Will Fox & CBS Show NFL Games In 4K In 2024?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, will any of the games on Sunday (September 8) be available in 4K? Upscaled 4K or any other kind of 4K? It’s about time for the networks to do this, right? — Jamal, Sacramento, California.

Jamal, 4K TV have been available in stores for more than a decade and the vast majority of new TVs sold these days are 4K. However, today, as in past seasons, CBS and Fox will not do any Sunday afternoon NFL games in the format. Upscaled or native 4K. Not happening.

NBC also will not offer its Sunday night game in 4K nor will ESPN/ABC show its Monday Night Football game in 4K. It appears that the best that 4K fans can hope for is that Fox this year does its Thanksgiving game and the 2024 playoffs in 4K, as it did last year.

Why don’t the network embrace 4K after all these years?

There are many reasons, but it’s largely a matter of cost and convenience. It’s more expensive to do a 4K production, even an upscaled one, and you need more sophisticated production equipment and trained personnel to pull it off.

You might say that it would pay for itself with additional viewers, but history shows that live 4K feeds adds relatively little to the audience. Fans who watch the 4K feed would have watched the game anyway. Consequently, a live 4K broadcast is not a big lure for additional advertisers.

Fox and ESPN have done college sports in 4K, such as football and basketball, but it’s just part of a niche marketing effort by those networks. The number of games in 4K are relatively small. If advertisers at some point start to see some benefits from associating with the 4K broadcasts, you might see more college games, and some regular season NFL games, in 4K. But there’s no evidence of that happening anytime soon.

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

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.

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