Verizon has just signed a multi-year deal with the NFL to stream football games to all smartphones regardless of carriers. This is not a new feature for Verizon, which had previously signed a deal with the NFL that allowed Verizon customers to stream football games directly on their phones. But now the new deal allows fans to watch football games in their local markets even if they are not Verizon customers. So, if you are from Louisiana you can watch the Saints game on your phone, and fans will also be able to watch nationally televised games on their phones too, including Monday, Thursday, and Sunday Night Football. The games will stream through Yahoo Sports, Verizon’s go90, and NFL mobile.

The games will be available for streaming starting January. A great time, with the regular season ending and playoffs starting too. This will give both Verizon and the NFL greater exposure in the market. Verizon will surely get more customers as many of the audience in the market who don’t have contracts will be able to stream games through Verizon owned apps. The NFL will absolutely see a nice jump in viewership through the end of the season as well. This past February, the NFL reported that 111.3 million viewers tuned in to watch the New England Patriots play the Atlanta Falcons during the super bowl. That number is expected to increase next year when the super bowl will be available to stream on any smartphone in the market. Verizon and the NFL have tapped into a new market, they have created a new product that is allowing them to connect to even their competitors’ customers.