This year’s Super Bowl Sunday will now be known as “Super Stream Sunday” for NBCUniversal, who will use the day of streaming to promote its TV Everywhere services across the board - for free.

NBCU is launching 11 hours of streaming on Feb. 1, including the game itself, pre-game coverage, the halftime show as well as its new episode of The Blacklist to follow that evening. The initiative will be available to anyone, even if they’re not pay-TV subscribers.

All of this will be free for viewers to live-stream the day’s events as a way to raise awareness of NBCU’s digital offering. NBCU is promoting access across all tablets and mobile devices, but NFL has exclusive smartphone streaming rights with Verizon Wireless. NFL.com, NFL Now and SuperBowl.com will all redirect viewers to NBC’s live stream of the game.

The live stream won’t be available for fans within the stadium, however. The NFL and Verizon have instead partnered on a Super Bowl Stadium App for replay, commercials and exclusive video content.

International fans can also access the live stream with the NFL Game Pass for $9.99.

NBC was the first to live stream the Super Bowl in 2012, but the first time the halftime show gets the same treatment. NBC has sold ads for this year’s Super Bowl specifically for the digital, which will each get additional exposure on NBC.com, Hulu and YouTube.

Super Bowl XLIX will pit the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots, with Katy Perry headlining the halftime show with Lenny Kravitz scheduled to appear.

Read more at Variety.

Brief Take: By making the live stream free, NBC is able to further capitalize on its deal with the NFL this year by also bringing back the focus on its TV Everywhere push, which it also touted through the Sochi Winter Olympics.

[Image courtesy of NBC]

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