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Microsoft Paid NFL $400 Million To Use Surface, But Announcers Call Them iPads
mpicpp sends this news from Business Insider:
Prior to the season, Microsoft and the NFL struck a 5-year, $400 million deal with one of the major components being that the Microsoft Surface would become "the official tablet of the NFL," with coaches and players using the Surface on the sidelines during games. But Microsoft and the league ran into a problem during week one of the season when at least two television announcers mistakenly referred to the tablets as iPads, giving a huge rival some unexpected exposure. The biggest blunder for the league came during the nationally televised Monday Night Football game when ESPN's Trent Dilfer joked about how long it took Cardinals assistant head coach Tom Moore to "learn how to use the iPad to scroll through the pictures." In a separate incident, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints was spotted by Fox commentator John Lynch using a Surface on the sideline. Lynch remarked that Brees was "not watching movies on his iPad.
It is not just for "product placement", though.
From Microsofts press release on the deal:
The agreement provides Microsoft with the rights to create exclusive interactive experiences through products such as Xbox One and Surface, transforming the way fans will experience the NFL in the years to come. The NFL on Xbox will provide fans with an all-new viewing experience through innovations around Skype and Xbox SmartGlass; an all-new, innovative fantasy football solution allowing fans to view players and live competition side by side on a single TV screen; and a personalized NFL destination featuring information about the players, teams and games fans care about most. Xbox also retains the exclusive rights to extend these interactive experiences to tablets, enabling fans to use Xbox SmartGlass technology to enhance game day.
So MS has also licensed the rights to use the NFL brand, clips etc. (could be 3D instant replay on the xbox, streaming over Skype?).
And exclusive rights for tablets. Could be a driver for Surface uptake.
And also this:
As part of the partnership, Surface by Microsoft branding will appear on NFL sidelines in unique ways, including on the hoods of the official on-field NFL instant replay stations. As part of the relationship, Microsoft will be granted the following designations:
The instant review stations are in view during some of the most tense situations of a game, with a lot of attention. Surely, that is worth money.
400.000.000 is a lot of money. I have no idea if it is too expensive or not. But it does cover more than the right to equip the sidelines with tablets.
Reading slashdot one-liner: (irm http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot).rdf.item | fl title,desc*
Just to have the NFL officially use your brand of tablet.
What gave you that idea? Did you just pull it out of thin air?
It covers more than that. Read the MS press release on the deal:
So, basically also the license to use NFL content on XBox and tablets (I see no mention of live content - but it could be buried in the "xbox experience")
No advertising seconds, no "official phone", "official supplier" or anything, just "official tablet".
Wrong. From the press release (see above):
Reading slashdot one-liner: (irm http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot).rdf.item | fl title,desc*
I use an android tablet to control and display timed exposures(or digitally zoom planetary objects) with my telescope/camera at star parties.
everyone always assumes it's an ipad.
ipad has become a generic term for a tablet.
the NFL thing is funny, but not surprising.
It's not $400,000,000 to advertise the Surface. That's only a part of the deal and I'm not sure why it's called the "big part". From another article discussing the deal....
When the regular season starts, Microsoft's Xbox Live network will offer services that include video feeds of game highlights and fantasy football data. Xbox owners will also gain access to NFL Sunday Ticket, the league's package of out-of-market game telecasts that was previously available only to DirecTV satellite service subscribers.
"Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
NFL: One of the few industries where smooth talking idiots can rake in millions spewing bullshit.
I think the guy who moderated you Insightful instead of Funny has confused other posters into thinking you were being serious instead of making a joke.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
actually it is -
32 teams
53 players per active roster
10 players per practice squad (not active for game days so doesn't count)
22 coaches per team
so that would come out to 2720 personnel - but even then during the preseason I believe they announced each side would get something like 13 Surface Tablets on the sidelines and 12 to use in the coaches box.
so that is 25 per side per game - with at max 16 games (weeks 1-3 and 12-17 I believe) that would be at most 800 tablets in use any given week.
