After signing a landmark deal with the NFL in '13 and introducing Surface tablets on the sidelines last season, Microsoft is upping its game when the new season begins tonight. Microsoft’s Surface tablets will have more capabilities for coaches and players, while the brand also will roll out fantasy offerings for fans. Last year included some unknowns and a few hiccups, but Microsoft now feels well-prepared for ’15. Microsoft Dir of Sports Marketing & Alliances Jeff Tran said, “Anytime something is so new and big, you don’t really know what to expect. But the tablets performed flawlessly and we were very pleased.” NFL Senior VP/Sponsorship & Partnership Management Renie Anderson added, “They elevate the partnership with the NFL 100% in a way we’re very proud of. We’re not just September-February, we’re 365 days a year and Microsoft has done a great job of integrating products with us every single day.”
JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE: In ’14, Surface Pro 2 tablets were used on the sidelines, allowing for review of plays in a timelier, clearer manner than the previous paper method. This year, teams will be equipped with 25 Surface Pro 3 tablets -- 12 in each coaches booth and 13 on the sideline. The new tablets feature a larger screen and a clearer picture. The expanded screen size allows for more pre-snap images, and Surface 3s also feature the ability to telestrate in four different colors, something players and coaches requested. Also available is a whiteboard feature so coaches can diagram plays. “Those are two very subtle but important features that they requested,” Tran said.
TEST RUN: Currently, the Surface tablets only provide still shots on the sidelines, but Microsoft during last year’s Pro Bowl and in 21 preseason games this year tested use of video, both by teams and referees. NFL VP/Sponsorship & Partnership Marketing David Lynch said teams this preseason were able to watch videos that lasted between 5-10 seconds, rather than just the still shots provided in the past. Lynch said feedback from both players and referees in the preseason was “fantastic,” adding that it could be fully implemented for ’16. The Colts and Rams were selected to test the videos during their Aug. 29 exhibition matchup. “The still images are helpful, but to be able to watch the entire procedure of the play, it’s obviously very helpful,” Colts C Khaled Holmes told the team’s website. For referees, official reviews were tested via the Surface tablets on the field rather than under the customary hood.
TAKING OFF THE TRAINING WHEELS: The introduction of Surface tablets last year featured some minor hiccups -- most notably broadcast analysts referring to the tablets as iPads early in the season. “It’s just an education process … we were able to get folks coached up relatively quickly,” Tran said. “We certainly want folks to be accurate in their representation of any information.” Lynch added, “I would be surprised if you see much if any confusion this year.” The names of the tablets were not the only concerns -- questions also were raised early in the season about the ability of the tablets to connect to stadium WiFi as well as their durability in extreme temperatures. “They have been ruggedized enough to withstand the players using them,” Tran said. “We think they performed flawlessly on the field in all sorts of weather conditions.”
FAN FEST: For fans, Microsoft has added features to its NFL app on Xbox One, including integrating fantasy football games from NFL.com, CBS and Yahoo Sports. Through the NFL app, which is available on all Windows 10 devices, fans can utilize a new NextGen Stats feature, as well as improved gameday notifications about their favorite team. The new features on Xbox One, as well as with the sideline Surface tablets, build on the nearly $400M, five-year partnership the NFL and Microsoft signed in ’13. “We’re not going to put products on the sideline for the sake of putting products on the sideline,” Anderson said. “It really has to be something that’s innovative that brings the game to the next level.”
