The 17-game Sunday Night Football schedule will be available to fans on NBC as well as streamed live on NFL.com and NBCSports.com, the NFL and NBC announced today. The new Sunday Night Football Extra marks the first time complete NFL games will be widely available in the U.S. via live online streaming.
The live NFL.com and NBCSports.com coverage will come from NBC's TV coverage of Sunday Night Football. Complementing that stream will be a number of extra features to enrich the viewing experience including additional camera angles, in-game highlights, picture-in-picture technology, live statistics and other interactive elements. Sunday Night Football Extra will also include in-game studio updates from the NBC Football Night in America team and NFL Network talent.
Sunday Night Football Extra will debut with NFL Kickoff 2008 on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 PM ET (Washington Redskins at New York Giants). NFL.com and NBCSports.com will feature the audio from NBC's Sunday Night Football team: Al Michaels (play-by-play), John Madden (analyst) and Andrea Kremer (sideline reporter).
"This is an exciting step forward for us as we offer our fans a new way to watch NFL games," said Steve Bornstein, NFL Executive Vice President of Media. "We are combining NBC's outstanding Sunday Night Football telecast with extras that will enhance the fan enjoyment of the game."
"In the first two seasons of NBC Sunday Night Football we created a new destination to reach viewers and changed traditional primetime football viewing habits," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. "Now, together with the NFL, we are adding the live streaming element where users can interact with the broadcast to enhance their experience."
Sunday Night Football Extra is a one-year experiment which will help the NFL gain insight into fan viewing habits.
Following is a look at the highlights of Sunday Night Football Extra on NFL.com and NBCSports.com:
Alternative Camera Angles - Fans can choose from multiple extra camera angles, including cable cam and "star cam" (camera following a star player).
Picture-In-Picture Technology - Fans can watch multiple video streams at the same time.
In-Game Highlights - If they missed anything earlier in the game, fans can access highlights on-demand.
Live Stats - Up-to-the minute game data along with player and team statistics.
Live Interactivity - Fans can interact with NBC's Football Night in America cast and NFL Network talent via a live blog.
