What do football fans and cell phones have in common? Lots, if you happen to be a Sprint (S) customer.
Starting this fall, Sprint subscribers can use their cell phones to gain access to a range of exclusive content from the National Football League.
Offerings will run the gamut, from instant game highlights to customized statistics, live video feeds and archival material from the NFL's video library.
Terms weren't disclosed. But two people familiar with the deal, one from each side, say Sprint will pay the league $600 million over five years. Most of that will be paid out in the form of advertising on NFL properties - games as well as the NFL's branded Web site.
Sprint, which just acquired Nextel, already has an exclusive arrangement with NASCAR. And NASCAR, which claims 75 million fans, is second only to football, with more than 165 million fans.
"The top four sports in the country are football, NASCAR, baseball and basketball, and half of those are now exclusively available with Sprint," says Roger Entner, a wireless analyst for Ovum.
Some of the services that are in store:
• Exclusive game highlights and live updates.
• Live video feeds, including games, press conferences and daily features from NFL Network's Total Access.
• Video on demand, including access to the NFL's archives.
• Fantasy Football, including instant statistics for fantasy fans.
• Ring tones, screensavers, wallpaper. Want the team song of say, the Redskins, to play when your phone rings? No problem.
• Wireless polling, sweepstakes and contests.
To access the service, customers must subscribe to Sprint's basic cell phone service; packages start at $35 a month. They also must buy Sprint's data service, called Vision, which costs $10 to $20 a month.
To get the whole range of NFL offerings, subscribers would have to take the $20 package, which allows video downloads and pictures.
Tom Murphy, Sprint's vice president of sponsorship, says the new product is clearly aimed at those who are ready for some football - constantly. That would include fans such as Murphy, a self-described football nut. "My wife thinks I'm insane," he says, describing a few of his favorite football moments. "But I love it."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20050816/bs_usatoday/sprintcellphonestoringwithnflcontent;_ylt=ArjUGiHQcQbxpL3DvJs.FT8jtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
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Starting this fall, Sprint subscribers can use their cell phones to gain access to a range of exclusive content from the National Football League.
Offerings will run the gamut, from instant game highlights to customized statistics, live video feeds and archival material from the NFL's video library.
Terms weren't disclosed. But two people familiar with the deal, one from each side, say Sprint will pay the league $600 million over five years. Most of that will be paid out in the form of advertising on NFL properties - games as well as the NFL's branded Web site.
Sprint, which just acquired Nextel, already has an exclusive arrangement with NASCAR. And NASCAR, which claims 75 million fans, is second only to football, with more than 165 million fans.
"The top four sports in the country are football, NASCAR, baseball and basketball, and half of those are now exclusively available with Sprint," says Roger Entner, a wireless analyst for Ovum.
Some of the services that are in store:
• Exclusive game highlights and live updates.
• Live video feeds, including games, press conferences and daily features from NFL Network's Total Access.
• Video on demand, including access to the NFL's archives.
• Fantasy Football, including instant statistics for fantasy fans.
• Ring tones, screensavers, wallpaper. Want the team song of say, the Redskins, to play when your phone rings? No problem.
• Wireless polling, sweepstakes and contests.
To access the service, customers must subscribe to Sprint's basic cell phone service; packages start at $35 a month. They also must buy Sprint's data service, called Vision, which costs $10 to $20 a month.
To get the whole range of NFL offerings, subscribers would have to take the $20 package, which allows video downloads and pictures.
Tom Murphy, Sprint's vice president of sponsorship, says the new product is clearly aimed at those who are ready for some football - constantly. That would include fans such as Murphy, a self-described football nut. "My wife thinks I'm insane," he says, describing a few of his favorite football moments. "But I love it."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20050816/bs_usatoday/sprintcellphonestoringwithnflcontent;_ylt=ArjUGiHQcQbxpL3DvJs.FT8jtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
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