Why the TV Networks Don’t Do More Sports In 4K

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

TV Answer Man, we have had two weeks of the NFL and no 4K games!! What the actual you know what! Do the networks care about 4K at all? — Tony, Las Vegas.

Tony, Fox and ESPN have done a handful of college football games in 4K this season, but that’s about it of late besides some 4K MLB broadcasts on regional sports networks such as NESN and Spectrum SportsNet LA. There’s been no NFL games in 4K and none are likely until (maybe) Fox’s broadcast of the annual Thanksgiving game.

This is not terribly surprising. 4K is an extremely low priority at the networks. Most network executives do not believe a 4K broadcast, even just an upscaled one, is worth the extra cost of producing it. Consequently, there is little support within the network to provide live sports in 4K.

And to make matters worse, the networks do next to nothing to promote the 4K offerings when they do produce them. There are no press releases or even a mention in their social media feeds or web sites. The 4K TV owner has to find out about them through sources such as this web site or the hard-working AVS Forum group.

And when the networks actually provide a 4K broadcast, it’s not really 4K. It’s upscaled 4K from a 1080p HD production, which means the picture might be better than HD but still inferior to a native 4K production (one where 4K cameras and on-site 4K production facilities are used.)

Again, it’s because the networks, in general, don’t give a flying flip about 4K and only provide the infrequent upscaled 4K presentations if they don’t crush the budget. It’s too bad this is true because there are many 4K TV owners who would like to watch live sports in real 4K. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not happening in this country anytime soon.

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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.