NFL Kicks Off Online Streaming Tonight
Are you ready for some (online) football?! A web video party? Then head on over to NBCSports.com to check out the NFL’s first live-streaming game of the season, as the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants, take on the Washington Redskins.
The game begins at 7 p.m. ET, and will feature four different camera angles to choose from, picture-in-picture functionality, and real-time commentary. Interestingly, the game requires Flash, not Silverlight, which NBC was used for the Olympics.
Last year, the NFL offered games online, but only to those who paid $269 for the NFL package on DirecTV plus an additional $99 fee. Perhaps seeing all the success Major League Baseball has had without such restrictions wizened those helmet heads up.
UPDATE: I’ve been watching for twenty minutes and here are some initial thoughts. The video quality is just alright, not as good as the Olympics. And while you can switch camera angles (cable cam, star cam, sideline cam, end zone cam), each time I did a commercial played (irritating). Overall, it’s nice if your a die-hard football fan stuck at work, but otherwise, not that impressive.
(Tip of the hat to Lost Remote.)
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To be fair, the NFL-MLB comparison isn’t apples to apples, MLB charges fans for their games and has otherwise been the most restrictive sports league in terms of managing their digital rights. The closest thing MLB offers to a free game is online look-ins during major events like no-hit bids or Barry Bonds at-bats.
The NFL offered several games last year for free outside the NFL package deal when they caved to angry fans as a result of the NFL Network’s failure to reach carriage agreements with cable operators. This free game is more of a marketing ploy than a shift in digital strategy.
From any of the streaming sporting events I’ve seen online, they still find plenty of opportunity for advertising revenue. Perhaps even moreso than traditional TV.
As long as blackouts exist, the leagues can eff off.
The NHL is the one exception. The local team here, San Jose, even lifted the blackout on nine games to Center Ice suscribers. Smart businessmen. The only package I buy.
I wasn’t a big fan of this either when it first came out…although it seems to have improved lately.