Tablets Coming To NFL Sidelines

Today's blockbuster Microsoft-NFL partnership gives sports techies a lot to digest. In addition to extending exclusive content to sports fans on a wide range of Microsoft devices, Surface tablets will now appear on-field enhancing team communications, photo viewing and play calling. "Microsoft and the NFL envision a sideline of the future with players reviewing in-game photos from different camera angles directly from the sideline and head coaches calling plays off connected Surface tablets instead of today’s static paper products," today's announcement states. Surface by Microsoft branding will also appear on NFL sidelines in unique ways, including on the hoods of the official on-field NFL instant replay stations. The price tag for all of this? NFL.com is reporting $400 million over 5 years.

Roger Goodell joined Microsoft for today's big announcement. Courtesy of IGN, the NFL partnership is announced during the XBOX One Reveal below. You can watch the full presentation here.