Refreshed Five-Year Deal Between Verizon and NFL Allows for Mobile Streaming of Games on Any Carrier

[MacRumors]

Verizon and the NFL this morning announced that the carrier will no longer be the exclusive home for mobile streaming of NFL games in the United States, with anyone able to stream the games to their smartphone "regardless of mobile network" beginning next year.

The announcement comes within a new five-year deal struck between the two companies, which will see Verizon pay around $2 billion over a five-year period (via Recode).

The new deal begins January 2018 and will allow users on any U.S. wireless carrier to watch NFL games on their mobile device using the apps for Yahoo Sports, go90, and the NFL, with the company putting emphasis on Yahoo Sports as a premium destination for sports coverage.

This will start with the NFL playoffs next month, and then include national pre-season, regular season, playoff games, and the Super Bowl. Most of this coverage is described as "in-market" by Verizon, meaning that it will vary by your location and depend upon your local news channels' coverage of such events.

We're making a commitment to fans for Verizon's family of media properties to become the mobile destination for live sports," said Lowell McAdam, Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications. "The NFL is a great partner for us and we are excited to take its premier content across a massive mobile scale so viewers can enjoy live football and other original NFL content where and how they want it. We believe that partnerships like this are a win for fans, but also for partners and advertisers looking for a mobile-first experience."

Verizon's previous deal with the NFL was priced at $1 billion over the course of four years and runs through the current season, so the two companies are doubling down on their partnership with the new, expanded agreement.

Verizon says that it will remain an official sponsor of the NFL, providing "unique experiences" at events like the Super Bowl for customers enrolled in its Verizon Up rewards program. The partnership will also see Verizon continue efforts to improve stadium technology at NFL games to "improve operations" and enhance experience for customers.

Article Link: Refreshed Five-Year Deal Between Verizon and NFL Allows for Mobile Streaming of Games on Any Carrier

 

[Statusnone88]

Maybe I missed it...

How does this work? Download the NFL app and you’ll be able to stream any in market game provided it’s not blacked out?

Is there a fee for this? Or anything I’m missing? Because this sounds amazing for those of us not using Verizon Wireless.

 

[William Gates]

Maybe I missed it...

How does this work? Download the NFL app and you’ll be able to stream any in market game provided it’s not blacked out?

Is there a fee for this? Or anything I’m missing? Because this sounds amazing for those of us not using Verizon Wireless.

Yeah, sparse on details, but I would imagine that if you have a cable subscription that includes channels showing NFL games that you can use your cable log in to view the games, no matter what network you’re on.

 

[MarkG21]

Maybe I missed it...

How does this work? Download the NFL app and you’ll be able to stream any in market game provided it’s not blacked out?

Is there a fee for this? Or anything I’m missing? Because this sounds amazing for those of us not using Verizon Wireless.

I think if it’s availbale to stream, it will work on your phone. For example, if you subscribe to a streaming platform (Directv now) you’ll be able to watch the game on your phone from the local channel regardless of your carrier. Currently you can’t watch a football game on directv now on a phone unless you have Verizon.

 

[hsoj1006]

Maybe I missed it...

How does this work? Download the NFL app and you’ll be able to stream any in market game provided it’s not blacked out?

Is there a fee for this? Or anything I’m missing? Because this sounds amazing for those of us not using Verizon Wireless.

The way it works is you download the NFL Mobile App. Then, it will show the same games that are being shown in your local market on FOX and CBS, plus Sunday Night, Monday Night, and Thursday Night games.

Example: Your local market is Philadelphia. Eagles are on FOX, there may not be a game on CBS. When you open the NFL Mobile app, you can watch that same Eagles game that is on the local FOX affiliate. If there was a game on CBS at the same time, then THAT game would also be available to watch on the app. If you were to take a trip to Washington DC, then whatever games are on locally to THAT area would then show up on the NFL Mobile app.

This is free of charge, and if you are a Verizon customer, it does NOT go against your data usage.

