The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles host the Falcons in the NFL season opener on Sept. 6. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Most North American sports leagues use digital distribution primarily to offer out-of-market games to paid subscribers, but the NFL’s media plan is instead beholden to only one goal: reach.
For the past four seasons, only Verizon customers were able to stream all NFL games to their smartphones. In 2018, for the first time, anyone who has “a mobile phone with an app store” can watch games, said the NFL’s chief business and media officer, Brian Rolapp, at the league’s season preview media event on Wednesday.