Amazon is going deep in its relationship with the National Football League, signing on for a new 11-year deal that will make Prime Video the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football.” The move was announced Thursday as part of the NFL’s long-term broadcast agreements, running from the 2023 to 2033 seasons. The new deal, alongside agreements with Fox, NBC, CBS and ESPN, is the NFL’s first all-digital pact with a media partner and reports put a hefty price tag on Amazon’s commitment. Sportico reported that Amazon effectively doubled the $660 million Fox was paying for “TNF” and will pay $1.3… Read More
It’s been a couple weeks since the demise of Seattle-based Vicis, the high-tech football helmet maker that laid off all of its employees and was placed into receivership by its board just before Christmas. But the once highly regarded startup is still in the game — at least when it comes to being featured in NFL commercials that are airing during current playoff games. The Vicis ZERO1 helmet, the company’s signature product, shows up right at the start of an ad titled “Building a Better Game,” below, in which the NFL touts its commitment to helping engineers and innovators come… Read More
News Brief: When it comes to the U.S. military, football trumps the government shutdown, even without Boeing’s help. The American Forces Network essentially went off the air once this weekend’s shutdown took effect, which suggested that it wouldn’t be airing NFL football playoffs for overseas military families. That sparked an outcry, and an offer from Boeing to “do whatever needed” to get the games on the air. In the end, the Department of Defense gave the go-ahead to revive two channels, AFN News and AFN Sports, and broadcast today’s conference championships. Boeing, meanwhile, got a nice tweet-out from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee… Read More
Brands attempting to make a lasting impression with a Super Bowl ad are turning to some of the tried and true elements of year’s past — employing big stars, lots of action, some tugging of the heart strings, a bit of comedy, and more. Whether any of it is working in the days leading up to Sunday’s game is the question for the folks at iSpot.tv, the Bellevue, Wash.-based company that watches how you watch television by tracking ads in real time and measuring digital responses. Here are some of the latest numbers from iSpot.tv: Total online views are approaching 200 million; down… Read More
Ex-Microsoft CEO and current Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is nothing short of a fun interview, as he’s proven everywhere from late-night television to the stage at the GeekWire Sports Tech Summit. On Tuesday, the charismatic NBA boss stopped by Conan O’Brien’s show to talk about everything from Bill Gates to slam dunks to hot dog guns and more. Much of it was delivered with the volume and energy we’ve come to know and love. Does this add up? “I hope this stirs up animosity between the two of you,” O’Brien said as he asked Ballmer about beating his… Read More