NFL gets into streaming wars with new service

The NFL is an organization that virtually owns a day of the week, has a strong presence in American culture, and, now, the group is looking to continue this ubiquity with a new streaming service offering the kind of content their fans are always craving.

An article published in Deadline Hollywood today reveals the sporting agency’s NFL Plus is now available for the public to subscribe to. Verizon previously controlled live mobile rights to games, and plans for the service run $5 a month at the basic level while premium is $10 monthly. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the platform’s launch is a notable day for the league, and reaching them even when they are away from the television is important for the livelihood of the overall institution.

“The passionate and dedicated football fans are the lifeblood of the NFL, and being able to reach and interact with them across multiple platforms is incredibly important to us. We look forward to continuing to grow NFL+ and deepening our relationship with fans across all ages and demographics, providing them access to a tremendous amount of NFL content, including the most valuable content in the media industry: live NFL games.”

Those with the regular service will get to see local and primetime games live on mobile devices and tablets, as well as live out-of-market preseason games and live game audio and library programming. The premium tier includes all of this, as well as ad-free game replays in full and condensed form, coaches’ film, and an angle that allows for every player on the field to be shown.

The launch of NFL Plus will mean the end of NFL Game Pass, which previously offered replays of games on a subscription basis in the U.S. As well, though this is a new venture, the NFL does not centralize all of its content in one place. Since 1994 DirecTV has offered NFL Sunday Ticket to those wanting the full slate of weekly games, but the Deadline Hollywood report adds this deal is set to expire soon, and in the wake of its conclusion Amazon and Apple are making plays behind the scenes to be new providers.