We'd heard that the NFL would be bringing the
RedZone channel to phones this season, and it looks like Verizon was the highest bidder: NFL Mobile will launch on Big Red next month with the draft, complete with live streaming video of the event, on-demand video analysis from NFL Network, a pick-by-pick draft tracker, and other content. Once the season starts, customers will get RedZone, live streams of Sunday night and Thursday night games, on-demand video highlights and analysis, live home and away radio broadcasts, fantasy info, and the usual nasty ringtones and graphics. That's a ton of content,
and it certainly makes Sprint's NFL package seem a little light in comparison -- we'll have to see what pricing is like and what devices this'll run on closer to launch, however. Bring on the draft!
Update: We just confirmed that NFL Mobile will be exclusive to Verizon for the next four years, which means Sprint customers are out of luck. Verizon paid a pretty penny for the rights: the Wall Street Journal
values the deal at $720 million.
posted March 9th 2010 10:09AM
''on-demand video highlights and analysis, live home and away radio broadcasts, fantasy info, and the usual nasty ringtones and graphics.''
WOW you can do all this with the phone in the picture, ill Pay someone to prove it!
@OCEAN CLAK
The StarTac... the RAZR of it's day.
@OCEAN CLAK
ive looked at the pixels...i think its shopped
@OCEAN CLAK
Back in the mid-90's I sold one of those Motorola StarTacs when they first came out to Robert Brooks of the Green Bay Packers for $1,500...true story. After the purchase you had one of the best NFL receivers of that time carrying the best wireless phone of that time. They later went on tho win the SuperBowl.
Moral of the story...if NFL players want to win the SuperBowl then they shouldn't carry iPhones.
@OCEAN CLAK well it's shopped to have some small lcd screens so maybe you can watch multiple vids at one time
OMG it's like that TI OMAP thing only more portable and powerful (in terms of screens)
Rofl look at that phone in the ad, the 1990's called give their phone back.
I sure hope it runs on my StarTac.
@anamorican
v60's kick a**
@nwhat
oops ur right
@nwhat
Not just any StarTac, but the original one with a segmented LED screen... remember those!
Just in time for baseball season!!
Yeah we so need this. Its not like I was waiting for a decent phone or anything.
@lowdrag hey they finally got down to 5 dumbphones so I'm just fine with their selection
3 are free & 2 are the ruggedized ones
besides the droid will be fine once it gets 2.1
ALL FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $14.99 PER MONTH!!!
Any idea if this will run on featurephones, BlackBerry, Android, all of the above or what?
@mr88
The picture clearly shows it will work with a Motorola StarTac which has lots features such as ''on-demand video'' ''fantasy info, and the usual nasty ringtones and graphics.''
$15 is what sprint charges right? so this should be about the same, not bad for all you get but not interested, I'm not an NFL scout.
@palomosan Sprint doesn't charge anything. Its included in any of their unlimited data plans.
@DougB541
Thanks for the info, I doubt Verizon will do the same.
@DougB541
it's actually included in any of their plans - which many people still have the free EVDO on Free & Clear & all the rest of their non various Everything plans. But I agree, just like Sprint has free turn by turn navigation, where Verizon charges monthly for it even if you have an unlimitted data package.
I love having free streaming of every teams radio broadcast, NFL Network, & their nifty lil NFL app. I'm sure I'd like having redzone, but I'll skip the $10-15 charge per month & save the
@DougB541
it's actually included in any of their plans - which many people still have the free EVDO on Free & Clear & all the rest of their non various Everything plans. But I agree, just like Sprint has free turn by turn navigation, where Verizon charges monthly for it even if you have an unlimitted data package.
I love having free streaming of every teams radio broadcast, NFL Network, & their nifty lil NFL app. I'm sure I'd like having redzone, but I'll skip the $10-15 charge per month & save the
They should seriously Consider Hockey streaming.
@Jtree
Not sure if that was supposed to be sarcastic but I'd totally be on board for that.
This would be cool if it was free but I am willing to be it will be either $15 a month or only for Verizon FIOS subscribers who also have the NFL redzone package.
I'm reading a book for work currently on innovation. Last night I finished a chapter on avoiding 'overshooting' the consumer's needs. I think this article fits into the category of offering a service that I doubt many consumers will be interested in...at whatever jacked up price Verizon/NFL will charge for this service.
@Rick James Obviously, your not a football fan! You have no idea what extremes people go to, especially fantasy.
