Microsoft and the NFL are expanding their alliance to bring more technology to one of the world’s most popular professional sports leagues.
NFL players and coaches will continue using Microsoft Surface tablets on the sidelines during games as part of the new multi-year expansion deal announced Tuesday. It’s a key partnership win for Microsoft, which has already deployed more than 2,000 Surface devices across the league. Players in others pro sports leagues such as MLB use Apple iPads during games.
Terms of the new deal were not disclosed. The alliance dates back to 2013, when Microsoft inked a reported $400 million, 5-year deal with the NFL.
The custom-built Surface devices and their signature blue cases have become famous for the odd interactions players and coaches have with them. But they are also now a mainstay on the sidelines, a key strategic tool that replaces paper printouts previously used to review past plays.
The expansion of the partnership includes Microsoft’s Teams collaboration tool. The Miami Dolphins used Teams to organize Super Bowl planning this year; the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs deploy it to coordinate between accounting teams and scouts on the road; and the New York Jets use the tool across the front office, including the NFL Draft process.
“In Teams, we can easily collaborate on files, manage shared calendars, host meetings, and utilize existing integrations,” Kim Rometo, the chief information officer for the Miami Dolphins said in a statement. “Teams made cooperation with the NFL possible throughout the regular season and with Super Bowl planning.”
Adding Teams to the NFL alliance could give a major boost to the collaboration tool as Microsoft battles Slack and others. Microsoft said last year that Teams has more than 20 million daily users.
Microsoft also has 170 Windows servers across 35 stadiums around the world that help more than 333 games per season go off without a hitch.
Microsoft’s Surface division reported an all-time high in revenue in the most recent quarter. However, the $1.98 billion in revenue actually fell short of internal expectations, following a big product reveal event a few months prior.
The NFL has embraced multiple technology providers to up its level of innovation in the game. Microsoft’s rival Amazon has a streaming deal for Thursday Night Football games. Amazon’s cloud unit powers the NFL’s Next Gen Stats program and has a separate deal with the Seattle Seahawks.