Robert Kraft: Amazon deal shows where NFL is headed on TV

[CCBoy]

Business
Robert Kraft: Amazon deal shows where NFL is headed on TV
Michael David Smith,ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports Fri, Jun 23 9:59 AM EDT
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/robert-kraft-amazon-deal-shows-135939229.html


Amazon will stream NFL games to its Prime subscribers this season, which represents a new source of revenue for the NFL, but a small one: Although the precise amount of money Amazon has paid for NFL deals has been disputed, suffice to say it’s peanuts compared to what NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN and DirecTV pay for the rights to show NFL games on traditional television.

But while online streams are a tiny fraction of the NFL’s revenues today, that won’t always be the case, according to Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Eventually, Kraft believes, over-the-top content will replace traditional television for the NFL. “This year we’re with Amazon and for us the future is OTT,” Kraft said, via the New York Post. “We’ll be very interested to see how Amazon goes as it’s behind the paywall. The thing we have to be careful of is millennials. They don’t watch TV, they don’t have TVs or subscribe to cable. So we have to bring that audience in. Partly it’s done through fantasy games and linking to that. Over-the-top is a great opportunity.”

Kraft is probably right about that: A younger generation of fans wants to watch football on phones and on the go, not while sitting in the living room in front of the TV. The NFL needs to figure out how to keep those fans involved — and how to bring in the same kind of revenue from those fans that it brings in from traditional TV viewers...

 

[diefree666]

The NFL is SO worried about the millennials and ignore the steadfast long time fans. This stupidity will bite them; and I think it already has. Like all the pandering to the fantasy gomers at the expense of those that have been there and will continue to do so long after the fad of fantasy is no more. Unless of course the NFL continues to alienate them.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Like all the pandering to the fantasy gomers at the expense of those that have been there and will continue to do so long after the fad of fantasy is no more.

I've been playing FF since 1985. After all these years I can easily say that it has only gotten bigger and bigger each year. Not only that it wil continue to grow for many more years. So calling it a "fad" is totally wrong.

I did get a chuckle out of the "fantasy gomers" comment.

 

[Ranched]

The NFL needs to figure out how to keep those fans involved....

Mmm, don't agree with that statement. A true football fan will always find a way to watch the game. Alot of kids (younger generation) don't even have cell phones. The ones that do, are too busy doing other things. If they truly wish to watch the game, they'll watch it on a big old flat screen. Who on earth wants to watch a game on a 5" screen Mr. Kraft?! Shoot, the NFL is still trying to figure out if Zeke is guilty or not. Pft....

 

[diefree666]

I've been playing FF since 1985. After all these years I can easily say that it has only gotten bigger and bigger each year. Not only that it wil continue to grow for many more years. So calling it a "fad" is totally wrong.

I did get a chuckle out of the "fantasy gomers" comment.

just a matter of time. Fantasy GOMERS have no real loyalty to teams and players come and go.

 

[BobGriffin3]

just a matter of time. Fantasy GOMERS have no real loyalty to teams and players come and go.

What exactly is a fantasy gomer?

 

[big dog cowboy]

just a matter of time.

Like I said, I've been involved in it for over 30 years.

Exactly when should I expect "just a matter of time" to happen because I watch to watch for it.

 

[diefree666]

Like I said, I've been involved in it for over 30 years.

Exactly when should I expect "just a matter of time" to happen because I watch to watch for it.

it will sink back to where you started and where it belongs. A few nerds, etc here and there

 

[Tenkamenin]

Will Amazon stream Thursday night games?

 

[big dog cowboy]

it will sink back to where you started and where it belongs. A few nerds, etc here and there

I'll ask again.....When?

The projection is it's only getting more popular each year.

 

[BobGriffin3]

it will sink back to where you started and where it belongs. A few nerds, etc here and there

You couldn't be more unbelievably and factually wrong. Fantasy football was never a 'fad' nor will it ever be. Now with the ability to also do daily fantasy, it's probably the most popular 'fad' in anything related to sports and betting. They are estimating between 70-90 million people a year play fantasy.

just a matter of time. Fantasy GOMERS have no real loyalty to teams and players come and go.

Regardless of 'loyalty' the NFL doesn't care if you are loyal to a team or not. I've been playing fantasy with almost the same group of people for 15 years. All of them have a diehard team. I haven't missed attendance to a Commanders home opener in almost 15 years either. The difference between people who play fantasy vs not, is the knowledge we know isn't based off of 1 NFL team. We can have extremely intelligent conversations with fans of other teams because we know stats/players/ect.

With that being said, the NFL ratings taking a hit are a combination of things.
1. Presidential/Politics being more interesting.
2. Garbage politics being injected in NFL games whether its Kap, NFL Players, ESPN, or Bob Costa telling us who we should hate, vote for, be offended by, ect. I don't want politics near NFL. Soon as they start spewing this garbage the channel gets changed.
3. Millennials (I am not one but do follow footsteps) and people like myself want to ditch cable. Cable is garbage paying $100+ for the 20 channels that are actually relevant on TV. The only thing it's good for is live events of course. Most millennials, younger couples, even 30s/40s are ditching cable/satellite and just not getting it anymore. The prices are becoming a big enough focal point that people rather save the $100+ and either go to a bar to watch the game or just sacrifice missing it. Tapping into the Amazon world is the RIGHT decision for the NFL if they want to tap into popularity.