Holy smokers, this is a bit of a kick in the bag for Sprint. Word has it that Sprint users can wave ‘bye-bye’ to their much beloved NFL app. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Verizon has inked a new four-year contract with the NFL to deliver coverage AND the RedZone channel to Verizon devices.
So why the change? Verizon offered upwards of 50% more in cash compared to Sprint’s offering, the new deal totaling somewhere in the neighborhood of $720 million. Yikers. Verizon aims to bring even more NFL coverage to their customers, and the new deal gives them an all-access pass to stream live NFL footage, plus a heck of a lot more.
What’s also interesting here is device compatibility. Gone by the wayside (at least for now) is webOS compatibility, as Verizon noted that the new NFL service will be available for Android and BlackBerry devices at launch. This is a bit of a shock for any webOS users that had been loving the coverage in the past (on Sprint). No mentions of compatibility with the Verizon Pre Plus and Pixi Plus as of yet, but I’d be really surprised if we don’t hear more about that soon.
So, Sprint NFL fans, you can look forward to your beloved NFL football app to stop working by the end of March. A new ‘Sprint Football Live’ app is said to be replacing the NFL app, but you know all of that live video and exclusive content you’re used to seeing? Well, it looks like you’re out of luck. The bulk of information to be provided in the new offering will come in simple news stories, posted stats and editorial commentary.
[Via: PreCentral]