NOTE: YOU ONLY SEE THE GAMES THAT ARE BEING BROADCASTED IN YOUR LOCAL AREA. (Based on LOCATION SERVICES).
[doublepost=1513006491][/doublepost]

I think if it’s availbale to stream, it will work on your phone. For example, if you subscribe to a streaming platform (Directv now) you’ll be able to watch the game on your phone from the local channel regardless of your carrier. Currently you can’t watch a football game on directv now on a phone unless you have Verizon.

That is incorrect. It will ONLY stream the games that are being broadcasted in your area at that time on FOX and CBS.

 

[ghostface147]

I assume RedZone will be a different charge like it now. It's $1.99 a month now.

 

[autrefois]

The way it works is you download the NFL Mobile App. Then, it will show the same games that are being shown in your local market on FOX and CBS, plus Sunday Night, Monday Night, and Thursday Night games.

Example: Your local market is Philadelphia. Eagles are on FOX, there may not be a game on CBS. When you open the NFL Mobile app, you can watch that same Eagles game that is on the local FOX affiliate. If there was a game on CBS at the same time, then THAT game would also be available to watch on the app. If you were to take a trip to Washington DC, then whatever games are on locally to THAT area would then show up on the NFL Mobile app.

[...] It will ONLY stream the games that are being broadcasted in your area at that time on FOX and CBS.

So with MLB's app they black it out if it's broadcast locally, but with NFL's app you can only watch games being broadcast locally?! I realize league deals with networks are complicated, but they need to find a solution that allows access to all games in their respective apps, even if it's for a fee.

 

[MarkG21]

The way it works is you download the NFL Mobile App. Then, it will show the same games that are being shown in your local market on FOX and CBS, plus Sunday Night, Monday Night, and Thursday Night games.

Example: Your local market is Philadelphia. Eagles are on FOX, there may not be a game on CBS. When you open the NFL Mobile app, you can watch that same Eagles game that is on the local FOX affiliate. If there was a game on CBS at the same time, then THAT game would also be available to watch on the app. If you were to take a trip to Washington DC, then whatever games are on locally to THAT area would then show up on the NFL Mobile app.

This is free of charge, and if you are a Verizon customer, it does NOT go against your data usage.

NOTE: YOU ONLY SEE THE GAMES THAT ARE BEING BROADCASTED IN YOUR LOCAL AREA. (Based on LOCATION SERVICES).
[doublepost=1513006491][/doublepost]

That is incorrect. It will ONLY stream the games that are being broadcasted in your area at that time on FOX and CBS.

I’m confused, isn’t that what I said?? You will be able to stream the game on your local channel on any carrier?

 

[69Mustang]

I’m confused, isn’t that what I said?? You will be able to stream the game on your local channel on any carrier?

Not really what you said. You were referencing Direct TV. This has nothing to do with Direct TV or any other cable provider. This is just free mobile streaming of local games courtesy of Verizon's deal with the NFL.

 

[hsoj1006]

I’m confused, isn’t that what I said?? You will be able to stream the game on your local channel on any carrier?

Yeah but it has ZERO to do with DIRECTV...It's just whatever the local OTA broadcast channels are showing.

 

[LarryNyquil]

Yeah but it has ZERO to do with DIRECTV...It's jut whatever the local OTA broadcast channels are showing.

I'm pretty sure DirecTV does have a deal with the NFL for the "NFL Sunday Ticket," which is the only way to watch all the games on one day, legally. AFAIK that's only available if you have a dish, and not to DirecTV Now subscribers.

 

[hsoj1006]

So with MLB's app they black it out if it's broadcast locally, but with NFL's app you can only watch games being broadcast locally?! I realize league deals with networks are complicated, but they need to find a solution that allows access to all games in their respective apps, even if it's for a fee.

This app is specifically so you can watch your local game on the go. There have been many times I had to run an errand and wanted to keep watching the game. This is a great solution.

