DirecTV Expands In-Stadium Product For NFL
by Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/13/2007 5:05:00 AM
Satellite operator DirecTV says it will expand the use of wireless handsets from Montreal-based sports enhancement firm Kangaroo Media to bring its NFL Sunday Ticket programming to fans at four National Football League stadiums this season.
DirecTV began experimenting with the "Kangaroo TV" handsets last season in partnership with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins. The audio-and-video-enabled devices, which are also used for NASCAR and Formula One auto racing, allowed fans to watch games from other markets while attending their team's game as well as access team and player statistics from NFL.com. The NFL has agreed to continue the program for another two seasons, and the "NFL Sunday Ticket In-Stadium" product will now be available at Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, and Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, in addition to Dolphin Stadium in Miami and FedEx Field in Washington.
The service will be available beginning with each team’s 2007 regular season home opener, with single-game rentals running at $24.95 and full-season plans costing $149.95. The "NFL Sunday Ticket In-Stadium" product will only cost $119.95 for season ticket holders or DIRECTV subscribers (and just $79.95 in Seattle, where the Seahawks play fewer games during the NFL Sunday Ticket window). Fans can rent their Kangaroo TV units at kiosks at each stadium or reserve them online. The devices will also let fans view the DirecTV Red Zone channel, live statistics from every game, and the CBS and FOX pre-game shows, and access real-time fantasy statistics from NFL.com and scoring updates from any game of the user’s choice.
“This season we’re giving more fans the NFL Sunday Ticket experience wherever they are, at home, on the road, in line at the grocery store, or watching their games on Kangaroo TV in the stands or in the parking lot,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment, in a statement. “Kangaroo users we surveyed last season were nearly unanimous in their praise of the handset and its ability to enhance their in-stadium experience. That gave both DIRECTV and the NFL a strong incentive to expand the service and offer new features.”
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