Don't underestimate the completely different experience of watching sports from a first-person perspective instead of the God view we get today. As broadcast TV becomes more slanted towards live sports, since all other content can be consumed in other, more convenient ways, these kinds of deals are going to be very important to a space filled with a lot of money.
I agree completely. Rogers (or whoever the consortium that bought the Canadian broadcast rights) has added a number of new camera angles to their broadcast this year. Some are gimmicky. But others really let you experience the game in a new way. For instance, because they have a wire cam, they now have an angle that chases an offensive play down the ice. You appreciate a lot of the nuances more when you're not stuck in the nosebleeds at center. And you appreciate the pace a lot more.
To be fair, sports content is also already heading in the direction other content is taking. I have NHL Gamecenter Live, for instance, which lets me watch all games timeshifted, select the home or away announcers, watch only the highlights, do relays, etc. Adding features like first-person POV this will only serve to enhance the non-broadcast experience further.
Indeed, the first time someone hits a goalie-mounted one of these with a slapshot from the blue line it's going to make people jump out of their seats.
