REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. and the National Football League (NFL) today announced a multiyear, landmark partnership that will deliver truly unique interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve the in-game, sideline experience for coaches, players and other personnel.

“We love the passion that players, coaches and fans bring to the NFL game; it’s what makes the NFL game-day experience so unique,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “We’re excited to apply our passion for technology to the NFL experience, both on the sidelines through the innovative use of Microsoft Surface devices, and for fans through an enhanced NFL viewing experience on Xbox One.”

The agreement provides Microsoft with the rights to create exclusive interactive experiences through products such as Xbox One and Surface, transforming the way fans will experience the NFL in the years to come. The NFL on Xbox will provide fans with an all-new viewing experience through innovations around Skype and Xbox SmartGlass; an all-new, innovative fantasy football solution allowing fans to view players and live competition side by side on a single TV screen; and a personalized NFL destination featuring information about the players, teams and games fans care about most. Xbox also retains the exclusive rights to extend these interactive experiences to tablets, enabling fans to use Xbox SmartGlass technology to enhance game day.

“When we started working with Roger Goodell and the team at the NFL we knew that we could create great new experiences that fans would love,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “This partnership will redefine NFL experiences through exclusive and interactive content that you will find only on Xbox. For fans, the NFL on Xbox will provide the most complete way to enjoy live football by bringing the first fully-integrated fantasy football experience to the TV, exclusively through Xbox.”

This partnership also changes the game for NFL teams because coaches and players will soon have access to a variety of cutting-edge Microsoft solutions, including Surface tablets to enhance on-field 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. With Microsoft technology, NFL coaches, players and other personnel will have the technology they need to improve decision-making and on-field performance.

“From the use of instant replay to the yellow first-down line that has become an important element of the at-home television viewing experience, the NFL is committed to leveraging technology to improve our game for coaches, players and fans,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We’re thrilled to be teaming with a true innovator like Microsoft to shape the future of the NFL game experience, both on-field and in the living room.”

As part of the partnership, Surface by Microsoft branding will appear on NFL sidelines in unique ways, including on the hoods of the official on-field NFL instant replay stations. As part of the relationship, Microsoft will be granted the following designations:

• Xbox remains “The Official Game Console of the NFL” and will also become “The Official Interactive Video Entertainment Console.”
• Microsoft is “The Official Sideline Technology Sponsor of the NFL.”
• Surface by Microsoft and Windows are “The Official Tablet and PC Operating System of the NFL.” 

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The information contained in this press release relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it. 

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The National Football League Foundation announced today that former NFL Man of the Year JASON TAYLOR has been chosen to serve on the organization’s board of directors. Taylor enjoyed a 15-year NFL playing career with the Dolphins, Redskins and Jets, including being selected to six Pro Bowls, and retired in 2011.

Taylor joins the NFL Foundation board in a newly formed post for retired Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winners who will serve two-year terms. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award has been presented annually since 1970 to an outstanding player who also makes significant contributions to society. Taylor received the prestigious award in 2007.

“I am honored to join the NFL Foundation,” said TAYLOR. “I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the 32 NFL teams to advance the Foundation’s mission.”

“We appreciate Jason’s commitment to the NFL Foundation,” said NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL. “As a former NFL player and a dedicated philanthropist, Jason brings a unique and valuable perspective to the organization.”

Taylor currently serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He devotes much of his time to leading the Jason Taylor Foundation, which he founded in 2004 along with his wife, Katina. The organization supports and creates programs that facilitate the growth and empowerment of South Florida children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.

“During his NFL career Jason was a leader on the field and in his community,” said CHARLOTTE JONES ANDERSON, chairman of the NFL Foundation and executive vice president of the Dallas Cowboys. “We are excited to have Jason join the board and assist in guiding the foundation’s efforts to support our communities.”

Taylor joins fellow board members: MICHAEL BIDWILL, President, Arizona Cardinals; SHAHID KHAN, Owner, Jacksonville Jaguars; MARY OWEN, Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning, Buffalo Bills; ARTHUR J. ROONEY II, President, Pittsburgh Steelers; and LEONARD WILF, Owner/Vice Chairman, Minnesota Vikings.

About the NFL Foundation:

The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth football, and the communities which support our game. For more information on The NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.

The week begins with the final Super Bowl tree planting in New Orleans – the culmination of more than 2,000 trees planted as part of the greening of Super Bowl XLVII. At that New Orleans event, a “golden shovel” will be passed on to officials from the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. This ceremonial shovel travels from one Super Bowl community to the next. It symbolizes the environmental responsibility handed along to each new host community.

Eight to ten trees will be planted at each event: in New Jersey at Essex County Weequahic Park and in New York at Randall’s Island Park. At each location, one of the trees planted will be a willow oak; a gift from the New Orleans community. The willow oak was selected because it is native to both New Orleans and the New York/New Jersey region.

