Tony Verna
- January 18, 2015
- 81 years
- leukemia
About Tony Verna
Tony Verna, 81, American television producer, invented instant replay, leukemia.
Explore other notable deaths in 2015 or deaths in January 2015.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Tony Verna?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Anthony F. Verna (November 26, 1933 – January 18, 2015) was a producer of television sports and entertainment blockbusters.
Biography
Verna was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died in Palm Desert, California at the age of 81.
Broadcast hallmarks
Verna's broadcast hallmark was an ability to continually come up with advances in the use of cameras, program content and creative interplay. It was this skill that prompted him to use a trick left over from radio days in order to outwit the technology of the times and allow for a play on the field to be re-broadcast "instantly."
Verna's varied career includes creating, producing and directing Pope John Paul II's billion-viewer television special "A Prayer for World Peace" and the historic music spectacular "Live Aid." As President of Caesar's Palace Productions, Verna was involved in all their spectacular entertainment projects.
Notables who collaborated with Verna
Verna worked with and or and was friends with such notables as Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Grace Kelly, Mother Teresa, Edward R. Murrow, Larry King, Rod Stewart, Burt Reynolds, Dizzy Dean, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Christopher Reeve, Tom Selleck, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Kirk Douglas, Chevy Chase, Johnny Cash and John Denver.
Major television events
Tony Verna produced and/or directed the following major television events:
1955 – Major League Baseball Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean
1960 – Rome Olympics
1962 – Josip Broz Tito----ski jumping---Yugoslavia
1963 – (Dec-7) Invented the instant replay first used for the 1963 Army–Navy Game
1964 – Directed Kentucky Derby (first of 12)
1967 – Las Vegas – Liberace Special
1967 – Johnny Unitas – Instant Quarterback
1968 – Rocky Marciano, Jonathan Winters Jogging
1968 – Directed Super Bowl#2 (first of 5)
1968 – Harlem Globetrotters–Soupy Sales
1968 – Roy Rogers, Dale Evans Special
1969 – Rocky Marciano Tribute
1970 – Created The Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders CBS
1970 – Created Instant Quarterback-John Unitas
1970 – Produced and directed Pro Bowlers Tour
1972 – Directed Mike Douglas Show- Moscow
1974 – Directed Canadian Stanley Cup
1974 – Directed 12th Kentucky Derby
1974 – Directed bios Jesse Owen, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio
1975 – Mexican soccer championships
1975 – Directed Le Mans Grand Prix, France
1976 – Hired by Saudi Arabia for Montreal Olympics
1977 – Created $50,000 Challenge Winner Take All – Telly Savalas
1978 – Soupy Sales – Harlem Globetrotters
1978 – London World Circus ---Karl Wallenda
1978 – Celebrity Daredevils, Christopher Reeve
1978 – Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders
1978 – NBC Rock n Roll Classic – Rod Stewart
1978 – Created Pete Rose Roast with Milton Berle--
1979 – Billiards Mosconi-Minnesota Fats-Omar Sharif
1979 – Peoples Choice Award--Tom Selleck -Hawaii
1979 – ESPN--30 interviews with Roy Firestone
1979 – Created Weekend Heroes – Las Vegas
1979 – Directed ABC primetime All American Woman
1979 – President of Caesars Palace Productions
1980 – Ronald Reagan Network Interview
1982 – Charlton Heston-Paul Newman Debate-ABC
1984 – ABC Summer Olympics
1985 – Live Aid
1985 – Christmas Special-Mother Teresa
1985 – Christmas Celebration-Johnny Cash
1986 – Sport-Aid
1986 – Prayer For World Peace, Pope John Paul II
1987 – Omni 14 Great Minds Predict the Future
1989 – Our Common Future Special—Global
1990 – Earth 90 – Japan – John Denver
1990 – White House – George H. W. Bush
1990 – Ted Turner Goodwill Games-Larry King
1991 – Earth Day- Japan- Ray Charles
1994 – Created Superstitions Around The World – London
1996 – 2006 Consultant—Vatican and World Broadcasters
Books
Tony Verna is the author of:
1970 – Playback
1987 – Live TV (commissioned by the DGA)
1993 – Global Television
2006 – Algebra 1 Murder II
2008 – Instant Replay: the Day That Changed Sports Forever
Patents
Verna held U.S. Patents on the following:
- 2006 – Instant Footballer[citation needed]
- 2008 – Talking Replays[citation needed]
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Articles & News
Reported coverage of Tony Verna; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Tony Verna on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Verna
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Tony Verna's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Anthony F. Verna born?
