NFL launching new NFL Now online network this summer

The National Football League is launching a new digital network that will allow fans to customize content based on their favorite teams and players.

Called NFL Now, the online service will debut this summer in advance of the 2014 football season. It will be available on computers, tablets, mobile devices and televisions that can access the Internet. Live games will not be part of the service but there will be plenty of highlights to local team coverage.

The network will not be a linear online channel per se, but more of a video-on-demand service that will let users tailor the programming to their needs. A fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, for example, would be able to build his or her own personal channel that would focus heavily on news and video about that team.

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“NFL Now gives us the opportunity to utilize the one-to-one digital relationship to deliver our fans the most relevant content to them at the times and on the devices where they want to consume it,” said Brian Rolapp, the league’s executive vice president of media.

The league will create original content for NFL Now and individual teams will also make their own content available on the service. That could include news conferences before and after games and practice footage. Of course, most teams keep the majority of their practices under wraps.

NFL Now will also have a separate subscription service that would provide access to some of the league’s vast library. No price for that option has been set yet.

Verizon, Microsoft, Gillette and Yahoo have all signed on as launch partners for NFL Now.

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Twitter: @JBFlint