NBC’s Playmaker Media & Turner’s iStreamPlanet in OTT Sports Pact

STAMFORD: Playmaker Media and iStreamPlanet have entered into a long-term partnership to deliver OTT live-streaming and VOD solutions for major sports leagues, professional team franchises, emerging leagues, regional and national sports broadcasting networks, the Olympics organization and other premium rights holders of live-event content.

Playmaker Media, owned by NBC Sports Group and operated by NBC Sports Digital, and iStreamPlanet, owned by Turner, between them have delivered multiple Olympics and Super Bowls together. Playmaker streams the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, Premier League and Triple Crown, among others, while iStreamPlanet streams NBA League Pass, ELEAGUE and the upcoming NCAA March Madness 2017 tournament and 2017 PGA Championship.

The partnership will deliver technology and services for an end-to-end consumer experience, including signal acquisition, content management, rights enforcement, editorial workflows, live and VOD streaming, advertising, e-Commerce, analytics and customized application experiences on consumer devices.

“We have a long history of working with iStreamPlanet and have collaborated with them to successfully stream some of the biggest events in sports, including multiple Olympics and Super Bowls, to massive audiences,” said Eric Black, CTO of NBC Sports Group Digital. “This is a natural fit as the assets of each company complement the other, providing the most robust offering for customers. We look forward to better serving the growing marketplace through this partnership.”

“This deal delivers on a shared core value—that end users should be delighted, and premium sports content should be complemented with compelling, innovative viewing experiences,” said iSteamPlanet’s founder and CEO, Mio Babic. “We are just beginning to scratch the surface on the types of innovative solutions we can provide to our customers, and we will continue to expand the amazing work we are doing across the sports industry.”

Jeremy Legg, CTO of Turner, said, “This partnership announcement represents another step in Turner’s strategy for iStreamPlanet to commercialize solutions and bring them to market in ways that are valuable for consumers and customers. We’re excited iStreamPlanet’s industry-leading cloud video streaming platform joined with NBC Sports Digital’s capabilities and success in digital sports streaming business—this will bring a new level of excellence to the market.”