Kangaroo.TV continues to push NFL Mobile Video

By Andrew Lippe and Carl Lindemann

It used to be that the goal in the sports broadcast business was to try to replicate the in-stadium experience for the home viewing audience. Now, the virtual experience at home – being able to channel surf game-to-game while absorbing stats and fantasy play though a laptop – has become more real than reality itself. Kangaroo.TV’s handheld rental device/content service for mobile video aims to bring these at-home amenities and extras to the stadium.

Kangaroo.TV’s success with NASCAR fans has now opened opportunities at four NFL Franchises including the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, and the Houston Texans. Kangaroo.TV’s partnership with DirecTV, NFL SUNDAY TICKET In-Stadium allows fans to watch NFL games from around the league on a Kangaroo TV device while attending a live NFL game. NFL SUNDAY TICKET In-Stadium by DIRECTV supplies live video and audio of up to 14 NFL games to the device. Additional content including fantasy stats, replays, standings, schedules and a live broadcast of the home game are also available.

“We have really keyed in on fantasy football,” says Andy Bernstein, Kangaroo.TV, VP of U.S. markets. “Kangaroo.TV has upgraded their device over the past year by adding multiple stats screens. Last year the stats function only allowed game stats. Now you can search stats based on position. This is important for fantasy players who want to know how their running back or quarterback is doing.”

A key part of the Kangaroo.TV rollout is a going from local to satellite content distribution. “We used to deploy at the stadium,” says Bernstein. “Now they work out of a DirecTV contracted facility (Ascent Media) in Connecticut. “We send video via a satellite uplink directly to the stadium,” adds Bernstein.

Kangaroo.TV provides up to 10 video channels. The video distributed to the loaner devices is the same as that featured on TV broadcasts. The service is offered as a season subscription for $149.95 or fans can order a single-game for $24.95.

Will the new service become standard fare? At least one other vendor is tackling the same territory of bringing the comforts of the couch to the stadium. San Diego-based WiseDV has staked out a claim at the U.S. Open in New York City with American Express, providing handheld devices free of charge to AmEx card holderrs. And St. Louis-based Vivid Sky has been developing a similar, local service targeting baseball and hockey. While Kangaroo.TV is tied to renting its proprietary F1 device, Vivid Sky is designed to run on personal portable devices.