Super Bowl 2012 Live Stream: Long Overdue

A few thoughts immediately popped into my head when I heard that NBC and the NFL are going to stream Super Bowl XLVI. Still, the overwhelming thought was and still is, is this really the first time this is happening?

The ability to stream live online is not exactly a new one in sports. Granted, the Super Bowl doesn't have a great need to be streamed, but there's no reason not to. 

Who cares that it's not hard to watch the Super Bowl? I know that it's always broadcast on a national network, so even people that don't have cable can watch. I also know that people can go to a party, bar or some other public place. Lastly, I know that it's much more enjoyable to watch on a television than it is a phone or computer screen.

My only response to that is, so what?

While Super Bowl Sunday has become a de facto National Holiday, keep in mind that there are people that need to work or will be on the road. Even if that's a small group of people, it does the NFL and NBC no harm to provide them with a legal venue to follow the game. 

It really is amazing that this hasn't happened sooner. The technology has certainly been around, and things like smart phones, apps, and streams have been around since before Super Bowl XLV kicked off last year. 

The NFL is surprisingly late to this party. This is a valuable way for them to show that they do care about all their fans.

It may not be practical to do this every week of the regular season (not without a charge, anyway). But this is the only game this week; therefore, it is garnering 100 percent of the attention.

There are no reasons the league and network covering said game shouldn't give their fans every opportunity to enjoy it however they want.

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