I decided to do a post about streaming video for today’s post. Specifically, the streaming of live video feeds is of particular interest to me, and with the Super Bowl being streamed for the first time ever tonight, I thought it would be a good topic to search up on.
It took a lot to get the licensing of the Super Bowl on mobile devices, as well as a lot of technical work. One thing to note is that the event is only available through Verizon customers with NFL mobile, and also only for specific versions of the Android platform. It is also recommend to do the stream through a wireless connection for best viewing results. This makes sense, as many people are most likely trying to view the event, causing lots of strain on anyone attempting to view through 3G or 4GLTE. There are also a number of unofficial streams out there for those that can’t view the official sources, but the NFL has been cracking down on these mediums.
However, it is expected that most NFL games will be kept off the internet for the foreseeable future. There is still a lot of money in network television, and also a lot less revenue in airing online ads. NBC is banking on most online viewers already watching the game on TV, and only tuning in online to receive bonus material. Don’t expect the quality of sports related video streams such as this to get better anytime soon either, as network television has plenty of money tied up in keeping the games on TV only.
So while this year’s Super Bowl being streamed online may be more of an experiment than the new norm, I think it presents an interesting view of what the future may potentially hold. Networks will have to figure out how to make online streaming more cost effective for them before they give up TV broadcasts, so expect to see more and more subscription fees before it becomes a format that users can tune in to for free as they can with TV.
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