Verizon at Home

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Since the dawn of televised games and instant replay, technology has added a new dimension to sports of all kinds.  As high school, college and professional football teams kick off their 2011-2012 seasons, technology is in the sports entertainment mix more than ever before.

In the past week alone, I’ve seen announcements about high-tech high-school football helmets, iPads replacing pro football players’ traditional playbooks, sophisticated camera technology in the new Madden NFL 12 video game that brings realism down to a single blade of grass, leagues trying to keep players’ Tweeting and Facebooking under control, and millions of Americans gaining weight due to constant noshing as DVRs extend game time to any time.

As sports technology flourishes at breakneck speed, it’s great to have one place you can go for a tech-driven, game-changing game day – and that’s Verizon FiOS.  Verizon is putting a range of integrated technologies into customers’ hands so they can enhance and customize all their high-school, college and pro football-watching experiences.

Starting today, Verizon is launching the FiOS1 High School Sports Widget exclusively for FiOS TV customers in the company’s Dallas-Fort Worth service area.  Through the new widget, only FiOS TV is delivering on-demand high school sports news, stats, photos and video highlights for area schools through a fun, informative TV entertainment experience covering 38 area teams. 

Starting Sept. 1, the Longhorn Network, a division of theUniversity ofTexas athletics and offered in conjunction with ESPN, will be available to UT sports fans inTexas and across the nation who subscribe to Verizon FiOS TV’s Ultimate package or La Conexion.  The Longhorn Network is dedicated to all things UT, from Longhorn games to cultural events.

In addition to these new sports offerings, a range of interactive applications and innovative programming is offered to FiOS subscribers who love football:

• NFL Network: The only 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week destination for everything that happens around the National Football League, on and off the field. 
• NFL RedZone Channel: Takes viewers around the league every Sunday afternoon for live coverage of critical plays when any team is inside its opponent's 20-yard line. FiOS customers who subscribe to the channel also get on-screen alerts so they can pull up the RedZone Channel when their favorite teams are near the goal line. 
• Football Widget: Quick access to NFL rosters, player details and headline news. Includes My Players that lets you track up to 15 players and NFL video-on-demand that lets you access select NFL on-demand content.
• ESPN Fantasy Sports Widget: Provides instant personalized on-screen access to viewers' ESPN Fantasy Football teams, including real-time scoring, rosters, box scores, scoring leaders and player information. 
• Twitter Widget: Subscribers can use FiOS TV's unique Twitter Widget to log onto Twitter and offer up their own game commentary right on their TV screens or see what other fans are saying about the game.  
• Multi-Room DVR:  Never miss a game because you're away or because the family wants to watch something else on the big screen.  Verizon's advanced DVR lets subscribers record programming on one set that can then be watched on up to six other TV sets in the home.  You can also pause recorded programming on one set and continue to watch it on another - and can take the recorded game to any room without missing a play.
• Remote DVR Management: Forgot to set the DVR to record the game?  No worries.  Subscribers can remotely manage their FiOS DVR via any broadband connection or any broadband-enabled cell phone.
• ESPN3 on FiOS Internet: Each week during football season, ESPN3 brings Verizon broadband customers live college football games featuring the nation's top teams, as well as replays of games from previous weeks.  Games are available exclusively online, at no additional charge to Verizon FiOS Internet and High Speed Internet customers.
• ESPN Game Plan: Beginning Sept. 3, the PPV package gives college football fans the games they want throughout the season, including games outside of their local viewing area. It's a permanent subscription offer, so customers who subscribed last year have been auto-renewed, unless they chose to opt out. Order before tomorrow, and save $19.50 with the Early Bird price. 
• ESPN Goal Line: Free for Extreme and Ultimate subscribers, the channel takes college football fans to some of the best matchups on Saturday from noon till approximately 11:30 p.m. ET. It features live look-ins of scoring drives and analyst commentary. Available in HD on channel 571.

• Two-Way Fast Broadband: With download speeds of up to 150 Mbps and upload speeds up to 35 Mpbs, FiOS Internet provides the two-way speed needed to enjoy games and highlights online. A recently-released report from the Federal Communications confirms that FiOS Internet customers receive blazing-fast and sustained upstream and downstream speeds even during peak usage periods.

And, remember, that FiOS TV is rated #1 in HD picture quality, overall picture quality and innovation, which means your game-day experience at home will make you feel like you’re sitting at the stadium.  So, enjoy football like never before – but don’t blame us if you eat too many snacks!