The NFL takes a step towards offering its own media streaming platform.
The league has announced that NFL+ will begin on Monday. Owners were briefed on this at league meetings in May, and Brian Rollup, the NFL’s chief communications and business officer, confirmed last week in his Sports Illustrated column that he will launch this season.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a phone call with The Associated Press that the direct-to-consumer offering gives the league the ability to understand what fans and non-fans are looking for in terms of content and customize it for them.
“We think this is a big step forward. It will change, evolve and evolve as more content appears on this platform. Our work on any of the other offerings or research has helped us to articulate that in a way that we think will be very compelling and engaging for our fans.”
The launch of NFL+ comes when the 15th Thursday night game will air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The Sunday Ticket bundle for unavailable Sunday matches currently expires at the end of this season. Amazon, Apple and Google have taken responsibility for the rights DirecTV has had since 1994.
“NFL+” will allow fans to watch non-market pre-season games on all devices; local and national regular and off-season games on mobile; teams and national radio stations, NFL Network, shows on demand with the NFL Films archive. It can also include content created by teams. It will be available through the NFL app and website.
This is an update to the Game Pass service available to fans in the United States since 2015. The league began offering a bundle in 2009 where fans can watch replays online. To get it in 2012 when a manager movie was added, including two angles where all 22 players can be seen on the field.
In previous seasons, the league also offered non-market pre-season games, either as a standalone package or through a “Game Pass”.
Key to the pack are live regular season and playoff games. The league regained its mobile rights after its contracts with mobile operators expired at the end of last season.
NFL+ will be available for $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. The premium package, which includes full and compressed replays and a trainer movie, costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. The “Game Pass” package was previously available for $100 per year. NFL+ will be a part of fans purchasing season tickets for their teams.
“We’ve had issues with Game Pass, but this is our next step,” said Hans Schroeder, vice president of NFL Media. “We think this will be attractive to fans and allow for monthly price reductions for fans. There is a glimpse of future content in the future. We are excited to see where it goes this year and beyond.”
Goodell recently said he hopes to make a decision on the league’s Sunday ticket and possibly sell ownership of NFL Media by the end of the year.
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Source: Breitbart
