• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Apple, Google, and Amazon competing to stream NFL games

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

RBH

Member
CadISB0XIAAWX0V.png:large


The National Football League is shopping digital rights for “Thursday Night Football” games — and tech giants Apple, Amazon.com, Google and Verizon’s Go90 are each expected to try to get in on the action, according to industry sources.

On Monday, the NFL announced two-year TV broadcast deals with CBS and NBC to divvy up the Thursday Night Football games, with each network securing rights to five games. CBS for the last two seasons had rights to eight “Thursday Night Football” games.

In announcing the TV deals, the league said it is “in active discussions with prospective digital partners” for global over-the-top streaming rights to the same games.

The NFL didn’t say what companies those were, but multiple sources say Apple, Amazon, Google and Verizon Communications are among the players expected to put in bids for the marquee property. The “Thursday Night Football” digital rights could be sold to more than one distributor, and the league is considering a variety of scenarios, including potentially mixing in games played overseas, according to one source familiar with the talks.

Reps for the NFL, Apple and Verizon declined to comment. Amazon and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Last October, Yahoo became the first digital outlet to exclusively stream an NFL game worldwide. The companies said 15.2 million unique viewers logged in for at least part of the Oct. 25 live stream of the Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars game played in London, and both parties claimed they were pleased with the results.

Given Yahoo’s current turmoil — it is laying off 15% of its workforce and is exploring the possibility of selling all or part of the company — the Internet company may not be in a position to land the “Thursday Night Football” package.

For streaming distributors, the value of the “Thursday Night Football” games would seem somewhat diluted in the U.S., given that the games will already be available to American television viewers on CBS and NBC (and all 10 games also will be simulcast on NFL Network). Plus, those networks all have rights to stream the games to U.S. pay-TV subscribers on an authenticated basis.

Still, the opportunity to live-stream primetime NFL games is a potentially huge draw for an Internet company looking to attract viewers and build digital-entertainment cred. Pro football games could buttress video services from each of the four players said to be throwing their hats onto the gridiron.

Apple has been in the process of assembling an OTT service stocked with TV programming; the company is going after the NFL rights even though it hasn’t entirely determined how it would present the games, sources said.

Verizon, which has an existing exclusive pact with the NFL to live-stream games for smartphone subscribers, is looking at securing “Thursday Night Football” games for Go90, its free, ad-supported mobile video service, according to a source.

Meanwhile Google recently launched YouTube Red, a $10-per-month service with no ads, unlimited music and a forthcoming batch of original films and TV shows. Amazon has the $99-per-year Prime program, which includes unlimited video streaming of licensed programming and original series and films from Amazon Studios.

Netflix, the world’s biggest subscription-streaming service, is not likely to bid for the NFL games package. Execs have routinely ruled out the addition of live programming to the service, and sports in particular; that said, Netflix in years past disavowed any plans to develop original programming.

A looming question at this point is how much big companies like Apple, Amazon, Google and Verizon — which each have billions in cash on their balance sheets — are willing to shell out for the privilege of getting on the NFL’s roster.
Click to expand...
http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/nfl-streaming-apple-amazon-google-1201697175/
 
L

Lil'DigiOp

Member
Or the NFL could start their own direct streaming service and hoard the money and make it easier for everyone.

But no, lets whore out our property and divide the market.

Business sucks ass so much man.
 
C

CrocMother

Banned
girlfriendofagamer said:
Or the NFL could start their own direct streaming service and hoard the money and make it easier for everyone.

But no, lets whore out our property and divide the market.

Business sucks ass so much man.
Click to expand...

NFL doesn't have personnel to oversee a streaming service. They could start one, but it makes sense to just outsource it to more experienced partners.
 
T

The Beard

Member
Would be cool if they could offer up higher quality streams than what the networks broadcast, but that's unlikely.

Will we ever be able to watch sports in 1080p@ 60hz? It would be amazing. I'm sick of watching Fox's fucking awful 720p broadcast.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Anyone but Apple, but to fuck over viewers they will most likely choose Apple out of the three.
 
A

AngmarsKing701

Member
The NFL needs to outsource digital streaming of all games to someone. Not just MNF or TNF.

Edit - I realize that's basically what Sunday Ticket is now via DTV (which I have).
 
G

Griss

Member
I don't get it, as a Euro I was able to stream live games direct from the NFL's own website and it was an awesome (but expensive) experience. Why don't they just handle it themselves if they've shown the ability to do so?

EDIT: Also, TNF? Garbage product.
 
E

EatinOlives

Member
Google, please.

Hell I'd even take Amazon. Anyone but Apple. They'll tie it to a shitty service or force you to buy an Apple TV or some shit.
 
F

fritolay

Member
girlfriendofagamer said:
Or the NFL could start their own direct streaming service and hoard the money and make it easier for everyone.

But no, lets whore out our property and divide the market.

Business sucks ass so much man.
Click to expand...

You'd rather yet another streaming service. If everyone did this, then we'd have streaming accounts for everything.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
Anyone but Verizon please.


In the end I won't care because Thursday games are always terrible teams. Not going to get worked up over missing the Browns play the Jaguars.
 
R

RBH

Member
Griss said:
I don't get it, as a Euro I was able to stream live games direct from the NFL's own website and it was an awesome (but expensive) experience. Why don't they just handle it themselves if they've shown the ability to do so?

EDIT: Also, TNF? Garbage product.
Click to expand...

Because they're able to make money off of it by creating a bidding war for it AND the number of people streaming from Europe is probably going to be dwarfed by the number of people who will stream in the U.S. alone, thus necessitating a network that can handle that increased load.

