The Super Bowl could be making history this year. Those without access to a TV may still be able to watch Super Bowl XLVI. For the first time ever, in addition to airing on TV, the big game, which is set to take place early February in Indianapolis, will be streamed live onlone.
NY Times’ The Fifth Down blog posted the news, stating that NBC has announced that they have plans to stream Super Bowl XLVI live on Sunday, February 5th. The big game will be available streaming online at NBCSports.com and NFL.com, along with through Verizon’s N.F.L. Mobile.
NBC already has experience with this situation. As The Fifth Down points out, the network has been offering Sunday Night Football games streaming online for the past few years. But this is still a fairly big step up, considering how hugely popular the Super Bowl is, with even the most casual football fans and their friends and families tuning in. It’s also a logical step forward given the way people watch TV these days, and one that may become an expected tradition in the coming years, regardless of which network carries the game.
There may also be a lot of potential for advertisers to get creative with this venture. The Super Bowl is a big day for advertisers and is often the event where some of the best TV ads make their debut. Fifth Down mentions the additional content offered through NBC’s Sunday Night Football live streams, which give sports fans the option for extra camera angles, sideline updates and social networking features. Similar tactics could be used by advertisers to create a more engaging experience for online viewers, perhaps allowing them to share ads immediately after they debut. There’s definite potential for even more creativity, anyway.
