Yahoo Will Become The First Digital Company To Live Stream An NFL Game

This is the kind of milestone we’ve been waiting for in digital’s evolution into a full fledged competitor to conventional TV. Yahoo will be the first to live stream an NFL game globally, across devices, and for free, on October 25. It will offer an NFL International Series game from London pitting the Buffalo Bills against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The company will feed the match through Yahoo, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Screen, and Tumblr.

“The NFL has always been committed to being at the forefront of media innovation,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell says. “Through this partnership with Yahoo—one of the world’s most recognizable digital brands—we are taking another important step in that direction as we continue to closely monitor the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.”

The Bills disclosed in March that the London game would be the first to be streamed, but didn’t say who would have it.

The match will be well out of prime time — running at 9:30 AM ET and 6:30 AM PT. It will also be televised live in the teams’ local markets (WIVB in Buffalo and WTEV in Jacksonville). Many analysts fear that ISPs would be overwhelmed trying to handle demand for a major live streamed event, such as the Super Bowl.

Yahoo and the NFL didn’t say how much the company paid for the digital rights to the game, or the revenue splits for advertising. But Sports Business Daily says that Yahoo’s outlay is similar to what CBS and Fox pay, and adds that CBS Sports will handle the production and provide the announcers. The NFL also reportedly is shopping social media rights for the game.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer calls this an “historic opportunity” that “marks a significant change in the way users can access this amazing content. The NFL and Yahoo have both long engaged football fans around the world. Our partnership provides the ultimate football experience — with digital availability, designed for the modern fan.”

Article: This High-Tech Backpack Is Mapping the Remotest Corners for Google

This High-Tech Backpack Is Mapping the Remotest Corners for Google

http://allthingsd.com/20130517/this-high-tech-backpack-is-mapping-the-remotest-corners-for-google-video/

Article: A sneak peek at YouTube’s future as it rolls out new channel design for everyone

A sneak peek at YouTube’s future as it rolls out new channel design for everyone

http://gigaom.com/2013/05/17/youtube-redesign-sneak-peek/

Article: The world’s tallest building will be in the middle of an empty field in China

The world’s tallest building will be in the middle of an empty field in China

http://qz.com/85661/the-worlds-tallest-building-will-be-in-the-middle-of-an-empty-field-in-china/

Robert Downey Jr Quote…

Downey McDonalds

Are Celebrity Endorsements Disappearing?

Traditional celebrities endorsements, YPulse perceives, are no longer as effective as they once where because for millennials there is no mystery to their “idols,” and as a result actually idolizing celebrities is a dying sentiment. Their unique experience with celebrity culture brings into question the effectiveness of traditional celebrity endorsement. How believable is a seal of approval from a celebrity when Millennials know more about their personalities and preferences than ever before? Add to this the fact that Millennials might just be the most media savvy generation to date, with full awareness of the machinery at work behind brands and their efforts to lure in consumers.

There is a fine line between a well-placed celebrity endorsement and one that simply fails to connect. Here are two of the biggest factors Millennials use to judge celebrity-endorsement marketing.

1) Do the Celeb and Brand Personalities Match?

Perhaps the biggest factor in producing a successful celebrity ad campaign is choosing the right person: how well do the icon and the product fit together? Millennials often find the less an ad is outright about buying the product and instead features an idea, feeling or attitude that the product evokes the more Millennials will pay attention to it.

Feels Right: Pepsi has matched celebrity with brand perfectly in their campaign featuring Beyoncé. Because their energies are such a good match, the believability of the spokesperson using the product becomes somewhat less important. Does Beyoncé really rehydrate with Pepsi during rehearsal breaks? Probably not, but that’s not to say she doesn’t during other times of the day.  In this case, utilizing relatability over star power is a non-factor – Beyoncé is superhuman. If Beyoncé likes something, we do too. The pop-art print campaign and limited-edition can sporting Beyoncé’s face enhance Pepsi’s appeal even more. The vibrant, colorful designs reflect the fun and refreshing attitude that both Pepsi and Beyoncé embody.

Falls Flat: This month’s Lipton tea ads featuring Kat Dennings did not live up to this standard. While Dennings was funny, the pairing didn’t add up. Her quirky, energetic personality was a mis-match with this product. The ad didn’t make Millennials want to go out and buy tea, and didn’t make Lipton stand out either. The humor and energy they attempted, was somewhat interesting, to interject with Dennings’ eccentricity, but the execution stripped the ad of authenticity.
2) Does It Feel Real?

As a consumer, Millennials  need to believe that the person advertised would actually use whatever product they are endorsing, or they will be instantly turned off.

Feels Right: A superior example of this is the perfectly matched endorsement between Taylor Swift and Keds. The brand falls in line with Swift’s wholesome style, and I would not be at all surprised to see her wearing the shoes on the street.

Falls Flat: A prime example of this effort falling flat is McDonald’s.The multi-billion dollar company has become an American staple. Despite their huge success, their spokespeople feel ironic. Celebrity athletes from Michael Jordan to Lebron James have all endorsed the fast-food chain over the years. In the 2012 summer games, they added  athletes like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte to their roster of endorsers. Despite the company’s “favorites under 400 calories” menu additions, Millennials are hard pressed to believe that these athletes are regularly eating McDonald’s, or that this food has in any way attributed to their outstanding success and health.

ESPN Moving X Games Out Of LA

eginning in 2014, LA residents will no longer able to hear the sound of snapping fibulas and ulnas echoing throughout the basin on hot summer days. That’s because ESPN announced today it is officially ending the 10-year run of its made-for-TV extreme-sports event X Games Los Angeles and moving it to one of four cities: Austin, Chicago, Detroit, or Charlotte, NC. The shift comes as the latest four-year LA deal, with AEG, is set to expire after this year; with the company pondering a sale (it eventually reconsidered), no new deal could be reached, the network said today. ESPN whittled down qualifying bids from nine (including Pasadena and Long Beach) to these four, with a winner to be announced this summer. This year’s X Games Los Angeles runs August 1-4 and is part of an expanded schedule of 2013 events that includes overseas stops in France; Brazil, which just wrapped; Spain, the next games on the calendar May 16-19; and Germany. The Winter X Games Aspen were in January and that longtime home likely will shift too after the current contract expires after next year.

Check out this drip: Unannounced Samsung ‘Galaxy S Tab’ tablet seemingly revealed in leaked image

Unannounced Samsung ‘Galaxy S Tab’ tablet seemingly revealed in leaked image http://drippler.com/updates/share/unannounced-samsung-galaxy-s-tab-tablet-seemingly-revealed-leaked-image Via j.mp/getDrippler

Why retailers are pinning hopes on Pinterest

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/why-retailers-are-pinning-hopes-pinterest-1C8661410

Google Chromebook – Pixel is here!

With 239 Pixels / inch compared to 118 on your average laptop, Google is making it’s presence know in the hardware space. But with prices starting at $1,299, this is for serious users only.  With built-in Touch-screen, it will be interesting to see how well their entry does.

See details and ordering info below:

 

 

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromebook-pixel/