- A.Chicago
- B.New York City
- C.Philadelphiacorrect
- D.Los Angeles
The biography states that Anthony F. Verna was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Source: Biography section
2.At what age did Tony Verna pass away?
- A.76
- B.79
- C.81correct
- D.84
Tony Verna died in Palm Desert, California, at the age of 81.
Source: Biography section
3.For which sporting event did Tony Verna first utilize the instant replay technology?
- A.Le Mans Grand Prix
- B.Army–Navy Gamecorrect
- C.Super Bowl II
- D.Kentucky Derby
Tony Verna invented the instant replay which was first used for the 1963 Army–Navy Game.
Source: Major television events section
4.What title did Tony Verna hold at Caesar's Palace Productions?
- A.Executive Producer
- B.Presidentcorrect
- C.Creative Director
- D.Lead Consultant
Tony Verna served as the President of Caesar's Palace Productions.
Source: Broadcast hallmarks section
5.Which television special featuring Pope John Paul II was created and directed by Tony Verna?
- A.The Vatican Hour
- B.World Broadcasters Gala
- C.A Prayer for World Peacecorrect
- D.Global Faith Special
Tony Verna created, produced and directed Pope John Paul II's television special titled A Prayer for World Peace.
Source: Broadcast hallmarks section
6.Which U.S. President did Tony Verna conduct a network interview with in 1980?
- A.Jimmy Carter
- B.Gerald Ford
- C.George H. W. Bush
- D.Ronald Reagancorrect
Tony Verna directed a Ronald Reagan network interview in 1980.
Source: Major television events section
7.What book did Tony Verna publish in 2008 about the impact of his most famous invention?
- A.Playback
- B.Live TV
- C.Global Television
- D.Instant Replay: the Day That Changed Sports Forevercorrect
The biography lists Instant Replay: the Day That Changed Sports Forever as a book authored by Tony Verna in 2008.
Source: Books section
8.In what year did Tony Verna produce the historic music spectacular Live Aid?
- A.1985correct
- B.1984
- C.1986
- D.1982
Tony Verna produced the historic music spectacular Live Aid in 1985.
Source: Major television events section
9.Tony Verna held a U.S. Patent for which invention in 2008?
- A.Global Broadcast Lens
- B.Remote Sport Camera
- C.Talking Replayscorrect
- D.Instant Footballer
Tony Verna held a U.S. Patent for Talking Replays obtained in 2008.
Source: Patents section
10.What was the name of the show Tony Verna created that featured NFL cheerleaders?
- A.Cheerleader Challenge
- B.The Battle of the NFL Cheerleaderscorrect
- C.NFL Spirit Squads
- D.Gridiron Glamour
Tony Verna created The Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders in 1970.
Source: Major television events section
11.Which television network commissioned Tony Verna to write the book Live TV in 1987?
- A.DGAcorrect
- B.CBS
- C.ABC
- D.NBC
The biography notes that Tony Verna wrote the book Live TV in 1987, which was commissioned by the DGA.
Source: Books section
12.Tony Verna directed his first Kentucky Derby in which year?
- A.1968
- B.1974
- C.1964correct
- D.1962
Tony Verna directed the Kentucky Derby in 1964, which was the first of twelve he directed.
Source: Major television events section
13.In which city did Tony Verna die?
- A.Las Vegas
- B.Palm Desertcorrect
- C.New York City
- D.Philadelphia
Tony Verna died in Palm Desert, California.
Source: Biography section
14.In what year did Tony Verna produce the Sports-Aid event?
- A.1985
- B.1986correct
- C.1987
- D.1984
Tony Verna produced the Sport-Aid event in 1986.
Source: Major television events section
15.What project involving Japanese locations did Tony Verna produce in 1991?
- A.Global Future Summit
- B.Tokyo Music Special
- C.Earth Daycorrect
- D.Japan Olympics
Tony Verna produced Earth Day in Japan in 1991 featuring Ray Charles.
Source: Major television events section
People who died on January 18
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Tony Verna →Advertisement
