NFL threatens huge fines for NFL teams for using too much NFL video

The NFL has long had pretty restrictive policies when it comes to media outlets using video of games and practices involving league teams, and they’ve even been known to have homemade YouTube clips pulled offline too.

But controlling how and when NFL teams use video? This is new territory.

Via Albert Breer of The MMQB, the 32 NFL teams were recently sent a memo announcing that clubs are now subject to fines for exceeding limits on video and moving content. The new policy starts next week, on Oct. 12.

Here are the details, as explained by Breer:

“Those [limits] are particularly strict during the 60 minutes leading up to games, and through games, with clubs largely limited to re-posting from the NFL’s own accounts (with some allowance for approved content on Snapchat). The memo says that first-time offenders will be fined up to $25,000, a second offense will warrant a fine of up to $50,000, and a third offense will merit a fine of up to $100,000 and loss of rights to post league-controlled content. To put that in perspective, Broncos safety Darian Stewart was fined $18,231 for his high hit on Cam Newton in the opener. Under this policy, if Denver had posted video of the hit, the team could incur a heavier penalty for a first-time offense. And it’s also interesting that the memo went out last week, rather than during the offseason. The NFL, for its part, says the new enforcement measures are unrelated to the ratings issue, but it is—at least—a sign that the league is being increasingly careful with its most valuable content.”

As Breer notes, the new directive came down last week and not before the season began. Through the first four weeks of this season, NFL television ratings have been down across the board, on all networks that broadcast the league’s games, particularly the marquee primetime games, Sunday Night football and Monday Night football.

Is the NFL nervous about its sliding ratings? The truth is, any other American sports league would love to get the ratings football does. But relative to how the NFL has done, the numbers don’t look good.

And will restricting pre-game videos really get more people to watch? That seems unlikely, particularly as the current generation devours just about everything digitally and on a mobile device. But if the timing of the NFL’s league-wide memo is any indication, the league is scrambling in light of reduced viewership.