Super Bowl LIV: High Tech Fun

This Super Bowl Sunday may be different than previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are a lot of opportunities to get in on the fun. NBC'S Liz McLaughlin reports.

(NBC News) — This Super Bowl Sunday may be different than previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Disease Control is urging Americans to avoid parties, but there are a lot of opportunities to get in on the fun.

Verizon is going on the offensive for the big game.

The wireless carrier is investing more than $80 million to install permanent 5G deployments in Raymond James Stadium and the surrounding Tampa areas.

“We recognize that this is a different year, so we’ve taken the opportunity to really build out an amazing set of experiences,” says Verizon’s Ronan Dunne.

That 5G connection allows fans attending in person or at home to toggle between multiple camera angles on the NFL app in real time.

“They can be essentially in multiple places inside the stadium at any one time, it also allows them to do their own playbacks and replays,” Dunne says.

At a time when it may not be safe to host a Super Bowl party in-person, fans can tune in and interact virtually with the free “Watch Together” feature on the Yahoo Sports app, or those watching on Hulu Plus can use Teleparty to share a screen.

You can even hang out in virtual reality.

“You can use an app like Big Screen, and there are a few others where you guys can have basically almost a movie theater to yourselves,” says CNET’s Dan Ackerman. “You’re really sitting in your houses by yourself with your headsets on, but it feels like you’re there.”

Even if you’re not a diehard fan of the Chiefs or Bucs, gamers can get in on the Super Bowl fun with Verizon’s new activation in the popular video game “Fortnite”.

Fans can play four football-related games in the virtual stadium and uncover hidden surprises.

Read more here.