For the first time ever, the NFL Combine will be broadcast live on a traditional television network when ABC provides two hours of live quarterback and wide receiver workouts on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 1 p.m. ET.
Coverage of the NFL Combine will again be streamed through NFL digital properties in 2019. The NFL Network will stream every on-field drill of the four-day event from Friday, Mar. 1 through Monday, Mar. 4.
NFL Network’s coverage can be accessed via the NFL mobile app or NFL.com, and everywhere else the NFL Network is streamed. NFL digital platforms will also stream one-hour Combine Today shows that recap each day’s action from Indianapolis.
Additional NFL Digital coverage of the Combine will include on-location episodes of shows such as Move the Sticks, Around the NFL, NFL Fantasy Live, and the Rapsheet and Friends podcasts hosted by NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.
The NFL Network TV channel will begin its Combine coverage with live coverage press conferences on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 according to a press release from the NFL.
SportTechie Takeaway
While many sports events are either moving from traditional linear broadcasts to digital, or at least adding digital options, the NFL Combine’s deal with ABC pushes it in the opposite direction. This perhaps highlights the fact that while streaming will continue to grow, the biggest events are likely to seek to still feature on TV.