In celebration of the Super Bowl’s 50th Anniversary, CBS’ graphics package received the golden treatment, with Troika delivering a redesign and RCS providing a rebuild. The vibrant new package hit screens February 7 during pre-game coverage and aired throughout the game and half-time broadcasts as well as post-game shows. Comprising 252 elements developed by the RCS team, the package featured an eyebar, lineups, fullscreens, side slabs, lower thirds and other special elements, which appeared throughout CBS’ live broadcast as well as its web and app streams.
To deliver results that would align with fan expectations for the big day, collaboration between CBS, Troika and RCS began in July 2015. As the look was designed and conceptualized, RCS worked in concert to not only build the animations but also write more than 122 interface scripts, in addition to the custom software to run the score bars. An advanced graphics programming interface (GPI) we created enabled CBS to control three channels of elements, making transitions and animations appear clean and seamless, unlike anything seen before on TV. Our crew was on site at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara the week leading up to and during the event to keep everything on track.
Nominated for several Sports Emmy® Awards, including one for “Outstanding Live Graphic Design,” the production took home three awards at the 37th Annual Sports Emmys ceremony on May 10, 2016 – including the coveted “Outstanding Live Sports Special” honor, in addition to “George Wensel Technical Achievement” and “Outstanding Technical Team Remote” Awards for its technical innovation on the production.