NFL teams up with Verizon for mobile content distribution

By Rimma Kats

March 10, 2010

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The National Football League has teamed up with Verizon Wireless to give its fans the ultimate football experience via their mobile devices.

The new four-year agreement for NFL mobile kicks off next month. Verizon Wireless is now NFL’s official wireless service sponsor.

“The strategy is to provide customers with the content they want on devices they are already carrying,” said Brenda Raney, executive director of corporate communications at Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, NJ.

“For football fans, this means extending the game experience beyond the field so they get the latest information about the sport they love, whenever or wherever they like,” she said.

Mobile football
Users will be able to watch live streaming videos of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football.”

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Verizon Wireless claims that the NFL experience will become increasingly rich as it launches its 4G network, which will be available in 25-30 markets in 2010 and in virtually its entire current nationwide 3G footprint by the end of 2013.

“We’re looking forward to improving our fans’ experience where ever they may be – if it is at the stadium, home or on the road on gameday,” said Brian McCarthy, spokesman for the NFL, New York.  “We are looking forward to working with Verizon, which is a very aggressive marketer and will look for innovative ways to push out our valuable content."

Fan favorite
Consumers will be able to watch game highlights and see a collection of on-demand videos featuring analysis and inside access from NFL Network and NFL films as well as listen to live radio broadcasts of regular season and playoff games from both home and away teams.

Additionally users will be able to get access to fantasy information and news, as well as player and team statistics. They will also be able to customize NFL alerts, ringtones and graphics.

The NFL service is exclusive to Verizon Wireless subscribers and will be on select devices including several Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile as well as some of the multimedia phones that are Brew-based.

According to Verizon, the NFL Network channel will air seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football.

Consumers can first preview NFL mobile on April 22, during the NFL Draft event.

"The [NFL] service is for football fans on the go who have an insatiable appetite for the sport,” Mr. McCarthy said. “These fans cut across a wide demo, but are generally those male and female 18-45 who need to be connected to their favorite sport.”