Super Bowl 2012 Online: Live Stream of Big Game Is Terrific Decision by NFL

If somebody wants to watch the Super Bowl, they are going to find a way to do it. In the past, that meant finding an illegal online video, which is why the NFL's decision to allow a free live streaming was a brilliant decision.

In addition to the game on NBC, it will also be broadcast live on the network's official website. That will allow fans who can't get to a television to watch the game anyway.

By promoting this method of watching the game, both the NFL and NBC will get a much clearer picture of how many viewers use online streams to watch the biggest game of the year. Internet sportsbook Bovada has set the line at 1.5 million views.

That's a lot of people, and potential ad revenue on the website, that would have been lost to other sites if this decision wasn't made.

It's good to see the NFL embracing the way things will work in the future. Television will always be the main form of watching the big game, but due to smart phones and all the other gadgets floating around, Internet viewing will only become more popular in the coming years. By getting out ahead of the trend, the NFL will be able to work out any potential problems in the system before viewership through these new mediums explode.

The companies, or in this case leagues, who will be the most successful over the next decade will be those who embrace technology. Progress is being made at such a rapid rate that it will be tough to keep up, but the payoff will be huge.

That's why taking a test run in 2012 might not seem like much now, but when looking back on it in 2020, it could very well be the main reason the NFL still rules the sports world.