Will ESPN Air Notre Dame-Ohio State In 4K?

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

TV Answer Man, will ESPN do the national championship game in 4K? And if so, will it be the SkyCam feed? Or will they do the actual regular feed for once? – Peter, Laramie, Wyoming.

Peter, ESPN will broadcast college football’s national championship between 7th ranked Notre Dame and 8th ranked Ohio State on Monday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For the last several years, ESPN’s 4K signal for the CFP championship game has been the network’s SkyCam feed, which came from the camera placed above and directly behind the quarterback. But this year, it will be different. Let me quote from ESPN’s press release, which was issued today:

“For the first time ever, the entire National Championship will be presented in 4K. In previous years, a 4K feed was offered with the SkyCam view only.”

Yes, the actual gamecast from the main ESPN channel will be available in 4K. Of course, it will be upscaled 4K, but more about that later in the story.

Which TV Providers Will Show Notre Dame-Ohio State In 4K?

YouTube TV, Dish, Sling TV, DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream, Comcast, Optimum and Verizon are all expected to offer the game in 4K on special 4K channels. ESPN does not offer 4K programming on its ESPN TV Everywhere app or ESPN+.

What Is Upscaled 4K?

The ESPN 4K broadcast will be ‘upscaled’ from 1080p HD.  The upscaled 4K means that the game will be produced in 1080p HD on site and upgraded to 4K for the home transmission. ESPN switched to upscaled 4K more than a year ago after previously doing some games in native 4K.

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

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television 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.