Personalized digital stream of NFL content will serve millions of fans, Launch this summer
NEW YORK -- The National Football League today announced the creation of NFL Now, a personalized video service providing fans with the NFL news, analysis and highlights they want across their Internet-connected devices. This innovative and ground-breaking new digital offering will launch this summer ahead of the start of the 2014 NFL season.
Available across Internet-connected devices, NFL Now will be personalized for each fan's interests, allowing them to follow the NFL how they want, where they want, when they want. Users will indicate their favorite team, fantasy players and which videos they like and dislike. The content stream will dynamically personalize each user's viewing experience to deliver a customizable news, analysis and highlights offering for NFL fans around the world. Additionally, NFL Now will provide users with access to the deepest vault of on-demand NFL video content available anywhere.
NFL Now will be made available for free to NFL fans worldwide on mobile devices through the NFL Now app (available across Windows, iOS and Android app stores), and in the United States through NFL Mobile from Verizon, and on personal computers at nfl.com/now and across select consoles and streaming devices, including Microsoft's Xbox One. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to subscribe to NFL Now Plus, which will provide them access to premium content and features for a monthly fee.
Today's announcement was made by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL's Executive Vice President of Media, Brian Rolapp.
"We are always looking for ways to better serve our fans, and NFL Now will do just that," said Commissioner Goodell. "Our media strategy has been a key component in the growth and success of the NFL over the past 50 years, and we fully expect NFL Now to be a big part of that initiative in the future."
"The growth in video consumption on Internet-connected devices, whether smartphones, tablets, PC's or consoles, makes the creation of NFL Now the logical next step in the evolution of NFL Media," said Rolapp. "NFL Now gives us the opportunity to utilize the one-to-one digital relationship to deliver our fans the most relevant content to them at the times and on the devices where they want to consume it. Furthermore, this new digital offering provides our trusted partners and sponsors a valuable new vehicle to reach our passionate fan base."
Verizon, Gillette, Microsoft, and Yahoo have joined NFL Media as launch partners of NFL Now.
Verizon will be a presenting sponsor of NFL Now and a key distribution partner, making the digital stream available to their customers through their LTE Multicast technology.
"NFL Now is another way Verizon will bring the content our customers want to see to them, especially over the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network," said Brian Angiolet, Vice President, Marketing Communications at Verizon Wireless. "We look forward to continuing our work with the NFL to make this happen."
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Gillette, an official partner of the NFL, is also a launch sponsor of NFL Now. The sponsorship expands on Gillette's longstanding relationship with the League.
"Gillette is excited to team up with NFL Now to reach fans the way they're watching the game today, which is through multiple screens," said Sonia Fife, Gillette's Vice President of Shave Care for North America. "The personalized nature of this platform makes it a great way for fans to get closer to the game."
Through the partnership with Microsoft, NFL Now will take on differentiated features as an evolution of the Xbox One experience, and will also round out the portfolio of NFL offerings on Windows and Surface devices. As its first distribution channel in the gaming console / connected TV category, NFL Now will be integrated into the NFL on Xbox One app that launched in 2013.
"Microsoft and the NFL will continue to push the game forward, and give fans the best experiences across all the devices they own. Our partnership has always been about innovation, and NFL Now is a natural extension of what we set out to accomplish," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft Corporate Vice President.
Yahoo will serve as a distribution partner for NFL Now within both the Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Screen sites and applications. NFL Now will receive significant promotion across Yahoo's media properties.
"Premium video content from the world's best creators is a major focus for Yahoo and Yahoo Sports, and we're thrilled to be teaming up and partnering with the NFL around something as fun and unique as NFL Now," said Ken Fuchs vice president of Yahoo Global Media and also head of Yahoo Sports. "Yahoo Sports is home to one of the most passionate communities of sports fans online who are constantly checking scores, news, fantasy updates, and following our writers. We're excited to see NFL Now become yet another daily habit for football fans on our site."
Additional sponsors and distribution partners will be announced in the months leading to the launch of NFL Now.
NFL Now Content Mix
Tapping into the NFL's vast video content sources, NFL Now will feature a mix of content from the very best of NFL Media, NFL clubs and NFL Films.
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• Original Content Created for NFL Now: From the NFL Media studios in Los Angeles, NFL Now will create original content – news updates, shows, features, and more – designed specifically for digital platforms.
• Highlights of NFL Action: NFL Now will have extensive highlights of the best plays from NFL games, including a premium instant highlights service during the game window. Subscribers will be able to follow along with the action so they never miss a big play by their favorite team or fantasy players. After games end, relive the highlights from every game.
• Content Produced by NFL Clubs: Each of the NFL clubs is constantly producing content for their team-specific platforms from practice updates to locker room interviews and players features. The NFL Now stream provides a next-generation platform to deliver this team content to fans.
• NFL Films Content: With more than 100 million feet of film in its library and more than 110 Emmy Awards, NFL Films programming, including America's Game, The Top 100, and the two-time Emmy-nominated series A Football Life, will be part of NFL Now.
• NFL.com & NFL Network Content: NFL Now will utilize select NFL.com and NFL Network video content to augment each fan's NFL Now content stream.
• Live Events, Press Conferences, and Shows: From league and team press conferences, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend and the yearly release of the NFL schedule, NFL Now will share important moments from across the NFL calendar.
For more information on NFL Now and to sign up for updates about this new service, fans can visit: nfl.com/now.
