MS deal with NFL supposedly cost $400 Million

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

The NFL and Microsoft, through its next generation Xbox device, are combining to upgrade interactive TV viewing of pro football games in a multiyear agreement announced Tuesday. The next step after that, perhaps as early as 2014, will be bringing technology to the sidelines on tablets.

The deal is worth $400 million over five years for the NFL, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial details have not been made public.

"When you think about the sidelines, what is most important for us is how you make the game of football better, make what the coaches and players do better, using technology but preserving the competition," said Brian Rolapp, chief operating officer of NFL Media. "The challenge is how to bring technology to make it a better experience for them and for the fans.

"You can start with how we communicate with each other, whether it's game officials or coaches. Coaches can look at formations as they develop. We'll look at how do you do the still photos better, get more into real time? Is there a more efficient way to give replay officials a way of doing reviews better through technology?"

That's for the future, albeit the not-too-distant future.

Fans will get new television viewing innovations, including the ability to watch games, Skype video chat with other fans, view statistics, access highlights in real time and gather fantasy information about players and teams -- all on a single screen. For those who prefer multiple screens, fans can get an even deeper experience on mobile devices and tablets with SmartGlass technology.

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000205083/article/nfl-microsoft-strike-deal-to-enhance-fans-tv-viewing-of-games

[spudtrooper]

Sounds like a great value

a little demographics shows a lot of potential business:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2010/06/Issue-185/The-Back-Of-The-Book/Fan-Demographics-Among-Major-North-American-Sports-Leagues.aspx

Don't the big players pay billions for lesser rights? it sounds like a pretty good mutual deal. Money on the tablet from Microsoft and the NFL can now get data about its viewers it only dreamed of.

[notchinese]

If you don't live in the United States (I do), you simply cannot fathom how popular the NFL is.

[Astra.Xtreme]

If you don't live in the United States (I do), you simply cannot fathom how popular the NFL is.

Even though the NFL is really popular here, it's nothing compared to the worldwide popularity of soccer (football).

Certain countries literally live and die for it.

[Blackhearted]

$400 million that could have been better spent.

[spudtrooper]

Even though the NFL is really popular here, it's nothing compared to the worldwide popularity of soccer (football).

Certain countries literally live and die for it.

Who says they're stopping with the NFL?

They already have ESPN, MLB and now UFC.. I fully expect them to keep on going.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Who says they're stopping with the NFL?

They already have ESPN, MLB and now UFC.. I fully expect them to keep on going.

I don't believe anybody said they are stopping with the NFL.

MS is an American company, so it's not really surprising they are first focusing on American sports.

But if they want to gain worldwide support for these new features, they are going to have to spend a lot of time developing for other popular sports.

[notchinese]

Even though the NFL is really popular here, it's nothing compared to the worldwide popularity of soccer (football).

Certain countries literally live and die for it.

In terms of money though, the NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world I believe, and it also has the highest average per-team value of any league.

[Hum]

If you don't live in the United States (I do), you simply cannot fathom how popular the NFL is.

And which is why I loathe it. :rolleyes:

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

Microsoft blew errr spent $400,000,000 on a sports partnership and not on research and development to improve its products?

[spudtrooper]

Microsoft blew errr spent $400,000,000 on a sports partnership and not on research and development to improve its products?

What are you talking about? Microsoft has spent billions on improving its products. HD is done, that was so 2005. Today its about interactive gaming and content. The ability for a game to run on the cloud and change dynamically as you play is probably going to be one of the best breakthrough features MS announced.

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

What are you talking about? Microsoft has spent billions on improving its products. HD is done, that was so 2005. Today its about interactive gaming and content. The ability for a game to run on the cloud and change dynamically as you play is probably going to be one of the best breakthrough features MS announced.

That was just an example. I am not a big fan of football, and think money could have been better spent elsewhere, not on sports. How about a partnership with Nasa or something that can have both educational and entertainment value.

[neufuse Veteran]

And which is why I loathe it. :rolleyes:

gawd sports in the USA drive me nuts, especially when there is an NFL or hockey game on... go out somewhere all you get is "DUDE! WHERE IS YOUR JERSEY!!!!!!!!" um maybe I don't give a crap about who's playing? which then turns into you being a loser because you are "supporting your local team" blah blah blah....