Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints squares up against James Bradberry of the Carolina Panthers during the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Dec. 30, 2018. The Saints are Super Bowl favorites. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The NFL has teamed up with Amazon to launch a new Alexa Skill available on Amazon Echo speakers. The Rookies Guide to the NFL skill dropped on Thursday and was created to teach new or casual fans the rules and nuances of pro football ahead of the NFL playoffs, which begin Saturday.
Alexa, can you explain to me what a nickel defense is?
More than 2,000 terms related to NFL positions, rules, formations, commentator jargon, and more were incorporated into the skill. A typical Alexa response is limited to around 30 words, but Amazon has added a new feature where users can voice “go long” to hear Alexa give a more detailed explanation about each topic.
Alexa, what’s a lateral?
Ask about a lateral, and you’ll learn that it’s a legal backwards pass. Follow up by saying “go long,” and Alexa will go into detail about how teams down at the end of a game often try laterals in a desperate attempt to avoid being tackled and score, according to USA Today. The new skill also features a voice introduction from NFL Network anchor Cole Wright and offers a weekly league update from retired New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.
Users that have Amazon smart speakers with a screen such as the Echo Spot or Echo Show will also have the luxury of being able to watch supplemental video explanations on some topics. The Rookie’s Guide is the NFL’s first venture into voice-enabled apps. The skill is also available outside of the U.S. as the league tries to further its appeal to fans oversees.
“This is the first skill we launched as a league and certainly the most ambitious,” said Dan Hogan, VP of engineering, media services for the NFL, according to USA Today. ”This really is a bit of a test pilot for us. Our thought is really anywhere where the technology exists—you have a microphone, speaker and a screen perhaps—we think ultimately you’re going to want to use your voice.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Only a couple weeks ago, the NHL also debuted a new skill for all Alexa-enabled devices. There are many similarities between the two, but one difference is that the NHL’s is capable of diving into league stats and trivia, while the NFL skill is not yet capable of doing so according to USA Today. Google Assistant, which is Amazon’s biggest rival in the smart speaker space, was integrated into live broadcast coverage of the MLB playoffs on Fox and TBS this past postseason.
