The New York Jets have become the first National Football League team to publish their official photography using SmartFrame’s image-streaming technology.
The Jets have adopted the SmartFrame Images platform to retain control over their intellectual property and to create new commercial opportunities through SmartFrame’s in-image advertising system.
Under the new partnership, images captured at New York Jets games and official team events will be published on smartframe.com and will be available for publishers to embed for free. Ownership of the images and their associated rights will remain fully with the New York Jets, allowing the organization to control how its official photography is displayed, distributed, and monetized across digital channels.
The agreement marks SmartFrame Technologies’ first deployment with an NFL team and its first with a United States professional sports franchise. The platform is already used by sports organizations around the world, including New Zealand Rugby, Six Nations Rugby, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, and Premier League clubs Manchester City FC, Everton FC, and Brentford FC. The partnership was facilitated by Pliner & Co.
Unlike traditional static image delivery, SmartFrame’s technology streams images directly to audiences on sports and news websites around the world. This enables interactive features such as full-screen viewing and SmartFrame’s proprietary Hyper Zoom technology, which boost fan engagement, together with integrated captions and Content Credentials that verify an image’s provenance and ownership.
By streaming rather than downloading images, SmartFrame’s platform also helps brands safeguard their intellectual property by providing protection against image theft, while delivering data and audience insights on how images are viewed and shared. The model is funded through high-impact, in-image advertising placements that compensate both the image owner and website publisher.
Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said the partnership highlights a shift in how professional sports organizations are approaching ownership and value in digital media. “For decades, sports teams around the world have produced exceptional images, only to lose control of them once they appear online,” said Sewell. “We’re delighted to have the New York Jets as the first NFL team to adopt our technology for their official images, turning visual content into a strategic asset rather than a cost of doing business, and joining other leading sports organizations already enjoying the same benefits.”