Ads for International Viewers CBS will broadcast one without ads, while viewers in Canada will see paid promotions from General Motors of Canada. In Mexico, Banca Serfin, the nation's third largest bank, paid to post its image on screens in that country. FedEx will be featured in all other international broadcasts. Company officials hope Super Bowl hype helps broaden the market for PVI's brand of virtual advertising. The same computer programs and controls that create the first down line allow PVI to highlight race cars and insert virtual billboards along the track.
Ice skaters glide over corporate logos and skiers fly past more ads.
Technical Coordination for Marker Baseball viewers can spot a soft drink ad behind home plate where a virtual bottle cap turns over to show the speed of a pitch. PVI officials say viewers don't mind because the graphics provide real-time information about the event. To create the first down line, PVI attaches a small computer to cameras covering the game. For a network NFL broadcast, three sideline cameras are usually used, one at midfield and one on each 25-yard line. Programmers need information about the exact location of the camera and precise measurements of the field itself.