The NFL has found a home for its first ever regular season game streamed live over the Internet for free: Yahoo. The Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars matchup in London will be the test for the NFL’s latest idea to bring the sport to an international audience.
Yahoo and the NFL announced the deal today. The game, which is scheduled for Oct. 25 in London, will be available online through Yahoo around the world. It will be streamed on Yahoo.com, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Screen and Tumblr and starts at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
“We're thrilled that the NFL has chosen Yahoo for this historic opportunity,” Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said. “It marks a significant change in the way users can access this amazing content. The NFL and Yahoo have both long engaged football fans around the world. Our partnership provides the ultimate football experience – with digital availability, designed for the modern fan.”
While the game will still be broadcast on TV in the Buffalo and Jacksonville markets, the game will not be shown in other markets on television. It’s the first time the NFL has decided to go with new media to distribute a game.
What makes the game more interesting is that it will serve as a litmus test for the sport outside of the U.S. The real struggle is that neither team has made the playoffs in years (16 for the Bills and eight for the Jags) and the Jags have no big stars. (At least the Bills have LeSean McCoy.) So while Americans will watch any team that plays football, are international viewers still interested in watching NFL bottom-feeders?
The two other London games - Dolphins/Jets on Oct. 4 and Chiefs/Lions on Nov. 1 - will also be played at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
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