Game Changer – Xbox Joins Forces with the NFL

This year’s football season just got a whole lot more exciting. At the Xbox Reveal event today, Xbox announced a multi-year, landmark partnership to introduce exclusive, interactive NFL television experiences for Xbox One.

The NFL is the most popular sport in North America and the most-watched program on TV. With 25 million people playing fantasy football, NFL fandom has never been more fevered. With Xbox One, Xbox will be delivering a new era of interactive TV and reinventing the way fans experience the NFL.

For fans, the NFL and Xbox will offer the most complete way to enjoy the game. The NFL on Xbox will provide fans an all-new viewing experience through innovations around Skype and SmartGlass, an all-new innovative fantasy football solution allowing fans to view players and live competition side-by-side on a single TV screen, and a personalized NFL destination featuring information about the players, teams and games fans care about most. Xbox will also enable fans to use SmartGlass technology to enhance game day.

“When we started working with Roger Goodell and the team at the NFL we knew that we could create great new experiences that fans would love,” said Don Mattrick, President IEB Division at Microsoft. “This partnership will redefine NFL experiences through exclusive and interactive content that you will find only on Xbox.  For fans, the NFL on Xbox will provide the most complete way to enjoy live football by bringing the first fully-integrated fantasy football experience to the TV, exclusively through Xbox.”

With the NFL on Xbox, you will be able to see your NFL team integrated with your large-screen TV, play fantasy football alongside the game, get real-time feedback about what’s going on in the game, see  stats and updates, and taunt your friends with you success – all from within one experience.  

NFL coaches and players will also soon have access to a variety of cutting-edge Microsoft products including Surface tablets to enhance on-field communications, photo viewing, and play-calling.

“From the use of instant replay to the yellow first-down line that has become an important element of the at-home television viewing experience, the NFL is committed to leveraging technology to improve our game for coaches, players and fans,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We’re thrilled to be teaming with a true innovator like Microsoft to shape the future of the NFL game experience both on-field, and in the living room.”

Our CEO Steve Ballmer said, “We love the passion that players, coaches and fans bring to the NFL game; it’s what makes the NFL game-day experience so unique,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “We’re excited to apply our passion for technology to the NFL experience, both on the sidelines through the innovative use of Microsoft Surface devices, and for fans through an enhanced NFL viewing experience on Xbox.”

There’s never been a better time to be a fan in the NFL. Or a fan of Xbox.