Skip to main content

Proposed NFL rule change could put Microsoft Surface front and center on replays

One of Microsoft’s most visible marketing initiatives for its Surface Pro line of Windows 10 2-in-1s has been a partnership with the NFL. Every year, iconic blue Surface Pro machines are featured on the sideline and in the replay booth at NFL games.

The relationship has been a bit rocky at times, with the likes of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick publicly complaining about the machine’s performance. The marketers at Microsoft might be getting a huge break next season, however, as NFL officials are considering a rule change that would greatly benefit the promotional effort, USA Today reports.

Recommended Videos

The proposed rule change involves how replays and controversial rulings by officials are handled. Today, a referee uses a hooded video monitor on the sideline to replay a questionable call. If the rule change passes, then a tablet will be used on the field instead, which will be used in consultation with the NFL’s New York office.

Of course, the tablet that would be used for reviewing plays would be the same Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablets that are used by coaches and other team staff. Every time a play is reviewed, then, that blue case with the prominent Surface logo would potentially be flashed on the screen — and perhaps commentators will have something good to say about the machines.

Such a move, while likely coincidental to Microsoft’s partnership with the NFL — or perhaps not, as USA Today asserts, given how the NFL likes to leverage its promotional agreements — would go a long way toward helping Microsoft reap more benefits from its marketing investment. Just maybe, commentators would start using the Surface name when referring to the tablets rather than calling them iPads.

In any event, the proposed rule changes for the 2017-18 NFL season will go in front of league owners next week. Microsoft’s​ marketing team will be holding its breath in the meantime, hoping that its Surface Pro 4 machines will gain significantly more exposure. The company will have to hope that the officials get those controversial calls right, or fans could associate the Surface with their team losing football games.

Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock is a Freelance Writer at Digital Trends covering primarily laptop and other computing technologies. He has…
Microsoft Surface Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: mainstream battle
The edge of the Surface Pro 11.

Since releasing the original Surface tablet in 2012, Microsoft has grown its PC business into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. The mobile Surface line has expanded to include 2-in-1 and traditional clamshell laptops in various form factors. There's the Surface Pro 11, Surface Laptop 7, Surface Laptop Go 3, and Surface Laptop Studio 2. That's quite the lineup, and you'll find a Surface on a number of our best-of lists such as best tablets and best laptops.

The two most mainstream lines, though, are the Surface Pro 11 and the Surface Laptop 7. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and you'll want to keep them in mind if you're looking for a Surface and choosing between the two.
Specs and configurations

Read more
Microsoft’s next event could reveal the Surface Pro we’ve been waiting for
The Microsoft logo at the company's September 2023 event.

Microsoft has just confirmed that it will hold a Surface and Windows event on March 21, as previously rumored. The company went live with a placeholder webpage for a digital event titled "New Era of Work," teasing some new announcements and how it will " advance the new era of work with Copilot."

Set to kick off at 9 a.m. PT on March 21 , it's looking as though this event might be a little bit more focused on the business side of things, rather than consumer offerings. Microsoft doesn't get into many details, but mentioned how the event will be focused on "the latest in scaling AI in your environment with Copilot, Windows, and Surface."

Read more
The Surface Pro could finally live up to its potential this year
The back of the Surface Pro 9, with the kickstand pulled out.

The Surface Pro hasn't changed much over the years. The design has been tweaked slightly from generation to generation, but the central premise has remained. Its strengths have been bolstered, but its weaknesses have stayed around, too.

This year, however, the Surface Pro 10 is reportedly coming out. And unlike previous versions of the Surface Pro, this one might finally reinvent this device into something that profoundly fulfills the promise of what it always could be.
The problem of the 2-in-1

Read more