And it makes sense that they start with TNF. Lowest-rated game (out of the national games), so gives them more leeway to work out the technical kinks, then they'll probably work themselves up from there in the future.
 
M

Mr. Wonderful

Member
Thursday night exclusive to Apple. Monday night Google. Sunday DirectTV. College Football? Well that'll require a Comcast subscription.
 
M

Madness

Member
I'd rather Amazon get it over Google or Apple. Then again, the amount of money the NFL makes, you'd think they could handle this themselves. Probably the worst league when it comes to partnerships and deals and licenses and blackouts/media capabilities.
 
F

Future

Member
Little known fact: NFL approached EA for the licensing deal for games. No doubt NFL is looking for an exclusive streaming partner for $$$$$$$$
 
L

LostMyNarbles

Member
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
 
D

Drakeon

Member
Tainted Giraffe said:
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
Click to expand...

Prime app is definitely on PS4/Xbox One, so that argument isn't too great. And it's because Apple did with HBO Now.
 
F

Future

Member
Tainted Giraffe said:
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
Click to expand...

Because "usually" Amazon and google services are multi platform. Apple is almost exclusively Apple only platform, with the exception of things like iTunes on PC.

But yeah, occasionally Amazon has been toying with exclusivity recently
 
L

LostMyNarbles

Member
Drakeon said:
Prime app is definitely on PS4/Xbox One, so that argument isn't too great. And it's because Apple did with HBO Now.
Click to expand...
But that doesn't change the fact it isn't on competing streaming device platforms. Amazon's Fire TV doesn't compete with Xbox/Playstation so obviously they'll release an app for those platforms, but they've yet to do so for Apple/Android TV devices.
 
R

RBH

Member
Tainted Giraffe said:
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
Click to expand...

...but it's not exclusive to Fire TV?

It's found on Roku/Xbox One/PS4, among others.
 
T

The Beard

Member
Tainted Giraffe said:
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
Click to expand...

I have Amazon Prime on 2 different brand Smart TV's, my PS4, and my iPhone. Not quite the same. Apple is much more exclusive.
 
D

Drakeon

Member
Tainted Giraffe said:
But that doesn't change the fact it isn't on competing streaming device platforms. Amazon's Fire TV doesn't compete with Xbox/Playstation so obviously they'll release an app for those platforms, but they've yet to do so for Apple/Android TV devices.
Click to expand...

There's a very large difference between not being on Chromecast/Android/Apple TV and being exclusive solely to one platform.
 
Mr Nash

Mr Nash

square pies = communism
I eagerly await the unexpected twist where the NFL somehow decides to award the Super Bowl stream to Crunchyroll.
 
T

The Albatross

Member
Basically hope anybody but apple.. Apple is the only company on that short list who would make NFL games exclusive to their shitty network. And I feel this way as someone deep in the apple ecosystem.
Tainted Giraffe said:
Why do people hate that Apple will tie it to an exclusive platform/service but not Amazon? Amazon's held off for quite some time now on releasing a Prime video app for Android TV/Apple TV and instead keep the service exclusive to Fire TV to sell more boxes.
Click to expand...
Because Amazon is device agnostic, while apple theocratically only provides content for apple devices.

I've enjoyed Amazon streaming for several years now and never owned an amazon branded device. I stream amazon content on my Apple desktop, my google chrome book and chrome cast, my Android tablet, my Apple iPhone. My Microsoft xbox and pc, my roku box, and Sony ps4. You can't get more multiplatform than Amazon.
 
H

hodayathink

Member
CrocMother said:
NFL doesn't have personnel to oversee a streaming service. They could start one, but it makes sense to just outsource it to more experienced partners.
Click to expand...

MLB Advanced Media (the people running MLB.tv) was so successful that it actually became it's own company (that now handles streaming for the NHL, the PGA, and WWE). It's possible, and would be super-lucrative if they pulled it off.
 
T

Timbuktu

Member
hodayathink said:
MLB Advanced Media (the people running MLB.tv) was so successful that it actually became it's own company (that now handles streaming for the NHL, the PGA, and WWE). It's possible, and would be super-lucrative if they pulled it off.
Click to expand...

Exactly, MLB.tv is pretty great, especially when i'm outside the US and have no blackout whatsoever.

I can't imagine these companies start jumping in to compete for the English Premier League as well, the money there is already absurd.
 
B

BigDug13

Member
What a misleading thread title. Thought this would be about others being able to try to get their own Sunday Ticket.

I don't have any problems seeing the game I want to see during periods when only one game is being shown.
 
R

RandomExpletive

Member
hodayathink said:
MLB Advanced Media (the people running MLB.tv) was so successful that it actually became it's own company (that now handles streaming for the NHL, the PGA, and WWE). It's possible, and would be super-lucrative if they pulled it off.
Click to expand...

I was gonna say... why wouldn't the NFL just partner with the MLB.tv guys?
 
R

RBH

Member
BigDug13 said:
What a misleading thread title. Thought this would be about others being able to try to get their own Sunday Ticket.

I don't have any problems seeing the game I want to see during periods when only one game is being shown.
Click to expand...

How is the thread title misleading? It's your own fault for making that grandiose assumption in the first place.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Cord Cutting & Live TV: What's the best service?
23
3K
RavageX replied
Chick-Fil-A to launch its own streaming service
44
2K
SlimySnake replied
Disney And Warner Bros. Discovery To Join Forces For New Streaming Bundle
15
1K
ahtlas7 replied
Bloomberg -- Microsoft to Launch Mobile Game Store, Vying With Apple, Google
News 2 3 4
196
13K
ChorizoPicozo replied
Apple opens App Store to game streaming services
News Business
1
1K
diffusionx replied
Top Bottom