The NFL has struck a landmark agreement with US TV network NBC to stream next years Super Bowl online and through mobile phones.
The deal will see NBC broadcast the next Super Bowl on 5 February through NBCSports.com and NFL.com. The broadcast will only be available to residents in the US.
The Super Bowl, which last year attracted a record US audience of more than 100 million, will also be streamed through the NFL Mobile app on mobile phone network Verizon.
The live-streaming deal will also include NBC’s broadcasts of two wild card play-off matches and the Pro Bowl, which will by played in January ahead of the Super Bowl.
“We don’t want to limit ourselves to people not in front of the TV,” said Rick Cordella, vice-president of NBC Sports Digital Media. “The play-offs are appointment viewing. People schedule their day around it.”
NBC and NFL have streamed regular season games online since 2008, with its Sunday Night Football service offering extra camera angles not used in the TV broadcast, live statistics and interactive elements.
The Sunday night streams have averaged between 200,000 and 300,000 viewers, compared with about 21 million watching each game on TV, with NBC and NFL claiming that there has been no negative impact on TV viewing by offering games online.
“Our online streaming represents a compelling, second-screen experience that nicely complements NBC’s on-air presentation,” said Cordella.
