Look Up In The Sky! It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's An NFL-Network Blimp?

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

This is just about the craziest marketing move I've ever come across (it probably ranks right behind the time I went to a Demolition Derby and handed out tickets to a JMU Football game). The NFL-Network and DirecTV are providing a huge service to those cities that can't view games due to blackouts. A blimp with a giant video screen airing the games for people in the streets. From Sports by Brooks via USA Today...

DirecTV, a satellite TV provider, will announce Wednesday the most imaginative tactic in the hubbub over how viewers might get NFL games that air on the NFL Network. DirecTV will show them on the giant video screen on its blimp as it flies above towns whose cable operators don't carry the league's channel.
While the first trip for the aircraft will head to Florida for the Thursday and Sunday games.....the most notable voyage for the blimp would be a trip over Boston during their Week 17 contest between the Pats and Giants. The thing can fly as low as 1,000 feet above the ground, and if the Patriots lose I'd be pretty wary of the tops of buildings in Boston if I were the pilots.

Blimp Shows Network Games Over Blacked Out Burghs (Sports by Brooks)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 12:22 PM

9 Comments:

The NFL Network has enough money to pull off an ignorant stunt like this, and we're supposed to believe that cable is trying to stiff them. Nice move. I'm praying that this will backfire on you.

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 12:46:00 PM  

I'll need a slingshot, some darts and some liquor.

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 12:54:00 PM  

Do they know that the Pats/Giants game is being shown locally on Boston Channel 5?

Flying a blimp over Boston is dumb since people in and around the city can already see it.

Since they are the New England Patriots, they should fly blimps over the 5 other New England capitols who won't be able to see the game. (And Springfield, MA, too)

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 1:10:00 PM  

Nice shot of the blimp over Ohio State! Maybe you don't hate OSU that much after all.

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 2:31:00 PM  

ok, completely awesome marketing move by directv and the nfl network.

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 2:33:00 PM  

So instead of going to a bar and watching in the comfort of my own drunken stupor, I can stare up to the sky like a crazy person?

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 3:02:00 PM  

They want people hanging out in the streets??? Fucking retards.

GMoney said...
Dec 12, 2007, 3:51:00 PM  

"the most imaginative tactic in the hubbub over how viewers might get NFL games that air on the NFL Network."

I hate press releases. Anyway, how about offering a free preview for cable subscribers? That would probably cost less than this shit, and make people a lot happier.

I don't see the NFL Network pulling this shit when the scouting combines begin.

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 5:07:00 PM  

Aren't the games streamed on nfl.com?

Anonymous said...
Dec 12, 2007, 7:36:00 PM  

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