jets ( and giants ) are moving to the really small screen ;) ... ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

The Giants and Jets are moving to the really small screen.

 

Verizon Wireless yesterday announced a four-year deal with the NationalFootball League that gives it exclusive rights to stream in-marketSunday-afternoon football games on mobile phones.The deal, which SportsBusiness Journal reported is worth $1 billion, starts in 2014.“It’s the next evolution of our relationship with Verizon,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Post.The deal expands Verizon’s current deal, reportedly for $180 million a year, to stream Thursday, Sunday and Monday night games, and NFL RedZone.

An executive at another professional sports league said he thought the added $70 million annual payments were too low to be a game changer. Goodell said the newly structured Verizon deal is “an extension of the Sunday ticket package.”

DirectTV presently pays $1 billion a year for Sunday Ticket, giving it the exclusive rights through 2014 to air every out-of-market NFL game, but not on smartphones.

 

In recent weeks, DirecTV has been speaking about extending its contract in a nonexclusive deal. Goodell admitted “there could be” changes to Sunday Ticket but declined to elaborate. Verizon is also reportedly agreeing to build a Distributed Antenna System at each NFL stadium.Fans will only be able to get Verizon service.The cost: about $5 million per stadium, the sports exec said. Carriers are now paying to add cellular service at other stadiums but generally are combining on the costs and providing universal service.Verizon declined to comment beyond the NFL’s press release.

 

> http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/verizon_nfl_sunday_mobile_deal_ivySgzvfijcgWjBrm3eY4M?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business