Technology is shaking up the NFL, from how fans watch games to keeping players safe on the field.
Attendees at our second annual GeekWire Sports Tech Summit got the inside scoop from NFL COO Tod Leiweke on how the nation’s most popular professional sports league is tapping into the latest innovations both on and off the field.
Veteran NFL reporter John Clayton sat down with Leiweke, the former CEO of the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Lightning who became the NFL’s COO in 2015, to talk about everything from the league’s new streaming deal with Amazon to the declining TV ratings — which may be misleading after all, Leiweke noted.
Leiweke also noted that the NFL is using eye-tracking technology to study how fans watch games at home and what they do during commercial breaks. Some of that research helped the league reduce the number of commercial breaks per quarter.
He had high praise for Seattle, calling it “an amazing place in sports.” Leiweke has roots in the city, having run the Seahawks for seven years, and his brother, Tim, is leading a $564 million proposed renovation of Key Arena.
You can watch the full conversation above, or at this link.
