Tony Verna, Inventor of TV Instant Replay for Live Sports, Dies at Age 81

Tony Verna, a television producer credited with bringing instant replay to live sports, died Sunday after a battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was 81. 

Verna's daughter, Tracy Soiseth, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. The longtime producer and director came up with the idea for instant replay during a CBS broadcast of the Army-Navy football game in 1963.

Per the AP, "Verna developed a method to cue the tape to pinpoint the play he wanted to immediately air again." Vernon used that technology to show Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh scoring a touchdown, prompting a warning from the announce team to the audience that what they were watching was not live.

The moment would forever change the way we consume televised sports.

Instant replays have become one of the most integral inventions in sports culture. Nearly every drive in a football game features a look back at the monitors. Modern instant replay has been widely expanded to give referees an opportunity to overturn close calls, and the invention can be partially credited with the multitude of angles broadcasts use to show the game.

With the 50th anniversary of instant replay passing in 2013, it allowed Verna a chance to be celebrated for his impact. Entertainment Weekly dubbed it one of its 100 greatest moments in television history, and Sports Illustrated named it a "tipping point" in the culture.

"If you change the way something's been done in life, and you change how it's done forever, I think that's the most important thing," Verna told The Los Angeles Times in 2008, per Chris Erskine. "I changed the way things were normally done. That's very hard to do in life."

Beyond instant replay, Verna was one of the most celebrated live event directors/producers of his time. He worked five Super Bowls, the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and a number of other high-profile events. He was also a director and producer for Live Aid, the 1985 concert event that raised more than $200 million for African relief.

Verna is survived by his wife, Carol, three children and three grandchildren.

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