DirecTV will offer Super Bowl 2020 in 4k HDR on Sunday, Feb. 2nd on Channel 105. The event will be broadcast in 2160p resolution with High Dynamic Range using the HLG specification (a common HDR spec for live events as opposed to Dolby Vision and HDR10 used in digital streams and on discs).
The Super Bowl broadcast will not be produced in 4k, however. Instead, the event will be upscaled from 1080p. We got into this discussion last fall when Thursday Night Football started airing on Fox in 4k. The productions are just a bit too technical to make the 4k jump entirely. (See more details in this article.)
But, when it comes down to it an upscaled 1080p image can be much better than a native 1080p image. Look how great the Marvel films look on Ultra HD Blu-ray even though mastered in 2k and upscaled to 4k. Graphics, especially, can look incredibly sharp because the files are not constrained by camera resolution.
DirecTV customers who want 4k channels still have to call to upgrade. The provider currently offers five 4k channels featuring live, free and PPV content. Check out our article How To Get 4k/HDR on DirecTV.
Other service providers offering the “Big Game” in 4k include Verizon Fios TV and Altice Optimum. Fox will also offer a 4k feed through its Fox Sports apps on supporting devices like Apple TV 4k and Roku Ultra. FuboTV will also offer 4k streams.
Neither Dish nor Comcast Xfinity have made official announcements about offering Super Bowl 2020 in 4K, even though both TV providers delivered 2019 NFL Thursday Night Football games in 4k.
The teams in Super Bowl LIV (2020) were determined by last weekend’s conference finals between the Chiefs and Titans (AFC) 49ers and Packers (NFC). San Francisco dominated Green Bay on both sides of the field. And, Kansas City was too much for the Titans to handle down the stretch.
DirecTV is also broadcasting a bunch of NBA games in 4k HDR (see the schedule here), as well as special programming and On Demand content on their suite of 4k channels (see 4k channels here).
