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NWSL soccer matches will stream on CBS All Access and Twitch
You might have an easy time watching National Women's Soccer League matches online this season. The league has struck deals that give CBS Sports and Twitch the rights to stream games for the next three years. CBS will stream 87 matches, 71 of them available solely through All Access and its various portals through CBS' apps and website. However, the Twitch team-up may be the real highlight. Amazon's livestreaming service will air 24 "select" matches for free in the US on its channel, and it'll offer every game to viewers outside the US.
NFL and 2K revive their partnership to make more football games
2K is well known for its NBA, WWE and PGA video games, but it hasn't made an NFL title since 2004. That's about to change. Today, the NFL and 2K announced that they've revived a partnership to produce new non-simulation football video games.
Adidas' smart insoles use Google tech to improve your 'FIFA Mobile' scores
Just a few days ago Google and Adidas teased a smart insole designed to work with FIFA Mobile -- now we know exactly what it looks like. The Adidas GMR slips into your sneakers to monitor your performance during real-world soccer play, measuring your kicks and ball control and connecting to FIFA Mobile to give you challenges to improve your overall performance.
Play the arcade classic 'Tecmo Bowl' on PS4 and Switch tomorrow
Ahead of Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, you'll be able to replay the original 1987 release of Tecmo Bowl when it comes out on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch tomorrow. Not to be confused with the NES version most people associate with the game, the $8 Arcade Archives rerelease that's making its way to the PlayStation Store and eShop this week features a mere two teams -- the Wildcats and Bulldogs -- and no licensed players. So, no, you can't use Bo Jackson to demolish your friends and family members.
The best pre-Super Bowl deals for 4K TVs and streaming
With the big game right around the corner -- I mean Super Bowl LIV, in case that isn't clear -- it's once again time to consider making a TV upgrade. If you need a little something extra to make sure football fans stop by your party instead of staying home, a bigger and brighter setup will go further than pushing your array of snacks. Plus, while many of these deals are online, shopping locally can give you an opportunity to see the screen in person, or make for a quick return if you find out that it's just too wide for the stand you wanted to put it on. (I should've measured first.) With prices nearly as low as we saw during the Black Friday push, and likely as low as they'll get until sets start hitting clearance shelves, you have your choice of equipment. Also worth considering is the fact that this year, for the first time, you can watch a Fox Sports 4K/HDR feed. It's upconverted from 1080p, but judging from my experience watching Thursday Night Football earlier in the season, it's sharp and vibrant enough to justify switching over if you can. Fox's plan to capture the game includes eight 4K cameras, as well as three 8K cameras trained on the sidelines and benches -- you'll want every super slow motion zoom-in to look as good as possible.
Amazon and the NFL team up to create a 'Digital Athlete' simulation
Amazon's AWS and the NFL plan to use AI and machine learning to protect players. The partners announced today that they'll co-develop a "Digital Athlete" platform, which will create a computer simulation model of an NFL player. Using the computer simulation, they'll be able to test different game scenarios without putting actual players at risk.
'FIFA 20' will add South America's largest club tournament in March
Fùtbol fans are about to get a welcome addition to FIFA 20. EA is adding CONMEBOL Libertadores, South America's largest club tournament, as part of a free update to the game in March 2020. The expansion pits some of the continent's hotter teams against each other, such as Boca Juniors and Flamengo. It'll also include other CONMEBOL's other tournaments, Sudamericana and Recopa.
Nike's FlyEase technology hits the field with Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin
After developing FlyEase shoes based on Lebron and Jordan models, Nike has adapted its technology for zip-up basketball sneakers to a whole new sport: football. These unique cleats are made for a (so far) one-of-a-kind athlete -- Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin. Griffin is in his second season as an NFL player, but unlike many others on the field during Monday Night Football, he has one hand. His left hand did not fully develop due to amniotic band syndrome and was amputated at age four. Similar to the FlyEase models we've seen before, the Shaquem Griffin FlyEase football cleat manages to create a heel entry that's easier to put on for someone with one hand, while maintaining the structure and stability needed to make the powerful moves of a pro football player. That way Griffin can focus on his game, and not his shoes, which are making their prime-time debut tonight against the 49ers.
NCAA will allow college athletes to earn money off their likeness
In a departure from a long-standing position, the NCAA has voted to allow student athletes to "benefit" from the use of their likeness. The organization's Board of Governors made the announcement on Tuesday, and said they've instructed all three of the NCAA's divisions to start looking at their relevant bylaws.
Google wants to be your guide to Champions League soccer
The UEFA Champions League has already reached the group stages, but Google wants you to know it has your back for the rest of the season. Search for "Champions League" on Google and you now get a whole suite of tools to follow the competition, including the usual scores, schedules and standings as well as video recaps and detailed news like club lineups and trade rumors. A new wheel makes it easy to see who's facing who.
