CBS Sports Digital will offer multiple camera angles on Microsoft platforms for its upcoming live stream of Super Bowl 50, a partial return to a more robust production offered during the first two live streams of the game in ’12 and ’13. During the last two years, Fox and NBC were prevented from offering alternate camera angles due to contractual ties between the NFL and Microsoft, its technology partner. But angles such as the popular “All-22” view will be available this year through CBS’ applications on Microsoft platforms like Xbox One and Windows 10. The use of the All-22 view in Super Bowl XLVII in ’13 generated widespread social media buzz and represented the first live U.S. distribution of the view widely favored by coaches for scouting and evaluation. The Microsoft platforms additionally will feature in-game highlights and interactive Next Generation Statistics. This year’s Super Bowl stream represents the first time this game will be distributed through various connected TV applications such as Xbox One, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire. While the game will be broadly available on computers, tablets and connected TV platforms, smartphone-based streaming of Super Bowl 50 will be restricted to Verizon subscribers.
STREAMING ADS TO MIRROR TV: CBS deviated from its prior practice of selling separate ad inventory for the online Super Bowl stream and instead will have a near-total simulcast between what airs on TV and what appears online. The only exception will be local ad slots used by individual affiliates. “That’s how we sold it. The ad inventory was sold as a package between digital and TV. It was a fully coordinated effort,” said CBSSports.com Senior VP & GM Jeff Gerttula. “There’s going to be essentially a full one-to-one relationship in the ads.” Gerttula declined to detail how CBS is breaking down pricing for the combined ad slots, which have hovered around $5M for a 30-second TV slot.
