HD, Technology Make NFL At Home Better Than Stadium for Some

HDTV, the NFL RedZone channel, surround sound, DirecTV’s NFL ticket and the obsession with fantasy football are all combining to make watching NFL games at home more appealing than watching them in person, according to Wednesday’s USA Today .

A report by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) shows 35 percent of fans preferred to watch a football game on an HDTV than attend in person. 3D TVs could add to that, with the first NFL game in 3D coming Thursday in the New England Patriots vs New York Giants preseason game.

Mindful of a 2.4 percent drop in attendance in the 2009 season, NFL is working to make the in-person experience better, bringing many of the at-home comforts to the stadium.

Some NFL teams are offering handheld mobile units and mobile applications that allow fans to watch replays, view unique camera angles, tune into the RedZone channel, watch broadcasts of other games and check fantasy stats.

The case for at-home viewing of NFL games

• Large screen HDTVs, surround sound, 3D
• NFL Redone channel: Switches to games that are nearing a scoring chance
• DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket: access to every afternoon game for $300/season
• Cost: The average cost to take a family of four to an NFL game was $413 in 2009