New online toys this season for NBC Sunday Night Football
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
August 21, 2009
Last year NBC Sunday Night Football had a very impressive broadband component that allowed viewers to choose camera angles or interact with Andrea Kremer about the game while watching the telecast.
Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Kremer will handle the TV portion of the broadcast this season, which will have all the usual technical bells and whistles that we have come to expect from producer Fred Guardelli and his award-winning team.
So what does NBCSports.com (also on NFL.com) do to improve their broadband coverage?
Their new offering will be called "Sunday Night Football Extra."
Perkins Miller, the Vice President of Digital Media at NBC, talked about the new toys that will be used so that viewers can watch the game on their laptops and TVs at the same time.
Miller » "The first, and perhaps the most important thing we did was enhancing the video by using the Microsoft Silverlight Smooth Streaming which will allow fans to see high-definition video on their home computers from all the camera angles offered on the site along with the main screen. So you will be able to see HD video on your laptop computer, giving viewers a chance to see the blades of grass, the rain or snow and the beads of sweat of the faces of the players in perfect HD."
The coolest addition to me is the new DVR function.
Miller » "Yes the DVR is a great addition. No matter when you log on to your computer you can move back all the way to the opening kickoff. So if you missed a key play earlier in the game you can zing back and see it. That way a fan never misses anything. A fan can use it like a normal DVR and shuffle back and forth to see a play over and over as many times as you like."
There also will be plenty of inside information from Kremer as well as the addition of Pro Football Talk and NFL Network insider Mike Florio, who will be blogging and chatting throughout the telecast.
There is no question that NBC will make Sunday Night Football not only destination television, but destination broadband. So check it out Thursday, September 10 at 8 p.m. as the Tennessee Titans face the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBCSPORTS.com and NFL.com.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
