Jan 23, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of NFL shield logo at midfield of University of Phoenix Stadium in advance of Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday NFL owners met to tackle a slate of issues the league is facing. The biggest tech headline coming out of these meetings was that live streaming of one NFL game through a social media or other digital web outlet will take place next season. The game selected will be the Jaguars and Bills week 7 showdown that will also continue the NFL’s series of London games. The League will step outside of its lucrative TV deal and only air the game in local Jacksonville and Buffalo markets, omitting it from the Sunday Ticket package.
Though the vendor has not yet been chosen, and many will offer their services, this move by the NFL equates to a test run for guiding future online streaming endeavors. Some would argue that the NFL is already doing an exemplary job at captivating the nations’ attention. Streaming games is just another tactic the NFL has used to stay ahead of the curve. Per the Wall Street Journal, “In 1987 the league moved a package of games to cable television when it was available in roughly half the country. It launched its own network and moved a slate of Thursday night games to the channel in 2006. It began streaming the Sunday night game on NBC in 2008”. There’s a possibility of a future deal including a similar bundle of digitally broadcast games. The NFL knows it gained its supremacy in this country through progressive action and a forward thinking approach.
Assuming that the live-stream will be free of charge, this is a smart idea for the NFL. Building upon this digital distribution method and someday offering a streaming package of games would be a strategic move in these digital times. It makes the game more accessible and allows those who can’t afford NFL Sunday Ticket to be exposed to more games and teams outside of what’s shown on local networks.
Affiliating with an outlet such as Facebook, YouTube, or the like, to stream games also associates the NFL brand with trendy sites and the devices used for mobile access of these sites. Overall it’s a great way for the NFL to extend its reach, could provide fans access to a wide array of games, and help some of the smaller market teams garner a following. Streaming one game next year will mark a small step in the right direction towards continuing the NFL’s popularity.