The Surface 3 is actually pretty god damned good, and review across the board pretty much confirm that. I understand why you'd want to poop all over it, but the Surface RT days are long since over. That said, I own an iPad and I'm hesitant to leave an established ecosystem, but will likely give the Surface another look when it's time to refresh.
Cue the "shill" cries for not thinking everything MS does is shit.
Surface user here to respectfully disagree. The Surface is an awesome device that can be used for all sorts of good.
When people see me using my Surface as a tablet, they are then amazed when I show them the USB port (so simple...but why not on iPad?) and keyboard. Yes, the keyboard seems strange at first, but I really do use my Surface about 50/50 keyboard on/off. I've been popping that thing on and off for a few years and I really like it.
When people see me using it as a laptop, they are then surprised when I take off the keyboard, pop out the kickstand, and use it as a movie viewing tablet. OR, when I am out in the field and pop open Photoshop express to do some quick photo editing with my fingers. In about 6 seconds (really) I can have a photo cropped and 'shared'.
You are right, it is a tablet that wants to be a laptop, and a laptop that wants to be a tablet. Not cheap by any means but worth it for me.
I can tell you that from my perspective, this is the best device in either the tablet or laptop class for my use. Previously my Surface was also my desktop- but a new job brought on a ridiculously over-powered desktop that I would be crazy not to use. Now my Surface spends the day as my music player until I need to go out, then it is my usual note-taker.
***All that being said, we have a few other SP2's floating around in my organization that are barely used because people have no idea what they can/should be doing with them. Some were purchased after they saw my 'success' and I really want to say, "hmm...maybe you should have gotten an ipad..."
No reason to lie.
USB is important for a few reasons:
#1- ingesting photos. OR even better, tethered shooting. Cameras use USB ports for data transfer and control of the camera. The time to preview pictures is while you are taking them, not when you return to the office. Not saying you can't do this with other platforms, but you can do this with EVERY camera using Surface/USB.
#2- Printers. Sure, wireless printing is great...sometimes. Again, most every printer works with USB. I've been visiting other locations, need to print something and the IT guy rolls his eyes when he sees I need to print a document from a tablet. Once he sees Surface/USB it's like, "Oh..okay, no problem, plug in here." Nobody wants to install some stupid app to let me print.
#3- Wired networking. Again, wireless is great- but sometimes it is not an option. A wired network dongle has saved me a few times.
#4- odd peripherals. Just last Friday I had to provide a butt-ton of files to a lawyer for 'discovery'. They provided an external hard-drive (Aegis Padlock Drive). USB...sure, plug that sucker in and I'll give you all the files you need.
In a professional environment I don't always have control over what I need to connect to. USB has been the most ubiquitous port over the last 10 years. Not having it on your computer locks out out of a LOT of stuff.
My Surface Pro 2 runs Photoshop just fine. Admittedly I don't use it as my primary editing machine (screen size) but when I need it, it is there. Not sure why you say the Surface is underpowered, I would say it is 'run of the mill' in performance. In 2013/2014 that means, "It is an absolute breeze to do photo editing." Also, the fact that the Surface Pro is an awesome digitizer, with a pen, is icing on the cake.
I'm not saying the Surface is the be-all and end-all, but it has features that are fantastic. Most of the detractors obviously haven't used one in a professional environment...where an Android tablet or iPad just don't do what I need them to do. Including having a USB port.
**Someone felt that I was trolling. I'm not a troll, just a person who enjoys using their Surface Pro for work and entertainment. Also, my previous job had me purchasing a LOT of equipment (1,800 users) and I spent soooo much money on iPads it was amazing. Most of those were deemed totally useless once the novelty wore off. I'm just trying to steer people toward what I feel is a very good solution to the mobile computer question.
No reason to lie.
I've got the components, and hope to find a weekend free soon to hook it to my Canon 5D3 for some time-lapse and other controlled shooting. I figured it nothing else, this would breathe a bit more useful life back into my old Motorola Xoom tablet.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........