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Facebook scoops NFL video highlights and in-depth recaps
With its recently launched Watch video section still fresh, Facebook is wasting no time in expanding its line-up. This time it's ditching original shows in favor of football. The company just announced that it's teaming up with the NFL to bring highlights for all 256 regular season games, as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl, to its social network. On top of that, it's getting three in-depth segments in the form of NFL Game Recaps, NFL Turning Point, and Sound FX for its Watch tab. Those outside of the US can catch the video blitz by following the NFL Facebook page or any of the league's 32 clubs. The shows will each be available globally via their respective pages as well.
Watch the NFL's London game at 9:30AM Eastern
You're about to get a chance to watch an out-of-the-ordinary NFL game wherever you happen to live. The league and Yahoo (disclaimer: yes, they're part of our parent company Verizon) are streaming a special game in London on September 24th at 9:30AM Eastern. Virtually anyone worldwide can see the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars take to the field in Wembley Stadium for free. In addition to tuning in on Yahoo's website, you can catch the game through the NFL's website and its apps.
Facebook nabs reality show with NFL star Marshawn Lynch
Facebook is determined to make its Watch section a go-to place for video, and that means spending big bucks for original shows. Time Warner's Bleacher Report tells Reuters that Facebook is spending "millions of dollars" to secure No Script, a reality TV show that revolves around Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch. The show will launch later in September, with eight short (10 to 15 minutes) episodes covering Lynch's "antics" -- the first has him learning to drive a race car until he ruins the tires.
CBS, Comcast deal brings fantasy football to your cable box
We've seen a few attempts to put fantasy football on TV screens over the years, but despite the game's increasing popularity none have really made an impact (we never did see more fantasy leagues appear for the Xbox One). Now CBS has struck a deal with Comcast to integrate its game with the X1 platform. That's not particularly helpful if you use a different TV setup or have a fantasy league on a different platform, but those are the breaks. If you do have the right combination of circumstances, however, you can keep track of your dominating victory/crushing loss in real time without looking away from the game.
Intel installed its 3D camera system in eight more NFL stadiums
Intel's 360-degree replay system is already in place for Major League Baseball and has been available for the National Football League in Baltimore, Houston and San Francisco for some time. The technology company has just announced that it will expand what it calls freeD technology to another eight teams in the NFL, including the Cardinals, Panthers, Browns, Colts, Chiefs, Vikings, Patriots and Redskins. This brings the total to 11 NFL stadiums equipped with the system.
Twitter’s live NFL news and analysis show premieres tonight
Twitter's new NFL live show #NFLBlitz premieres tonight on the league's @NFL account. Last year, Twitter held the rights for the NFL's Thursday night games, but Amazon snagged those streaming rights this season in a deal believed to have rung in around $50 million. Instead, the platform is getting a 30-minute long news and analysis show that will air Monday to Thursday every week through to the Super Bowl.
Tencent becomes the exclusive Chinese home of the NFL
The NFL has signed a deal with Tencent that'll see the Chinese giant becoming the exclusive home of the game for the next three years. As well as most pre and regular-season games, Chinese fans will be able to watch both the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. In addition, Deadline Hollywood says that ancillary shows, such as the Draft, Hard Knocks, Game Day and A Football Life are all included in the deal.
Every NFL team is involved in EA's 'Madden' eSports tournament
You've seen conventional sports teams dip their toes in the eSports waters before, but probably not like this. EA is launching the Madden NFL Club Championship today, and it'll have official involvement from all 32 NFL teams -- the first time an American sports league has fully committed itself to an eSports tournament. You'll qualify online in Madden 18 between now and October 16th, but the best players will square off in tournaments in the stadiums for each team. The final 32 players will compete at NFL experiences in Orlando and Minneapolis. And if you win? You'll get both a cash prize and two tickets to (what else?) Super Bowl LII.
FIFA’s tech ‘experiments’ drag soccer into the modern age
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It may not be as big as American football, baseball or basketball in the US -- at least not yet-- but there's a much larger interest in it here now than five or 10 years ago. One of the problems with soccer is that, unlike pro sports organizations such as the NFL, NBA or MLB, it has never been quick to adopt new technology. For decades FIFA, the sport's governing body, opposed cutting-edge ideas that could keep referees from making the wrong calls. "We shall rely on human beings," former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in 2002. "Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and yes, sometimes referees make mistakes. But football is passion, football is emotion. Football has a human touch."
The traditional sports world is taking eSports into the mainstream
Five years ago, you couldn't have imagined video game competitions being broadcasted on the same channel as traditional sports. TV networks have been historically obsessed with pastimes such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but times are changing. Thanks to the massive popularity of eSports, driven in large part by the internet-streaming generation, the entertainment landscape has transformed drastically over the past couple of years. Nowadays, US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences. Want to watch a EA's FIFA or Rocket League tournament on ESPN? Well, you can do just that.
