US broadcaster CBS has announced plans to stream the Super Bowl for free across multiple platforms.
The move means fans will be able to watch the National Football League’s (NFL) showpiece final without a sign-in across CBS Sports’ website, mobile apps and its All Access subscription service.
According to the plan, mobile users will also receive access to direct transmission from Super Bowl LIII via CBS partner applications such as cable and satellite operators, telecommunications operators and streaming services. CBS mobile apps are currently available on a variety of connected devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and Amazon channels.
The move means more NFL content will be available for free this season than ever before. The league is seeking to address its declining ratings and connect with younger audiences.
Any wireless customer will now be able to watch in-market and national games on both phones and tablets for free. The only restriction is that seven games exclusive to the NFL Network channel can be viewed only on phones with a cellular connection meaning the games cannot be streamed over a Wi-Fi connection or on a tablet.
The league has placated cable networks by offering them the opportunity to sell the majority of adverts appearing on these subscription-free streams. Distributors such as Verizon get the remainder.
The subscription-free games will be available on the NFL app and Verizon-owned Yahoo Sports, Tumblr and AOL apps in the US. On iPhones and iPads, games can also be streamed on the Safari web browser.
Verizon lost exclusive mobile rights to NFL games last December, gaining instead the right to live-stream the sport to any mobile device nationwide. CBS has expanded its streaming deal with the NFL to include mobile rights for the first time. That particular arrangement was one of several similar tie-ups negotiated by the league after Verizon lost exclusive mobile rights.