Home > Tech

How sports broadcasting's worst idea led to its best

There's tech history hiding under every game you watch on TV.
By Emmett Smith  on 
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard
Football player holding a football on the touchdown line
Watch Next
The story of space travel: from gunpowder to giant rockets 33:27
How online reviews came to rule our lives 9:45
Blink-182's Tom DeLonge has a lot to say about UFOs 7:50
Why does America have so much voter suppression? 6:01
How Did We Get Here?

The world around us changes quickly. Sometimes you need to stop, look around, and think, how did we get here? This series examines the history leading up to the major tech innovations we take for granted and the things we may have missed along the way.

Decades of tech history are hidden in plain sight every time you watch a sporting event on TV.

In this installment of How Did We Get Here, we'll walk you through the many ways sports have driven technological developments over the years.

Topics Super Bowl Innovations

More from How Did We Get Here?
Technology was supposed to make the police accountable. What happened?
By Jules Suzdaltsev
photos of police yelling and putting their hands in front of the camera
What a century of fighting the flu tells us about the future of COVID-19
By John D'Amico
archival photo of a nurse during the 1918 flu pandemic
The rise of Big Tech monopolies from Microsoft to Google
By PCMag
archival photo of bill gates
Latest Videos
Billy Eichner's story about being mis-recognised by Travis Kelce at a party is hilarious
By Sam Haysom
A man sits on a talk show chair. The caption at the bottom reads, "He said it with such confidence."
Paul Mescal's 'SNL' promo doesn't mess around with how to pronounce his name
By Shannon Connellan
Shaboozey, Paul Mescal, and Chloe Fineman stand for a promo for "Saturday Night Live."
Ben Stiller takes on 'Hot Ones', gets reduced to a giggling, streaming mess
By Sam Haysom
A man sits at a table covered in hot sauce in a dark room.
Sabrina Carpenter and Quinta Brunson team up for Netflix sketch about being ghosted
By Sam Haysom
Two women stand in a room, smiling at each other.
Tate Modern's Electric Dreams celebrates digital art before the internet
By Teodosia Dobriyanova
A collage shows a group of people in an immersive 'Electric Dreams' room (left) and a composite of Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby as she draws (right)
Watch Nicola Coughlan and Ncuti Gatwa in 'Doctor Who' Christmas special trailer
By Kristy Puchko
A man and the woman sit on the floor, staring up.
"A complicated Christmas puzzle": Richard Curtis on adapting his stories for film
By Emmett Smith
'That Christmas' writer RIchard Curtis
Paul Mescal takes method acting way too far in 'SNL' promo
By Sam Haysom
A man in a hoodie sits at a table, looking serious.
Seth Meyers answering Stephen Colbert's quickfire questions leads to plenty of bickering
By Sam Haysom
A man in a suit gestures on a talk show with his mouth open. The caption at the bottom reads, "What number am I thinking of?"
'Parks and Recreation's Jim O'Heir reveals behind-the-scenes stories from the beloved show
By Mark Stetson and Belen Edwards
Parks and Recreation Jim O'Heir's Book
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!