@1ofdakoolkidz I'm a huge steelers fan. But there are free and much cheaper methods of conducting fantasy sports via phone than this option will probably be.
I use a Sprint WinMo phone (Treo Pro) and not only is NFL Mobile free, it already did all the content described except for RedZone. I've watched live games broadcasted by NFL Network and listened to live radio broadcasts of any game. I would think with the advertising agreement Sprint has with the NFL that they would add RedZone to the existing Sprint content.
@cmark1 starting in april there wont be sprint content anymore. vzw is becoming the official wireless sponsor of the nfl, just like what sprint was. will be interesting to see if like the sprint mobile live app for blackberry, that could be ported to any blackberry, will be the same when it comes to verizon...
@cjohnson481 HA!!! maybe I should've read the PRNewswire article.
1996 called they want there phone back.... i loved my Star Tac but i have moved on
@grego6666
Mar 9th 2010 10:15AM called already... no need to use the joke again.
Sprint representative Mark Elliott says Sprint passed on extending the NFL sponsorship because the high price tag had the carrier questioning its return on investment.
For people who don't know to research information, instead of making wild assumptions. Sprint was offered this opportunity first.
@Sin City aww don't worry Sprint, you'll ALWAYS have NASCAR...right? ;)
"That's a ton of content, and it certainly makes Sprint's NFL package seem a little light in comparison"
Not really Engadget. Sure, you may get a bit more content but you'll be paying an arm and a leg for it. Sprint's NFL package (which includes streaming games) is FREE with one of the unlimited plans, which start at $69.00. Just like with data, voice and everything else, Sprint's cheaper than the rest.
@cwalters74
ditto.
The NFL has done some things brilliantly (by far the biggest sport in the U.S.) and some things not so well (the whole NFL Network debacle and splintered content delivery). I watched the Red Zone channel on a flight and was very impressed, but there's got to be a better way to widen the distribution and still make money doing it. Locking distribution down to certain partners (e.g. NFL Sunday Ticket with DirecTV only) seems like it's just holding them back from reaching so many more customers (and dollars).
Just seeing that StarTac makes me laugh.
The live steaming part confuses me...anyone speculate this will only be available in the areas with mobile TV coverage?
@Trocks797 I'm also curious as to whether this will require MediaFLO for all of the streaming stuff. Considering there's only one FLO device currently selling in any numbers (HTC Imagio?) I doubt that's the case. I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon Wireless requires an unlimited data package though.
@VerizonGuy Yeah, and now that I think about it...if it required mediaFLO enabled areas, the deal probably wouldnt have been 720 million....as the amount of people able to get the content would be small. Plus, if sprint can do it without mobile TV, so can Verizon. In that case, I guess I just dont see why mobile TV (or mediaFLO) exists if we can clearly stream live tv without it over 3G!
Having NFL Network on my Sprint phone was cool, but the NFL app was terrible. Half the time it didn't even work. I never got a radio broadcast to work over the phone. Have fun with it VZ, it is a turd, IMO. I'll bet it free too (maybe not all of it). I don't think the NFL will want it's mobile app limited to customers.
I get every Sunday afternoon game on my Blackberry already being a Directv Sunday Ticket subscriber. I'd like to get the Sunday and Thursday night games as well, but I'm sure Verizon will charge an arm and leg for this.
Being I already gave my arm and Leg to Directv for Sunday Ticket I'll have to pass.
Screw VZW, the Pre Plus and now the NFL, makes me wish I had waited. But my bank account thanks me every month that I don't have VZW or T-Mobile(dash on edge network) any more.
Glad to see struggling Sprint is finally going to save itself 500million a year or whatever they were paying for this. Now if they would only ditch NASCAR, they'd have cut probably 1B of expenses a year for which they were obviously not getting a slew of subscribers...
Course with the power marketing that VZ does, they can probably turn this into a valued asset that their customers know about and use. And at least, unlike Sprint, VZ can afford it.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL MOTOROLA STARTAC
Big Red, you just jumped 100 pts in my book! I love you and my NFL!
Great so us Sprint people are losing nfl app next season thats great
Well, that sucks we're losing NFL Mobile on Sprint but at least I still have my DirecTV NFL Superfan application on my Pre, so I can still watch the RedZone (or any other NFL game). Honestly the NFL app itself wasn't all that great (at least on the Pre), but the streaming audio came in handy more than once, I'm sure I'll miss that.
I still have my Moto Startac....gotta love analog led display...anyone remember the pda/battery pack addon???