Verizon Launches NFL RedZone Interactive TV Widget

Concurrently with the launch of the subscription-based NFL RedZone channel (offers live coverage of critical plays whenever any of the NFL's teams is inside its opponent's 20-yard line) on its FiOS TV service, Verizon has made available a free RedZone Widget in its recently launched FiOS TV Widget Bazaar applications marketplace. According to the company, the interactive TV widget, which is displayed on the right side of the screen and can also be viewed in full-screen mode, provides various features to all FiOS TV customers, including instant access to real-time NFL stats and scores and news headlines from around the league. Customers who subscribe to the RedZone channel, meanwhile, can additionally use the widget to set on-screen alerts for whenever a team is moving into the 20-yard line. The alerts--which, once set, pop up at the bottom of the screen over whichever channel the customer is watching, show a list of teams currently in the red zone, including the yard line where the football is located. When they see an alert, subscribers can press the "OK" button on their remote to jump to the RedZone channel and watch the action live. Alerts can be enabled and disabled through the main RedZone Widget menu, Verizon says. "We're again taking TV viewing where cable can't with the new RedZone Widget," Verizon's chief marketing officer, Michael Ritter, said in a prepared statement. "This innovation simplifies a sports fan's life by quickly and easily bringing all the latest NFL information to the TV screen without interrupting the game. There's no need to wait for the news or go to your computer to check a sports site for the latest scores. And for our NFL RedZone channel subscribers, the Widget's special alerts feature ensures they'll never miss a game-changing touchdown or critical play within the 20 yard line."

Verizon has also enabled ordering of the RedZone channel through the remote control: viewers are given the option of ordering the channel whenever they tune to its slot (note: the SD version is available on channel 335 and the HD version on channel 835). "We're making it easy for our subscribers to order the hottest ticket in televised sports with on-screen ordering for NFL RedZone," Ritter continued. "With a few clicks of your remote, you're immediately subscribed to the channel and enjoying all the action with the stunning picture-and-sound quality that only FiOS delivers. That's something cable can't do."