TV Answer Man, I read your article about the Rams and 49ers in 4K, but what about the Bengals and Chiefs? You didn’t mention that game. Will the Bengals and Chiefs be in 4K? — Sherry, Loveland, Ohio.
Sherry, I wrote yesterday that it appears that the Rams-49ers NFC Championship game, which will be broadcast by Fox on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, will not be available in 4K. Multiple industry sources say the network has no plans for a 4K feed. (Fox has not responded to our e-mail inquiries.)
Fox has been one of the biggest boosters of 4K so the news may be surprising to some 4K enthusiasts. However, Fox last year only did one NFL playoff game in 4K and, if it does not provide a 4K feed of the Rams-49ers game, it will only do one game in the format this year as well. (Fox streamed a 4K feed of this year’s Tampa Bay-Philadelphia wild card game.)
But what about the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas Chiefs, you ask? Will CBS, which has the broadcast rights, do the game in 4K?
I’m sorry to inform you that the answer is no. And here there is no surprise. CBS has never done a single NFL game in 4K, regular season or playoff. In fact, the network last year did not even do the Super Bowl in 4K after Fox did the first ‘big game’ in the format a year earlier.
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Unlike Fox and ESPN, CBS does not seem bullish on 4K, usually choosing to forgo the added expense and labor required to offer a 4K feed of its major sports broadcasts. (CBS and Turner Sports did provide a 4K feed of March Madness games in 2019 and it has done select holes of The Masters golf tournament in the format.)
The Bengals and Chiefs will be available in HD at 3 p.m. on Sunday on CBS affiliates. You can also stream the game on Paramount+.
Sherry, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@TVAnswerMan
