Yahoo! will deliver the first-ever free live-streamed NFL game, after securing an exclusive deal with the organisation to bring the International Series showdown in London between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 25 to Yahoo! properties platforms.
The partnership was announced earlier today (3 June) by the NFL in a statement that revealed it plans to leverage Yahoo!’s global audience, digital advertising capabilities and delivery platforms to ensure that the Bills-Jaguars game is freely accessible all over the world.
“The NFL has always been committed to being at the forefront of media innovation,” said Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League. “Through this partnership with Yahoo! – one of the world’s most recognisable digital brands – we are taking another important step in that direction as we continue to closely monitor the rapidly-evolving digital media landscape.”
According to Re/Code, sources familiar with the NFL’s negotiations said Yahoo! has paid a minimum $20m to stream the game in return for exclusive advertising rights. It marks quite a coup for the company, particularly as just last January saw the NFL and Google strike a major deal that will lead to video highlights of games being posted to YouTube and appearing in Google search results.
NFL image via Shutterstock
