Tony Verna, inventor of instant replay, dies at 81

Tony Verna, inventor of the instant replay, has died of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was 81.

Verna worked as a TV producer for decades, but his most famous and enduring creation is instant replay, which revolutionized televised sports. Verna developed instant replay, relying on an elaborate videotape system, to fill in the dull gaps between plays during live sporting events.

Instant replay debuted during the Army-Navy football game in 1963. The concept was so alien that announcer Lindsey Nelson explained to viewers that Army, who had scored a touchdown, hadn't scored again.

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"Anything that makes it easier for the viewer," said Verna in a later interview with the Archive of American Television. "That's what it's all about." —Scott Meslow