Gray Media is broadcasting Super Bowl LVII using high dynamic range (HDR) on its Fox NextGen TV affiliates, providing viewers in eight markets with a significantly improved viewing experience. This enhancement allows for better contrast between the brightest and darkest colors on screen, making the game more visually stunning.
WVUE, Gray's Fox affiliate in New Orleans, the host city for this year's Super Bowl, recently implemented both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats. Several other Gray Fox affiliates joined in the upgrade, including WHNS in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina; WBRC in Birmingham, Alabama; KPTV in Portland, Oregon; and WALA in Mobile, Alabama. Gray had previously introduced HDR enhancements at KVVU in Las Vegas, Nevada; WXIX in Cincinnati, Ohio; and WFLX in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Live sports events are the perfect venue to experience the vivid imagery and immersive audio of NextGen TV,” said Gray’s Chief Operating Officer Sandy Breland. “With these upgrades, millions of fans in our markets can enjoy the highest quality in picture and sound, over-the-air and for free this weekend.”
Further enhancing the NextGen TV experience, Gray has introduced GameLoop, a free gaming channel, in two markets. GameLoop lets users play classic games like Pac-Man, Tetris, and Doodle Jump using their remote or mobile phone. The channel also features Planet Crossword, a unique collaborative crossword puzzle designed specifically for television. GameLoop is currently available over-the-air on WANF (Gray's CBS affiliate in Atlanta) and WVUE in New Orleans. Gray plans to roll out GameLoop to more markets shortly.
“NextGen TV enables countless advanced features to boost viewer experience,” stated Rob Folliard, Gray’s senior vice president and chairperson of the NextGen TV consortium PearlTV. “We are excited to offer this new interactive option and will continue to increase NextGen TV offerings and value to our audience.”