Special to NYSportsJournalism.com
June 3, 2015: The NFL is adding another platform to its plethora of choices available to fans, consumers and marketers anxious to connect with the league, signing what industry analysts said is a $20 million deal with Yahoo! Inc. to become its exclusive partner to deliver to a global audience the first live stream of an NFL game.
The alliance will see the NFL’s International Series game in London between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 25 air for free across such Yahoo properties as Yahoo, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Screen and Tumblr.
The only places the game will also be televised is in both the Buffalo and Jacksonville markets (9:30 AM ET).
The NFL said it would leverage Yahoo’s "global audience, digital advertising capabilities and delivery platforms, which span desktop, mobile, tablet, connected TVs, and set-top boxes, to ensure that the Bills-Jaguars game is accessible on every screen globally."
“The NFL has always been committed to being at the forefront of media innovation," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Through this partnership with Yahoo — one of the world’s most recognizable digital brands—we are taking another important step in that direction as we continue to closely monitor the rapidly evolving digital media landscape."
The NFL expects to air more games exclusively via digital properties in the future.
Yahoo! is overseeing the sale of ads on its properties as part of its deal with the NFL. Potential marketers are expected to come from within the NFL official sponsor roster as well as companies from beyond that core.
According to Marissa Mayer, president and CEO for Yahoo, “We're thrilled that the NFL has chosen Yahoo for this historic opportunity. It marks a significant change in the way users can access this amazing content."
Mayer said that the NFL and Yahoo have both" long engaged football fans around the world. Our partnership provides the ultimate football experience — with digital availability, designed for the modern fan.”
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