From the stadium to a global audience, Shure wireless technology once again played a fundamental role at the Super Bowl, integrating its latest innovations, including the SM39 headset microphone.
These solutions delivered reliable, high-quality audio across every stage of the broadcast, live show, and fan experience.
For Super Bowl LX, ATK Audiotek and Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) supplied all wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring systems for stadium entertainment, the Apple Music Halftime Show, referees, and additional live productions throughout the week, continuing their partnership for the NFL’s biggest event.
Wireless confidence in one of the world’s most complex RF environments
During the Super Bowl, the production team relied on Shure Axient® Digital wireless microphone systems, advanced PSM® 1000 in-ear personal monitoring systems, TwinPlex™ lavalier microphones, and SM39 headset microphones to meet the demands of an extremely complex RF environment.
The wireless infrastructure included AD4Q receivers configured in Quadversity™, along with additional Axient Digital receivers supporting communications for entertainment, broadcast, and referees. Shure Wireless Workbench and Wavetool were also used as software tools for real-time audio and RF monitoring, ensuring performance integrity throughout the big game.
Halftime show: hands-free performance on the world’s biggest stage
One of the most technically demanding moments of Super Bowl LX occurred during the Apple Music Halftime Show, where global superstar Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) chose to use a Shure headset microphone instead of the traditional handheld mic.
When I heard that Bad Bunny wanted to use a headset for the Super Bowl LX halftime show, I was quite concerned. For a major show in such a large stadium, with many loudspeakers on the field, what I usually want to hear is a handheld microphone, said Tom Holmes, Super Bowl LX broadcast audio mixer.
Despite these concerns, Bad Bunny performed using a Shure SM39 headset microphone paired with an Axient Digital ADX1 bodypack transmitter, delivering full vocal power while maintaining freedom of movement throughout the performance.
"To my surprise, this microphone was the perfect choice", continued Holmes. "It handled his voice, which was quite loud, without issue. It kept field PA bleed to a negligible level, had little to no noise, and delivered pleasing sound quality given its close proximity to the mouth. This is now my preferred large-diaphragm headset microphone, tailored for singers performing hands-free in venues large or small. It performs like a champion and remains stable enough to handle anything from climbing telephone poles to diving into a crowd of dancers".
"The SM39 is my preferred headset microphone for vocalists", said FOH mixer Alex Guessard. "It delivers excellent tone, solid mechanical stability, and exceptional rejection".
"We were very pleased with the Shure SM39 headset microphone on this tour. It has been reliable, comfortable for the artist, and delivers a clear and present sound every night", added José Ángel Rivera Jr., Bad Bunny’s FOH engineer.
All halftime performers relied on Shure PSM® 1000 in-ear monitoring systems, ensuring clear and consistent mixes in one of the most challenging live audio environments in the world.
Artist-specific wireless solutions
Super Bowl LX featured a wide range of artist-specific wireless configurations, including Charlie Puth, who relied on the Axient Digital ADX2FD handheld transmitter with frequency diversity, with receivers configured in Quadversity. Both Charlie and Coco Jones, who delivered a powerful performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing, were equipped with Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring systems.
Broadcast, referees, and live fan engagement
Beyond the halftime show, Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment used 16 Axient Digital wireless channels, supported by Shure ANX4 receivers for on-field entertainment and broadcast production.
Using the ANX4 was a fantastic experience; having access to a wideband tuning range gave us complete peace of mind. We could deploy equipment and position it in the most optimal frequency range without making compromises due to device limitations. The flexibility to route each channel to two different internal Dante outputs on the ANX4 made building redundant and communication paths easier than ever. Finally, the ability to enable Quadversity selectively per channel is a major advantage, allowing us to remain flexible and respond to challenges as they arise without affecting the rest of the RF signal chain, said RF technician Matthew Bell.
Referees once again relied on Axient Digital ADX1 bodypack transmitters combined with TwinPlex TL47 lavalier microphones, ensuring clear and consistent communication throughout the game. The ADX1 bodypack transmitters leveraged frequency diversity to help maintain uninterrupted audio in one of the most congested live broadcast RF environments. Two TL47 microphones per referee were implemented to provide redundancy.
Shure wireless technology also powered Whatnot’s live stream, using 16 Axient Digital channels to support live fan engagement throughout Super Bowl week.
A trusted partner for the world’s biggest event
"Supporting engineers and production teams during Super Bowl week is always a priority for us", said Jenn Liang-Chaboud, Shure Entertainment Relations Manager. "From rehearsals to game day, our goal is to ensure they have reliable tools and trusted support to deliver exceptional audio, no matter how challenging the environment".
With decades of experience at the Super Bowl, Shure continues to set the standard in wireless reliability, audio quality, and spectrum efficiency, helping engineers deliver unforgettable moments on the world’s biggest stage.
