that tells, but it might make for some pretty cool pictures." Shanks added that "another unspecified device will show how wind affects a quarterback or kicker." Shanks said that Fox "will have more high-tech 4K cameras than ever before to zoom in for what he called 'that definitive angle'" (AP, 1/13). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Marisa Guthrie reported Fox execs and NFL analysts "brushed off concerns that the weather in the New York-New Jersey metro area will wreak havoc on the big game." Shanks said, "It's not like football is never played in the cold." He added that the net and the league "always have contingency plans for eventualities." Guthrie noted the various outlets in the Fox family of networks "will morph into Super Bowl cross-promotional mode beginning Sunday, Jan. 26 with a flurry of football-themed entertainment programs and Super Bowl-themed shows, opens, bumpers, promos, program marathons and news coverage." Fox is "constructing a three-story, 40' by 40' climate-controlled studio and broadcast compound in Times Square where Fox Sports anchors and analysts will be housed for the week leading up to the game." In addition, the company's affiliates, Fox News Channel and various FS1 programs "also will originate from the studio" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/13).

LONG DIVISION: CBS finished with a 23.1 rating and 41.2 million viewers for the Broncos-Chargers AFC Divisional Playoff game on Sunday afternoon, marking the second-best viewership for a Sunday AFC Divisional game in 27 years. Broncos-Chargers also is up 7% and 9%, respectively, from final numbers for the Patriots-Texans matchup in the same late Sunday window last season. CBS also earned a 17.7 final rating and 31.6 million viewers for Patriots-Colts in primetime on Saturday, up 5% and 2%, respectively, from Fox’ 49ers-Packers in primetime last year. Meanwhile, Fox finished with a 19.9 rating and 31.1 million viewers for 49ers-Panthers in the early window on Sunday, up from Falcons-Seahawks in ’13. The net’s Seahawks-Saints game in the afternoon window on Saturday earned an 18.1 final rating and 31.1 million viewers, marking the net’s second-best audience for a Saturday NFC Divisional game since ’99. Seahawks-Saints also is Fox’ third-best audience for a Saturday Divisional game ever. After three NFL Playoff telecasts, Fox is averaging a 21.3 final rating and 37.2 million viewers, marking the net’s best three-game rating average since ’97 and best viewership average on record (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).