NFL Radiocasts Coming To A Portable Media Player Near You

The NFL is teaming with audible.com, a distributor of audiobooks and spoken-word programming, and other sites “to offer highlights and entire radiocasts of playoff games in MP3 and other digital audio formats,” according to Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The deal is structured as a revenue share rather than a rights fee. NFL Senior VP/New Media & Publishing Chris Russo: “It’s a pilot program that allows us to repurpose content and connect with a generation everyone wants to reach” (SBJ, 1/17 issue). The AP reported the first recordings of games for sale are this weekend’s conference championship games, which will be available Monday morning. Russo said that complete recordings of games “are expected to cost around $10 each. while highlights of games are expected to cost” $0.95-$4.95. Russo: “This is not a replacement for watching games. It’s really for fans who want a keepsake of the event or who want to hear the local call of the event” (AP, 1/19).

Fox To Utilize “Diamond Cam” During Super Bowl XXXIX

SMALL TIME: USA TODAY’s Rudy Martzke reports Fox’ broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX will utilize “miniature cameras embedded in the field,” the first time such images will be used in an NFL telecast. The cameras are similar to Diamond Cams, which Fox debuted during the MLB All-Star Game last season and used during the playoffs and World Series. Fox Exec VP/Production Bill Brown said that the network will use 12 mini-cameras for the Super Bowl. Brown: “We’re hoping to get five plays within the view of these cameras. If the camera is at the line of scrimmage, after the ball is snapped you can see what it’s like to be there when NFL linemen collide at the snap of the ball” (USA TODAY, 1/19).