Yahoo has gotten into the TV game with original programming like Other Space and Community and now, after plunking down a cool $20 million, the internet portal will now be the first website to globally livestream an NFL game.
Nobody said it had to be a good one.
The NFL will live-stream a Bills vs. Jaguars game this season. Hopefully Jacksonville gets Internet access by then.
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) June 3, 2015
Yahoo will stream the Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game held Oct. 25 in London for free online at 9:30 a.m. EST. Last year the London game was shown on network TV as bonus coverage. CBS will actually run the broadcast and show the game in local Buffalo and Jacksonville markets.
“We’re thrilled that the NFL has chosen Yahoo for this historic opportunity,” Yahoo president Marissa Mayer said. “It marks a significant change in the way users can access this amazing content. 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.”
Yahoo's webcast of NFL's Bills-Jaguars game is already seen as a touchdown for Marissa Mayer http://t.co/p5qC7zFkMP pic.twitter.com/QD4subCXsC
— NYT Business (@nytimesbusiness) June 4, 2015
The NFL actually made the call to stream the game on the internet back in March and opened up bidding. Yahoo beat out Google and a host of other companies for the right to run the livestream and sell adds on the broadcast. The NFL has been promoting its brand worldwide, which is one of the reasons there’s an annual game in London anyway. Globally streaming a game is the next logical step in that process.
“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.”
Currently the only way to legally stream an NFL game is through a cable or satellite TV provider or using NFL Sunday Ticket on XBox. The Bills-Jags game will not be broadcast on Sunday Ticket this year.
The Bills and Jaguars both missed the playoffs last season and neither team has made it to the postseason in a long time. These should both be improved teams in 2015 and this game should be an important one for Buffalo to make a push towards the postseason.
