Welcome to the post-modern world, guys and gals. For the first time in the history of the biggest sporting event in the world, Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will be available to stream online for free from the broadcast company airing it.
According to Ad Week, “Super Stream Sunday” will start at noon (east coast time) and will conclude 11 hours later with an airing of the television show “Blacklist.”
This means that you will be able to catch the pregame show, the game itself, Katy Perry’s halftime performance and the awarding of the Lombardi trophy to the winner.
Alison Moore, an executive at NBCUniversal, had this to say in announcing the coverage.
We are leveraging the massive digital reach of the Super Bowl to help raise overall awareness of TV Everywhere by allowing consumers to explore our vast TVE offering with this special one-day-only access.
One has to wonder why NBC decided to allow streaming for free. There had to be a market for premium service here, but we don’t think anyone is going to be complaining.
It’s an innovative way to stay interactive during what promises to be a long and lucrative day for the network.