Diehard NFL fans likely have their calendars marked. April 22nd represents the start of the 75th NFL Draft. And Verizon Wireless is aiming to provide football fans with an all access pass to the extravaganza via the mobile channel.
Verizon (taking over for Sprint) is kicking off their free “NFL Mobile” app that will serve up no shortage of news and information in a neat little digital package tailored for select smartphones and multimedia devices. According to Verizon, the Motorola Droid, BlackBerry Storm and Storm2, HTC Droid Eris and Samsung Rogue can accommodate the application.
Essentially, “NFL Mobile” represents a comprehensive effort by Verizon to endear the carrier to football fans who will appreciate the readily accessible mobile platform that delivers in-depth profiles of both current NFL players and key draft prospects. In addition, there are also team updates, a sprinkling of pundit assessments, and – perhaps most engaging – mock drafts. The NFL Mobile app will even give users live live coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft.
NFL Mobile, which will remain free for download through the end of 2010, represents the first major NFL mobile offering from Verizon since the carrier agreed to a four-year sponsorship with the NFL to be the league’s one and only mobile media partner. If it seems like a “big deal,” that’s because it is. The Wall Street Journal estimates the value of the deal to be approximately $720 million.
