By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.

TV Answer Man, it seems like every 4K sports event is not really in 4K. Upscaled HD from Fox and so on. Do any of the networks actually offer sports in real 4K? Native 4K? — John, Philadelphia.

John, you’re right. Fox’s 4K broadcasts of events such as college basketball and football are 1080p HD productions upscaled to 4K for the home transmission. ESPN used to do native 4K — 4K cameras and production facilities on site and 4K home transmission — but stopped a year or so ago, saying it was no longer feasible. Now ESPN does upscaled 4K similar to Fox. NBC’s 4K sportscasts are also upscaled as are most of the regional sports channels that provide 4K coverage.

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The only live sports in native 4K that we have been able to confirm is NESN’s 4K broadcasts of home Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games. Since NESN charges $30 for its standalone streaming app, the RSN apparently has concluded that the extra expense required to use 4K cameras and 4K production facilities is worthwhile.

It’s a shame that more networks concurred with NESN. There’s no doubt that the native 4K picture is better than the upscaled 4K picture, although upscaled 4K with HDR (High Dynamic Range) can be a significant upgrade over HD. But the networks have concluded that there’s little return on investing in native 4K via advertising or additional viewers.

John, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.