Excited about the NFL streaming live football games on the iPhone? I was, too, until I heard the “but.” Announced today, the NFL has partnered with DirecTV to stream live games via an iPhone app during the 2009 season. Great news if you’re a DirecTV subscribers willing to pay $280 on an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription and a $100 Sunday Ticket SuperFan subscription and be in the right zip code come game time. Oh, and you have to own an iPhone too (duh). For the 0.000000000000000000036% of the population that meets all of those requirements, do a little victory dance. For everyone else, the NFL wants you to take a hike.
As a die hard football (49ers) fan, I am consistently disappointed by the NFL’s inability to do anything right, technologically-speaking. The incredible NFL Mobile Live product, which allowed you to receive real-time updates and video on your phone, was way ahead of its time when it first came out. But, instead of opening the service up to everyone, the NFL decided it would be a brilliant idea to ignore the vast majority of potential users and give Sprint customers exclusive rights to the content. NFL’s fetish with exclusivity continues here, as what could have been a top-selling $10 app becomes just another one of the junk apps the App Store is famous for.
[Silicon Alley Insider; photo: flickr/markjrebilas]
I’m pleased that NFL is screwing themselves on this — ATT’s network is already incredibly slow as it is.
The DirecTV tie in makes no sense. The NFL is missing a large market with this. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would love to pay $100 a season for the ability to stream any NFL game to their iPhone. Especially if they can follow any team as they travel across the country.
Eh,,,not well-handled is putting it mildly.
Another disgrace! Look if you give the people what they want they will PAY you for it… if history has taught business owners anything, it is this.
I woul;d pay $50 a milisecond for every NFL game on radio on my iphone and probably another $50 for the video.
Get with it!!!
I would love to be able to watch the Colts, Titans or Giants on my I phone. Most people in the world can’t afford to pay the high cost to do it. It is bad enough that Direct TV charges you an arm and leg for TV and then there is nothing worth a crap on. Then AT&T charges you the other arm and leg to have phone coverage, plus web service. Make it affordable so the average Joe can enjoy something in life. If direct would let you pick at least 3 teams you could watch on certain channels for a reasonable price I’m sure people would buy it.