This is not like the MLB app at all. Nothing is blacked out on this app. It is all based on location and what is shown OTA on your local broadcast FOX and CBS channels.
[doublepost=1513008706][/doublepost]

I'm pretty sure DirecTV does have a deal with the NFL for the "NFL Sunday Ticket," which is the only way to watch all the games on one day, legally. AFAIK that's only available if you have a dish, and not to DirecTV Now subscribers.

You are correct. But this has nothing to do with DIRECTV, which is what the original post I was replying to was talking about.

DIRECTV still offers Sunday Ticket and SundayTicket.tv, which allows you to stream EVERY game except your local game (which is blacked out).

 

[JL701]

awesome news, I hated that I couldnt take advantage of my directtvnow sub to watch the games because of verizon

 

[cjake]

This is not just about Verizon and NFL Mobile. "Allows for Mobile Streaming of Games on Any Carrier". This is a big deal for those of us who are not on Verizon.

The new Verizon contract no longer gives them exclusivity for mobile phone access to the games. With the existing contract, I could watch games on my iPad but not my T-Mobile iPhone. With this new contract that gives up exclusivity, I will be able to watch games on my T-Mobile iPhone.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm pretty sure DirecTV does have a deal with the NFL for the "NFL Sunday Ticket," which is the only way to watch all the games on one day, legally. AFAIK that's only available if you have a dish, and not to DirecTV Now subscribers.

Yes, but THIS deal doesn't have anything to do with Sunday Ticket. This is essential the same deal VZ always had except now that it owns Yahoo it has reason to want to promote that site in addition to it's wireless franchise so it's expanding who can view.

It's always been the case that VZW had the U.S. mobile rights to in market games and DirecTV had those rights to out of market games.

 

[ckurt25]

The part I find crazy is the old deal was $1B for 4 years and exclusivity. Now its $2B for 5 years but no exclusivity.

 

[bigjnyc]

Wait what am I missing here? So Verizon had an exclusive contract whereby anyone wanting to watch an NFL game on a mobile device had to do so through Verizon.... But now the contract is not exclusive any more and you can watch on a mobile device via any carrier..... So why is Verizon paying the NFL 2 Billion?

 

[sevvere]

First season I haven't watched a game. Bye bye NFL. Oh, and catch up with the times. Allow people to pay to watch whatever game they want from your app. Enough with this 1980s model that the NFL is trying to mutate into streaming. MLB does it. Hockey does it.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

About time. That restriction was annoying.

 

[BFG86]

Wait what am I missing here? So Verizon had an exclusive contract whereby anyone wanting to watch an NFL game on a mobile device had to do so through Verizon.... But now the contract is not exclusive any more and you can watch on a mobile device via any carrier..... So why is Verizon paying the NFL 2 Billion?

Verizon now owns Yahoo. Remember that game in London that was only on Yahoo? Expect there to be more like that

 

[natepaschall]

Makes sense with stadiums hemorrhaging ticket sales and NFL in decline on TV - teams have to recoup in their markets. The NFL blackout restriction policy at this point is just the NFL committing suicide. Can’t sell out stadiums and then won’t show it to the fan base? Goodbye NFL. It’s totally backwards and the NFL knows it.

 

[hsoj1006]

You

First season I haven't watched a game. Bye bye NFL. Oh, and catch up with the times. Allow people to pay to watch whatever game they want from your app. Enough with this 1980s model that the NFL is trying to mutate into streaming. MLB does it. Hockey does it.

You CAN watch any game you want, just like the MLB, NHL, and NBA apps do. They have NFLSundayTicket.tv. It streams ALL NFL games except your local game (it is blacked out on the stream and it is on FREE OTA tv on your local CBS or FOX station) and Nationally televised games such as Sunday Night Football on NBC (again, free) and ESPN Monday Night Football (again, free OTA within the market of the teams playing that contest), and Thursday Night Football (again, free OTA on CBS or NBC). The NFL Mobile App does show MNF and TNF games though.

 

[simrag34]

I am curious if going through a VPN will allow you to watch out of market games by VPNing through servers in that respective market.