These events are a preview of the environmental projects being developed as part of Super Bowl – addressing solid waste, food waste, material reuse, and overall climate impact of Super Bowl activities and events. NFL support for urban forestry projects reduces the environmental impact of Super Bowl. It also allows the NFL to support ongoing community initiatives including the MillionTreesNYC project.

Environmental projects at Super Bowl involve broad community relationships. This week’s events are made possible by support from the NFL, the NYNJ Super Bowl XLVIII Host Committee, NFL sponsor Verizon, the City of New York – MillionTreesNYC, the New York Restoration Project, the State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Tree Foundation.

The NFL Environmental Program plays an active role behind the scenes at Super Bowl. The Environmental Program is responsible for recycling solid waste from Super Bowl events and donating building, decorative and office materials to local organizations for reuse. Tens of thousands of pounds of un-served food from Super Bowl events are distributed to local food banks. An annual project called Super Kids-Super Sharing puts thousands of pieces of sports equipment and books into the hands of local children in need of these items. A comprehensive climate change initiative combines support for urban forestry projects, use of biofuels, offsets for travel emissions and use of renewable energy to address the greenhouse gas production associated with Super Bowl events and activities. These projects are developed in partnership with the Super Bowl Host Committee, our sponsors and local and state agencies as well as local non-profit organizations.

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Support for these initial Super Bowl tree plantings comes from :

MillionTreesNYC, a cornerstone of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC vision to establish a healthier, more sustainable New York City, is a public-private partnership between the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project, through which one million trees will be planted and cared for throughout the five boroughs. As part of MillionTreesNYC Parks is reforesting 2,000 acres of parkland into new, ecologically healthy, multi-story forests.   New forests help expand canopy cover in New York City, increasing the myriad environmental benefits already provided by our urban forest. Since MillionTreesNYC was launched in October 2007,  739,108 trees have been planted.  For more information, visit  www.milliontreesnyc.org.

Founded by Bette Midler in 1995, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming open space in underserved communities to create a greener, more sustainable New York City. Unlike traditional conservancies that care for a specific place, NYRP is the only New York City conservancy that works citywide, bringing private resources to spaces that lack adequate municipal support. To learn more, please visit www.nyrp.org.

Verizon has a robust sustainability strategy, which includes free recycling rallies that have collected more than 1 million pounds of e-waste; an aggressive commitment to various ENERGY STAR programs resulting in more than 115 ENERGY STAR-certified stores; a wireless phone trade-in program, which has collected more than 1 million phones; and Verizon’s HopeLine program, which provides no-longer-used wireless phones into support for victims of domestic violence. The strategy supports Verizon’s goal of cutting by 50 percent its carbon intensity – the company’s main sustainability metric that measures the amount of energy needed to transport a terabyte of data over its networks – by 2020.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 98 million retail connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with nearly $116 billion in 2012 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 183,400. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

The New Jersey Tree Foundation is a state-wide non-profit organization dedicated to planting trees in New Jersey’s most underserved neighborhoods. Through tree planting, volunteerism and education we assist numerous communities in improving their environment and quality of life. Tree Foundation programs are innovative and volunteer driven. Community-based tree plantings involving city residents work. We do not do the work for the people; we train them to take charge and complete the project themselves. That is empowering for folks who must face some of life’s most difficult circumstances. In the same vein, by employing ex-offenders, the Tree Foundation is providing the first stepping-stone of reintegration into society for men who have been imprisoned for years. For more information, visit  www.njtreefoundation.org

The 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee: In an unprecedented decision by NFL team owners, the New York/New Jersey region was awarded the 2014 Super Bowl on May 25, 2010.

The New York and New Jersey region will provide visiting fans an unparalleled Super Bowl experience – complete with a multitude of exceptional venues, landmark destinations, and sightseeing and shopping opportunities. The area offers 40 Broadway theatres, 60 Off-Broadway theatres, more than 100 museums and nearly 1,700 public parks, as well as more than 18,000 restaurant choices and 275 world-class hotels with 100,000 hotel rooms, suitable for a wide range of tastes and budgets.

Met Life Stadium is the only stadium to serve as the home to two NFL teams, the New York Giants and New York Jets. As such, it is able to provide equal “home field advantage” to both competing teams, with two of everything – including locker rooms, training rooms, home team coaches booths, and premium in-game medical treatment facilities, as well as two full-practice training facilities, the Timex Performance Center and Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.

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And while the drafted rookies enter the NFL from a variety of different backgrounds, one thing they generally all have in common is an outstanding experience playing high school football.

The 2013 drafted rookies range from Punahou High School in Honolulu, Hawaii to Karksi-Nuia High School in Karksi-Nuia, Estonia. A total of 236 high schools contributed to the 254 players selected in the seven rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft on April 25-27, USA Football announced today. Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona led all high schools with three players selected.

