Ten Sports, NBCU launch live streaming cricket portal

Ten Sports, NBCU launch live streaming cricket portal
By SportzPower Team
Published: 2 Sep 2009 - 12:34
MUMBAI: Ten Sports and NBC Universal Digital Solutions (NBCUDS), a wholly owned digital subsidiary of NBC Universal, have entered into an
agreement to develop and launch tensports.com, a free, cricket-focused multiplatform sports portal targeting the region’s fast growing digital
audience.
The site will debut with live Webcast coverage of the Compaq Cup, the tri-angular cricket series between India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka starting on
8 September.
The portal will feature live Webcast of full cricket matches that encompass content from countries for which Ten Sports holds broadcast rights,
including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. The video experience will be complimented by
commentary and statistics, and will allow viewers to simultaneously chat with friends and family and other fans during live Webcasts.
In addition to providing live Webcasts of cricket matches, tensports.com will also offer on-demand highlights during live matches, so that fans who
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have tuned-in late can catch up on crucial moments of action. These highlights will be hosted permanently on the site.
As another first, tensports.com will open up access to Ten Sports’ deep video archive globally. This archive would eventually be available to mobile
users as well.
Ten Sports will promote the new portal to its worldwide audience. The strategic partnership will provide multi-platform, 360 degree advertising
solutions for advertisers who will be able to reach highly engaged audiences who will enjoy innovations such as Facebook social networking
integration and real-time highlights during live Webcast of cricket matches, a joint media release issued by the two companies states.
The portal will be owned and operated by NBC Universal Digital Solutions and will expand its content offerings to include other sports in the future.
NBCUDS will also syndicate live cricket Webcast to its selected syndication partners for wider distribution.
NBCUDS has selected online video advertising network Vdopia as its exclusive third party digital ad sales partner for the portal. Vdopia will represent
the Ten Sports content on tensports.com as well as on syndication partner Web sites.
“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to India, one of the most exciting emerging media markets in the world,” said Sab Kanaujia, vice
president, digital product strategy & development, NBC Universal, who will be managing this new business. “We’re delighted to work with Ten Sports
to launch India’s premier, video-rich, sports portal. By combining great content with our digital expertise and proven technology products and
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platforms, we fully intend to establish a new standard for excellence in the marketplace.”
NBCU is already invested in the Indian market through its 26 per cent stake in media major NDTV Networks. NBCU recently opened up a digital
solutions business in India, providing its tech infrastructure and experience to local Indian media companies and publishers. It also helped redesign
NDTV’s flagship site NDTV.com.
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