The NFL dives into the world of Toy Story as the Falcons faced the Jaguars in London.
The NFL is going to infinity and beyond with their new way to watch football games as the Atlanta Falcons took on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first live animated football game in London.
The broadcast took players and announcers and turned them into action figures with the use of artificial intelligence and chips in the players’ shoulder pads. These chips allowed the players to be tracked and followed.
There were names placed under each player when they had the ball, making the game feel like the viewer was playing Madden with no control.
Teaming up with Toy Story allowed the NFL to incorporate parts of the movie into the game.
Slinky Dog was brought in to mark where the first down line would be during each play. The infamous claw was used to move and place the ball after each play. The broadcast made it seem like the three aliens from the movie were in control of the ball. The goalposts were made up of building blocks and were knocked down if the ball touched the post in the live-action form of the game.
During half-time, Duke Kaboom put on a show which was advertised throughout the game.
Glitches with the artificial intelligence and the chips caused viewers to not be able to watch part of the game, showing only the broadcasters. For viewers without knowledge of the game, it made it difficult to understand what was happening on the field.
The ball also fell victim to this glitch. The ball would be thrown but would glitch midair making it seem like it hadn’t made it to the player.
There was a glow that surrounded the ball highlighting where it was on the field so the viewer would not lose track of it.
A big play happened in the first quarter when the Jaguars quarterback, Trevor Lawerence, threw a pass to the endzone for a touchdown. For the viewer, it looked like it was an incomplete pass, but the call was confirmed as a touchdown.
During the first play for the offense and the defense, the NFL shows the players and will say their names and the college they went to. For this broadcast, they only showed the quarterback and his favorite things. Including their favorite Toy Story character.
The broadcast was very kid friendly and included trivia questions during the commercial breaks that were meant to be educational and fun.
The broadcast brought in educational forms of the game as well, with the intention of teaching kids how football works. The goalposts were used to teach children how a point after a touchdown or field goal works. They used the toys around Andy’s room for fun facts including how tall a goalpost is.
Technology has developed to a great extent, allowing viewers to watch their favorite pastimes in different settings. This can also allow for more bonding between families with age differences.
For more information about the NFL or other football games visit nfl.com.