“There’s a lot of great athletes that come out of the program,” said Miami Dolphins first-round selection DION JORDAN, a Chandler grad. “They train us well to get us ready for college, make sure we take care of business in school, first of all, so we can have that opportunity. Because of the community and the coaching, a tremendous amount of athletes come from our area.”

Seventeen schools had at least two players selected, with four of those schools producing a first-round choice – Chandler in Chandler, Arizona (defensive end Dion Jordan by Miami); Dutchtown in Geismar, Louisiana (safety ERIC REID by San Francisco); Miami Norland in Miami, Florida (cornerback XAVIER RHODES by Minnesota); and Newnan in Newnan, Georgia (linebacker ALEC OGLETREE by St. Louis).

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Televised live at 8:00 PM ET by NBC, the NFL/Hall of Fame Game is the first of 11 national preseason telecasts carried by NFL broadcast partners CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC that will feature the entire 2012 playoff field.

NFL Network will also provide extensive coverage of the NFL preseason, including live game broadcasts in all four weeks of the preseason.  NFL Network’s preseason broadcast schedule will be announced in July.

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“Steve Sabol is one of New Jersey’s most innovative entrepreneurs and his creativity has revolutionized both sports and documentary cinematography around the world,” Allen said. “He has made Mount Laurel the home of America’s favorite sport, having created a model business employing hundreds of people and boasting the world’s largest sports film library. He showed us the passion of the game — and made it our passion, too.”

“With ingenuity and grace, Steve Sabol has humanized America’s favorite sport bringing people inside the hearts and minds of their football heroes,” added Addiego. “Continuing Steve Sabol’s passion, NFL Films will continue to make Burlington County proud, as it chronicles the season of Super Bowl XLVIII.”

On Feb. 7, Senators Allen and Addiego introduced their resolution to make October 2 Steve Sabol Day in New Jersey.

NFL Network Wins in Outstanding Short Feature & Sports Promotional Announcement – Episodic Categories

NFL Media – comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL RedZone, NFL.com and NFL Mobile – won six Sports Emmy Awards, it was announced last night in New York City.

NFL Network won in the Outstanding Short Feature category for NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, as well as in the Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement – Episodic category for A Football Life: Life Story, which it shared with NFL Films. With the two Emmy Awards, NFL Network increased its total to 12 in its nine-year history.

To view the Emmy Award-winning NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, visit:

http://on.nfl.com/142lGw3

NFL Films – the most-honored filmmaker in sports – won five Emmy Awards, which tied for the most awards NFL Films has received in a single year (2010-11) and increased its total to 112 Emmy Awards. Also, NFL Films was the only entity to win awards for multiple networks (HBO, NFL Network and Showtime).

The documentary Namath, produced along with HBO, earned two Emmys in the Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics categories. Additionally, Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins won in the category of Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound, and Inside the NFL won Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly.

This year, NFL Media received a record 24 Sports Emmy Award nominations, surpassing the previous high of 18 set in 2010.

Following is a complete list of the Sports Emmy Awards won by NFL Media this year:

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE

NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT – EPISODIC

A Football Life: Life Story (NFL Network/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY

Inside the NFL (Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY

Namath (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION/DIRECTION/LYRICS

Namath (HBO/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING POST PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO/NFL Films)

ABOUT NFL NETWORK

Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fans turn to NFL Network to receive information and insight straight from the field, team headquarters, league offices and everywhere the NFL is making news. Launched in 2003, NFL Network gives fans unprecedented year-round inside access to all NFL events, including the Super Bowl, Playoffs, regular season, preseason, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend, NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, Senior Bowl, league meetings, minicamps and training camps.

Currently in more than 72 million homes, NFL Network has carriage agreements with each of the country’s largest television providers including Comcast, DirecTV, DISH Network, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse.

For fans on the go, all NFL Network programming is streamed live on NFL Mobile from Verizon. For more information, log on to www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.  NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

– NFL MEDIA –

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INDIANAPOLIS — More than 50 former NFL players will convene at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday, May 8, to become trained as Heads Up Football^SM Ambassadors. They will participate in clinics that will reinforce tackling mechanics aimed at reducing helmet contact. The sessions also will feature education on concussion recognition and response and provide instruction on proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting.

The clinic is part of Heads Up Football, a new nationwide USA Football pilot program for the 2013 season dedicated to making the game better and safer for youth players. The former NFL players participating in the clinic will work alongside youth leagues across the nation this fall as mentors, lending support to the Heads Up Football program and reinforcing a culture of safety in youth football.

Among the former NFL players participating in the Heads Up Football clinic are LAVAR ARRINGTON, KEITH BULLUCK, MERRIL HOGE, HARDY NICKERSON and JAKE PLUMMER.

USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams. More than 1,200 youth football leagues across the U.S., representing more than 250,000 players and 36,000 coaches nationwide, have committed to the health and safety of their young players by adopting Heads Up Football.

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