This is not the league's first live online subscription service - its Game Pass service offers live streaming for regular season games but is only available outside North America. In the US and Canada, the NFL offers fans access to all regular season games, ad free, on demand but is restricted to extended highlights, provided up to 24 hours after fixtures have been played.

In the NFL's domestic market, the league has adopted a more conservative approach online for live games, opting to expand deals with its traditional TV partners to offer a limited number of games online rather than go it alone over-the-top. Last season it offered live simulcasting of 17 nationally televised games for free on an ad-supported basis in deal with NBC, one of its broadcaster partners, on NBCSports.com and the NFL.com. Select out-of-market games are also available live online but only for DirecTV customers as part of an exclusive four-year deal agreed in early 2009, reportedly worth $4bn - subscribers to DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket pay TV package have the option of upgrading to the To-Go tier for an additional $59.99 to access via PCs, smartphones and the iPad.

Though the NFL's new standalone service only extends to preseason, non-competitive fixtures, it could be an indication that the NFL will adopt a more centralised approach to online distribution. Fellow major sports league MLB has set the benchmark in this regard: its MLB.tv service offers live coverage of out-of-market games for the regular season on a standalone subscription basis, not only via the PC but - for top-tier subscribers - through a range of connected devices, including the PS3, Roku's connectable set-top box, the iPhone and the iPad. By adhering to blackout restrictions MLB avoids antagonising traditional TV partners while at the same time leveraging hardcore fan base willing to pay for online access to live games. In addition, for in-market streaming, MLB is beginning to extend deals with pay TV operators and regional sports networks. The NFL's live out-of-market online rights - for some games at least - are bundled into its deal with DirecTV for the next few seasons, but the launch of NFL Preseason Live might be a sign that the NFL is evaluating its online strategy and may look to emulate the MLB's efforts.