Would you like a better view of the fingertip catches at the Super Bowl? You’re in luck. Super Bowl XLIX will be illuminated like no previous NFL championship game. On February 1st, the Patriots and the Seahawks will vie for the Vince Lombardi Trophy under a new LED lighting system that was installed in September.
ESPN and Fox are enthusiastic about the new lights because they will enhance television coverage. The new lighting system was tested on this season’s matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers at the University Of Phoenix Stadium, and got a high-5 from everyone involved.
Public television viewing and the replay system used by officials are more vivid and precise for both real-time viewing and slow-motion replay. Attention to detail and visibility have become critical issues in the NFL. Several recent games involving the Dallas Cowboys were decided by calls referees made after video reviews.
Stadium managers are happy because installing LED lights has cut down the number of lighting fixtures by more than half and cut the amount of electrical power needed by more than 900,000 watts. That’s enough to power 750 houses. Following the lead in Glendale, stadium managers are getting ready to re-illuminate stadiums all over the country.
All in all, officials expect to cut down their electrical bills by 65%. With so much less power needed, we are less likely to undergo another power outage like the 34-minute blackout that happened right after halftime at Super Bowl LXVII in New Orleans. With so much less power needed, officials easily constructed a backup power system.
Another perk is the LED lights are safer. Unlike the old metal halide lights, they do not generate heat. When the old lights were in place a worker on the catwalk had to stand way back from the lights, which felt like a wooden stove burning.
