Verizon Looks to Expand Coverage in Sports

Verizon are looking to expand their mobile video opportunities particularly in sports, remedy chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam has revealed.

The company previously live streamed on smartphones and tablets for the first time the Super Bowl via an NFL app in a deal with CBS Sports. At a UBS investor conference, ampoule he was asked if there could be more such deals. McAdam said that Verizon could partner with other sports networks, pills leagues or video app providers for similar opportunities in the future.

And he said that Verizon was in general looking to make more content available on mobile devices outside the home, especially sports. He said that such industry leaders as CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, who will speak at the conference later, and he have discussed “how to bring more content out of the house.”

Asked what sports offers Verizon was interested in offering via mobile devices, he said sports leagues have an interest in making out-of-market games available to a broader audience. TV rights holders are “careful about (not) cannibalizing day of broadcast” audiences, and “there are a lot of content rights that need to be worked through,” McAdam emphasized. But he said that games could be offered with a delay of 3-4 days or even two weeks and still offer “a real win-win” for Verizon and content firms.

“The market has demonstrated that it wants it,” he argued before predicting: “Within the next two years, you will see some dramatic change in viewership.”

Asked if there was revenue for Verizon to be made from sports, McAdam said that the NFL app is free, but attractive content boosts mobile usage, plus the app offers premium services on top of the free usage, which brings in additional revenue. “That is our formula going forward,” McAdam said about the mix of free and premium offers.