NFL Discussions Highlight SBJ Media & Tech Conference Reps from the league and Amazon Video report on their partnership By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Monday, November 13, 2017 - 11:59 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The NFL was front and center at Sports Business Journal's Sports Media & Technology Conference last week. Jim DeLorenzo, head of sports, Amazon Video, and Vishal Shah, SVP, digital media business development, NFL, explained Amazon's Thursday Night Football streaming efforts, and Mary Ann Turcke, president, NFL Digital Media and NFL Network, discussed her first eight months on the job and the future of NFL Digital Media and the NFL Network.
It has been a resounding positive experience across all devices that is delivered in HD and is also seamless to users, Shah said. The international market is a strategic priority for the league as we want to be a global entertainment property. So Amazon Prime helps drive engagement and teach us about fans in the global market.
Jim DeLorenzo of Amazon said the company will evaluate its next step regarding any future NFL deals after the season is complete.
DeLorenzo said that, on average, viewers are watching 50 minutes of each game.
It's not just fly-by viewers; they are actually engaged with it, he said. That goes to the expertise of our technical and product teams and a lack of latency as in some cases we are ahead of the cable platforms. Negative latency is something people were not expecting.
Amazon is only a few games into its NFL streaming package, and DeLorenzo considers it far too early to say what the next step will be or even if there is a next step.
We want to see how things continue to perform and then work backwards to find out that next step, he said. Whether the content is sports or not. we always start with the customer and work backwards from there.
The NFL deal made sense, he added because the content is in high demand in the U.S. and globally.
Mary Anne Turcke of the NFL said that the NFL Network has seen ratings gains in crucial dayparts.
Turcke has been in her new post for only eight months, and, at the NFL Network, the recent returns on ratings have been positive. Key dayparts are seeing gains of 20% over last year as shows like Good Morning Football shift focus.
We have seen great growth in the younger demo as a show like Good Morning Football combines pop culture with sports, she said. Some avid fans give us a hard time but it is easy viewing and that helps.
When asked about a technology that exited her Turcke left aside the usual suspects like VR or HDR and instead focused on what Shah hinted at: understanding NFL fans. Amazon understands customer data and how to make sense of it.
What wins the day is capabilities, not technology, said Turcke. Right now, we have a one or two-dimensional view of our fan base.
Turcke believes NFL content will continue to be seen on more global platforms. Also, things like curated news feeds will be important to keeping fans engaged and monetizing those fans.
You want to be where the younger people are, but you need to put a governor on going all the way [to where they are today], said Turcke. One day, they will have a mortgage and kids and will realize that TV is a cheap form of entertainment.
For example, there are occasional reports of concerns that the Red Zone channel is taking viewership away from the regular regional and national NFL game broadcasts.
If you can get a millennial viewer into the NFL by having them watch the Red Zone channel at some point, she said, you can attract them to watch full games.
The subject of the next round of NFL rights came up and the constant debate is whether the likes of Amazon, Google, or Facebook would want to take a stab at snagging one of the current major NFL TV deals. One advantage the traditional TV networks currently hold? Production experience.
The production element is not a minor one, said Shah. The ability to be able to produce games every single week in a differentiator for our TV partners. So, when thinking about digital distribution how do you build out that capability as well?
Social media is also an important part of the NFL's plan for growth, and Turcke said that there is an opportunity to use it to make players into superstars and to create a funnel of superstars so that fans are constantly engaged.
There are cool ways to integrate different kinds of content, like snapchat and short stories, she explained. During this time, it is really about test, iterate, fail fast, then try again. But at the root [of our efforts] are a couple hundred players and helping them curate their social media experience. Provide them with a safe environment that, unless they do something stupid, has upside for their brand and exposure.
Turcke says the key to the future will be having a ubiquitous presence for fans: People are going to be annoyed if you are not everywhere. The quilted patterns of where to find content aren't tolerable anymore.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
NFL Discussions Highlight SBJ Media & Tech Conference Reps from the league and Amazon Video report on their partnership By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
