The Federal Aviation Administration has given the NFL approval to use drones for filming, according to Jonathan Vanian of Fortune.com.
The major issue with this ground-breaking way of filming is that the NFL can only fly drones when the stadiums are empty. However, this is still a big move by the NFL, as they are the first major American sports league to win FAA approval of use of drones, according to Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg.
The FAA granted the league permission to use drones, but the agency also sent out a letter last week that establishes certain conditions and limitations. Under these conditions, the drone must weigh less than 55 pounds, and that they cannot fly above 400 feet or faster than 100 miles per hour, according to Bloomberg.
NFL Films has revolutionized the way people watch games, or even highlights. The NFL can get almost every camera angle needed, and because of that, referees are able to make correct calls when under review. Just as the players have gotten bigger, faster, and stronger, so has the filming in a sense that it's clearer with multiple angles.
Drones won't be allowed in practices, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. "NFL Films has a long history of embracing and employing the latest technology," said McCarthy, via Bloomberg. It will be interesting to see how this technology is implemented into NFL filming, but it will likely be a while until it's seen in games, as that has not been approved of yet.