Glendale, Arizona (3TV/CBS 5) – All eyes will be on Arizona when the Super Bowl comes to town in February. State Farm Stadium is getting some additions and upgrades in time for the big game.
Built in 2006, the stadium is already one of the most unique in the country due to its retractable field. “Right now, the Cardinals are one of two teams in North America that have their field in and out of the building,” said Tim Beach, senior director of game entertainment and special events for the Arizona Cardinals. “Arrived at 3pm on a Friday and it took about 45 minutes to get into the venue. Once it got in, they painted it and added seating at the back of the venue.”
The stadium roof is also retractable, perfect for showcasing our Arizona weather during the Super Bowl. Although the roof is closed for the first few months of the football season, it usually opens for late-season games. The roofs have been open for the past two Super Bowls in Arizona, and Beach said this year was no exception, waiting for any stormy weather to change.
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“February, as you know, is Arizona Chamber of Commerce weather, and everyone’s opening their roofs or opening their windows,” Beach said. “The Super Bowl is no different.” The stadium also had Wi-Fi upgrades ahead of the season, so fans shouldn’t have a problem communicating or posting at the stadium on game days.
The stadium also became the first in the NFL to have sports betting on-site, a feature added to the stadium this year. There’s also a brand new video board and scoreboard. The old board has a resolution of 45,000 pixels, while the new board has a resolution of 3.5 million pixels. The board will display replays and video from fans, but will also take advantage of new technology that allows fans to broadcast directly on screen.
“During the TV pause, we put the QR code on the board and it instantly turns their phone into a selfie camera,” Beach said. “We’re going to get thousands of fans to click on the QR code, and then in the control room, we’ll choose who gets on the game board. It’s the coolest technology we’ve added this year, and it’s a unique experience for fans. “
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