No third-party apps will be installed. Sorry, no Twitter for you Johnny Manziel.
As technology keeps getting better, the NFL will continue finding ways of taking advantage, with it’s latest venture taking place in the sidelines. Building on the deal the league has built with Microsoft ($400 million over 5 years), coaches and players will now be able to benefit from the Sideline Viewing System, a new way to be able to view replays as they happen through a tablet.
The system is built into the new Surface Pro 2 tablets, which will be able to show teams images and plays that they may have not caught with the speed of the game and their own eyes in real time. Things such as defensive schemes, replays and more.
The tablets will be owned by the NFL, not the teams, and have been modified to fit the use they intended. They will run on a private network created by the league so no third party apps are installed as a distraction to the game.
They will also be used at the discretion of the teams playing. The NFL will not force any organization to use the Sideline Viewing System, but merely give them the option of using to their liking. We’re sure most will find benefit to using the tablets during specific situations and might yield some advantages, if used correctly, throughout the game.
The system made it’s debut tonight at the Hall of Fame game between the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills earlier tonight.
[Source]