The production blended live action, CGI, and AI. Sometimes AI was the fastest solution, like for making the lion’s fur, but other times CGI gave the team more control, said Lora Schulson, 72andSunny’s head of production. 

“We really needed a robust VFX pipeline,” she added. 

The NFL has already been experimenting with AI across marketing and operations. It partnered with Adobe to scale personalized campaigns for fans, streamlined media search tools with AWS, and adopted Microsoft Copilot for analytics, video reviews, and safety protocols. 

Meanwhile, specific teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been using generative AI in their own marketing.

The start of every football season creates an opportunity to either elevate or transcend the sport, said Ellis. 

“More than we’ve seen in a long time, there’s just this real need and desire to find a sense of joy and escape,” he said.