'Madden 18' story mode looks a lot like 'Friday Night Lights'
The rumors were true: EA is bringing FIFA 17's story mode to the realm of American football. EA has revealed that Madden 18 will include a Longshot campaign that sees you fill the cleats of Devin Wade, a "forgotten prospect" hoping to make the cut in the NFL draft. From the early glimpse, it's akin to every football movie and TV show you've ever seen, complete with big name actors: There's fatherly drama (Moonlight's Mahershala Ali), the loyal best friend (appropriately, Friday Night Lights' Scott Porter) and even real-world legend Dan Marino serving as a mentor.
Nevada would allow in-stadium mobile bets at Raiders games
When the Raiders start playing football in Las Vegas, their stadium lease will officially ban the team from offering bets or other forms of gambling in the building. Don't tell that to the Nevada Gaming Commission, though. Its officials understand that there's nothing in the lease precluding the use of mobile betting apps on the facility's grounds, even if you're already in your seat. The NFL tells ESPN that the Raiders will have to "abide by League rules," but the Commission says it hasn't been asked to make any policy decisions so far.
Twitter's NFL show is a consolation for losing games to Amazon
During the 2016 NFL season, Twitter streamed the league's slate of Thursday Night Football matchups. The 2017 season will be a lot different for the social network as it lost those weekly livestreams to Amazon last month. Twitter won't miss out completely though, and its users can expect a daily dose of pro football coverage when the new season kicks off this fall.
NFL players can track and sell their own health data
Professional athletes know that it's not just the matches and training sessions that matter: it's what you do in your downtime too. Whoop's wearable straps specialise in this area, tracking your movement, heart rate, and ambient temperature to better understand your health and recovery rate. Now, it's being adopted by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), which means straps will be handed out to every current and incoming player in the US. Whether they'll wear them is a mystery, but the hope is that they'll be used to track and optimize their training schedules, reducing injuries and improving in-game performance.
Intel's 360 replay tech is coming to more NFL stadiums
The National Football League just announced that it's moving its Thursday Night Football streaming coverage from Twitter to Amazon, but there's more news to share this week. Through its on-going partnership with Intel, the NFL plans to install the company's 360 replay tech in more stadiums before the 2017 season kicks off. Right now, the setup is only available in Baltimore, Houston and San Francisco, but it will be in place for more teams this fall.
Amazon Prime will replace Twitter to stream Thursday NFL games
Last year Twitter made Thursday Night NFL games a centerpiece of its video streaming/group chat efforts. This year, the NFL is taking its 10-game simulcast package to Amazon Prime, according to reports by Recode, the Wall Street Journal and Variety. While Twitter made the games available for free (alongside the broadcasts on CBS or NFL Network), on Amazon they will be a part of its Prime subscription, just like two-day-shipping, movies, music and other things it offers.
Super Bowl LI commercials were heavy on tech and politics
For people who don't care about football, watching the Super Bowl is mostly about enjoying the overhyped commercials that happen during the event. (That and the half-time show.) Naturally, tech companies see this as an opportunity to connect with mainstream audiences, leading them to spend millions of dollars on cheesy ads. A good example of that is T-Mobile's Super Bowl LI spot featuring Justin Bieber, in which he promotes the carrier's unlimited plans by showing off his "#UnlimitedMoves." Yup, we know.
Lady Gaga's Super Bowl show will tout 'hundreds' of drones
It's easy to be cynical about the Super Bowl's halftime show: unless you're a fan of the artists, it's often an excuse for a bathroom break... or at least, to gawk at the ridiculousness of the American cultural zeitgeist. Lady Gaga might give even the jaded a reason to tune in this year, though. CNN sources hear that the "Bad Romance" singer (who's rather fond of tech) is planning a show using "hundreds" of lit-up drones, marking the first time that robotic fliers have graced the Big Game. Gaga and crew aren't spoiling the show, but people in the Houston area have witnessed drones swarming over the football stadium like a horde of glitzy UFOs.
NFL is first to stream live sports on a key Chinese social network
If you enjoy Twitter's live NFL games, you might just feel jealous very shortly. The NFL has struck a deal that will make it the first sports league to livestream on Sina Weibo, one of China's largest social networks. The service has already streamed six regular games so far, but the pact will also have it provide the last Sunday Night Football game, a trio of playoff games and even the Super Bowl. Yes, you read that correctly -- in one way, Chinese fans will have easier access to the biggest football game of the year than their American counterparts.
NFL loosens its policies on teams posting GIFs and videos
The NFL's current rules social media posts have been rather draconian, even after a recent rethink. Football teams couldn't post any video during the game window until the NFL made a sanctioned clip available on its servers, and they couldn't create any GIFs during game time. They couldn't post more than 8 clips on game day, either. However, the league appears to be changing its mind. Yahoo Finance has obtained a memo revealing that the NFL has once again loosened its policies. Teams can now post non-highlight GIFs and videos (that is, no on-the-field action) on their own, right up to a newly expanded 16-video cap. If they want to celebrate fans or the halftime show, they don't have to wait for the NFL to act first.
