On Sunday, February 9, 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles won the 59th NFL Super Bowl, preventing the Kansas City Chiefs from claiming the title for a third year in a row. The last time the Eagles took home the Vince Lombardi Trophy was when they defeated the New England Patriots in 2018. For any Eagles fan watching, the team’s dominance over the Chiefs was incredible. Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of Super Bowl LIX was before the game began when the victims of the January 1, 2025, terror attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon St. were honored.

Any massive event calls for heightened security measures, but with the 2025 Super Bowl taking place in the same city as the recent attack, NFL security and local law enforcement were more determined than ever to ensure the safety of everyone in New Orleans for Super Bowl weekend. Leading up to the event, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared the areas around the Caesars Superdome a No Drone Zone. “Drones also are prohibited around the downtown area during the days leading up to the event,” the FAA announced. “Drone operators who enter the restricted areas without permission could face drone confiscation, fines up to $75,000 and potential criminal prosecution.”

The FAA drone ban served multiple purposes. The first was to allow law enforcement to provide better security. The second purpose was to protect the investment of authorized broadcasters from drone operators hijacking streaming rights. Fox Sports paid a reported $2.2 billion to be the exclusive provider of all NFL events, something that has been jeopardized by private drone operators in the past. However, this does not mean that there were no drones being used during the Super Bowl. The FAA granted special waivers to both Fox Sports and local law enforcement to use drones in various aspects during the game within the No Drone Zone.

Fox Sports has revolutionized the way drones can be utilized in sports broadcasting. Broadcasters need to ensure that they are entertaining the largest audience possible to earn back their investment. With advancements in media technology, like drones, broadcasters have the best tools available to do this. At the start of the 2024 USFL and UFL season, two less popular football leagues than the NFL, Fox Sports began experimenting with using drones on the field. For the 2025 Super Bowl broadcast, Fox Sports utilized 147 different cameras to air the events before and during the game. In particular, drones were used to provide enrichment during pregame entertainment.

This included cinematic views of some of the historic landmarks in New Orleans, as well as the progression of fans entering the stadium. “Drones are a big part of what we do,” said Bill Richards, executive producer of Fox NFL Sunday. “It’s great to see it become a little bigger part of the NFL.” While Fox Sports used drones to entertain, law enforcement deployed them to keep the public safe, a tactic that was successfully used at the 2024 Super Bowl held at SoFi Stadium by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Louisiana native and Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ New Orleans office, Eric DeLaune, was this year’s lead federal coordinator for the Super Bowl. He explained that much of the security measures in place mimicked what was used for President Trump’s inauguration a few weeks earlier. This included the use of barricades, increased officers on the ground, police dogs, and, of course, an eye in the sky with drones. “I did take the attack personally. And my people take it personally,” Special Agent DeLaune said. “This whole security effort, not a single person involved in the planning of the security effort for the Super Bowl was unaffected by this. They all take this very personally, and what I saw was a level of renewed commitment and renewed passion for the implementation of this plan.”

Super Bowl LIX was a game for the history books. The event was marked not only by thrilling gameplay but also by a heightened sense of security and technological innovation. In a city still reeling from a recent tragedy, the coordination between law enforcement, the FAA, and broadcasters like Fox Sports ensured that both safety and entertainment were prioritized. With moments such as the honoring of the victims of the January 1st attack and the groundbreaking use of drones, Super Bowl LIX became a testament to resilience, progress, and the unyielding spirit of New Orleans.

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