Fox Sports is creating exclusive, interactive shows for Facebook Watch
ESPN isn't the only big broadcaster committing to exclusive sports shows on Facebook Watch. Fox Sports is teaming up with Facebook to create unique interactive shows for Watch viewers, including a marquee Fox Football Sunday program. The Monday morning show covers the NFL games from the day before, all the while giving Facebook users a chance to ask questions from show hosts. If you can't wait that long, a Fox Football Update show on Sunday nights will recap match-ups in a more one-sided format.
'FIFA' esports league reveals changes to 2020 season format
After two eWorld Cups, FIFA and Electronic Arts are tweaking the competition for a new season. To start, EA says it's simplifying online qualification with a new "Friendly Competition" mode. Taking a page from professional soccer, this mode will see teams and individuals play two games to determine who goes through, with aggregate goals determining the winner in case of a split series.
ESPN+ was already an insane deal, now it has the Bundesliga
The dust had just settled from Bayern Munich's 7-2 thumping of Tottenham when ESPN made arguably its biggest ESPN+ announcement to date. Starting with the 2020 season, ESPN+ will be the home of the Bundesliga in the US and fans will be able to stream every regular season match, plus the DFL Supercup, relegation playoffs and more. The standalone streaming service already offered a lot of soccer, now it's quickly becoming the best option for following the sport. And it still, miraculously, only costs $5 a month.
EA vows to fix FIFA 20's broken Career Mode
FIFA 20 has some fresh elements, but the Career Mode is more than a little buggy -- to the point where #FixCareerMode has been popular on Twitter. And EA knows it. The company has published a Q&A where it has acknowledged and promised to fix several glaring issues. AI-controlled top teams are ranking poorly (sometimes to the point of relegation to lower leagues), while other teams choose poor starting lineups in crucial matches. There are also issues with match congestion due to rescheduling, unrealistic Dynamic Potential changes for players, easy Ultimate Difficulty, position changes after editing players and irrelevant questions in press conferences. Even the larger league structures are broken. If certain teams win the UEFA Europa League after a few seasons and get promoted to the UEFA Champions League, the leagues break.
FazeClan is working on an esports collab with Manchester City
Today, Manchester City announced that it's joining forces with the esports company FaZe Clan. The collaboration is meant to provide new experiences for football (aka soccer) and gaming fans and to bring the two groups together. Manchester City and FaZe plan to host events and will launch limited edition, co-branded retail products.
Volta Football is exactly what 'FIFA 20' needs
I still remember it like it was yesterday. Back in 2008, I would spend hours and hours playing FIFA Street 3 on the Xbox 360, mostly because I loved being on the sticks pretending to be Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. His dribbling skills, flair and overall playstyle made him the perfect player for a street soccer game. This is why I was pumped when EA Sports revealed it was bringing back its recreational Street series with a new game mode called Volta Football that's debuting in FIFA 20. And while Ronaldinho is now retired from the world of soccer, there is another gem from Brazil who will be featured in Volta: Vinicius Jr., the 19-year-old wunderkind who plays for giant Spanish club Real Madrid.
Facebook Watch gets more NFL highlights, news and analysis
The National Football League isn't done teaming up with tech companies. Today, the NFL announced it is extending its partnership with Facebook, a deal that began back in 2017, which will continue to bring highlights of all 256 regular season games, playoffs and the Super Bowl to Facebook Watch. In addition to these recaps, this year the league is serving even more snackable programming on Watch, including news and analysis clips, video versions of podcasts, classic game archives from NFL Films and special videos dedicated to 100th NFL season. Facebook says that, in 2017 and 2018, over 22 million people watched at least a minute of an NFL recap, a sign that people on its site have an appetite for this type of video content.
'PES 2020' isn't perfect, but it's good enough to rival 'FIFA 20'
It was only about a year ago that I thought Pro Evolution Soccer was basically dead. That's how I felt right after Konami lost the licensing rights for the UEFA Champions League, the most important club competition, to its archrival FIFA from EA Sports. Despite this major setback, Konami hasn't given up on its beloved franchise, and that's great for soccer fans everywhere. At E3 earlier this year, I played a demo of the newly named eFootball PES 2020, which surprised me thanks to gameplay improvements, a redesigned menu system that's easier to browse and better visuals of players and stadiums. And while I have no doubt having the Champions League in PES 2020 would've made the game significantly better, there's still plenty to like in the full version of the title, which arrives September 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
The NFL's new TikTok account is all about highlights and sideline moments
The National Football League is hyping up its 100th season with a TikTok partnership. Today, the NFL is launching an official TikTok account with packaged highlights, sideline moments and behind-the-scenes footage. To get things started, it's promoting a #WeReady challenge. Today through September 5th, the NFL is asking fans to share videos about their favorite teams with the hashtag.
Alexa adds in-depth NFL stats ahead of the new season
Alexa's football knowledge is now decidedly more profound. Amazon has added a slew of info to its voice assistant's repertoire that includes "comprehensive, in-depth" stats for NFL teams and their players. If you want to know your favorite player's rushing yards or how many penalty yards the team has racked up, it's just a quick question away. You can even ask about fantasy football scores if your reputation is on the line.
