As Super Bowl Nears, NFL Grows Online Video Distribution Plans
With less than a week until Super Bowl XLIX kickoff, the National Football League (NFL) is continuing its efforts to put more game video online. YouTube and the NFL announced a partnership yesterday to deliver content through a newly created YouTube channel. Videos will also play on Google search pages.
While the NLF YouTube channel won't carry live game video, it will show packaged clips that include game previews, recaps, highlights, news, analysis, and fantasy football advice.
Football fans can check in now for videos highlighting Arizona flavor (the site of this year's Super Bowl), as well as matchup previews. The channel will also get Super Bowl highlights, once the game is underway.
In related news, Level 3 announced that it will provide Super Bowl broadcast television video services for the NFL and NBC Sports. This is the 26th year that Level 3 has done so. Level 3 will acquire, encode, and transport over 3,000 hours of game and related coverage.
Fans who want to watch the game online will be pleased that NBC has waived authentication requirements this year. Computer and tablet users can see the full game (including the half-time show), with pregame coverage starting at 12PM ET from NBC Sports. Smartphone viewers will need to download the NFL Now app (available for iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone) and buy a $5 premium subscription to watch the game live, as Verizon has exclusive smartphone streaming rights for the game.
Related Articles
Previous Super Bowls offered less-than-satisfactory live streaming experiences. Will CBS Sports get it right for the masses this Sunday?
02 Feb 2016
The site will carry teaser videos, game day commercials, and original content. Viewers will be able to vote on favorites once the game ends.
21 Jan 2016
Two regular season games, four playoff games, and the Super Bowl will be available for online streaming to any viewer.
03 Sep 2015
Fans will be able to view a variety of video clips in their Twitter timelines from the pre-season to the Super Bowl.
10 Aug 2015
In a football first, Yahoo will stream a game from London for free to a global audience. Could this be Yahoo's entry into live sports?
03 Jun 2015
NBC and Akamai streamed to 1.3 million concurrent users at peak, but those looking for a rich online experience were disappointed.
04 Feb 2015
When millions of football fans are watching the output, the NFL can't afford to make a mistake. Here's how it tackles the problem of complicated workflows.
02 Feb 2015
How do content owners earn the most from their videos without driving viewers away? NFL Now's VP shares what he learned in the service's freshman year.
12 Jan 2015
This August, the NFL debuted a major online product, a multiplatform personalized video and news service called NFL Now. At Streaming Media West, NFL Now's vice president and general manager explained why the service was created and what he's learned so far.
18 Nov 2014
Once a hidden option, online-only plans are now easier to get, but only for those who can't subscribe to standard DirecTV service.
17 Jul 2014