ESPN and the Ohio Valley Conference have announced a new six-year media rights agreement. The new agreement extends ties between ESPN and the conference that span multiple decades, dating back to the league playing midnight basketball games to a national television audience in the early 1980s

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The new agreement to air games across ESPN platforms and networks includes ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer offering, which is inclusive of ESPN+ and launched in August.

As part of the deal, a minimum of 725 events per year will be available digitally on ESPN+. Linear exposure includes regular season basketball telecasts on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Tournament on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS and the Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Additionally, the agreement allows the OVC to retain the rights to telecast up to 50 linear events per year locally in the Conference footprint.

“We’re excited to build on our longstanding partnership with the OVC with this new agreement,” said Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of programming and acquisitions. “This deal underscores ESPN’s commitment to elevating college sports and we look forward to showcasing the OVC’s student-athletes on a national stage across our platforms in the years ahead.”

“We are thrilled to continue our valued partnership with ESPN through this new long-term agreement,” said OVC commissioner Beth DeBauche. “This deal provides an exceptional platform to showcase the extraordinary talent of our student-athletes and the outstanding competition that defines the OVC. ESPN’s commitment to our conference supports our strategic growth initiatives and ensures our member institutions receive the quality broadcast coverage they deserve. We’re deeply grateful to our ESPN partners for their partnership and vision. Equally important, we thank our member institutions for their continued dedication to producing high-quality content that makes these broadcasts possible. This partnership represents more than just media covera

BOSTON—Sports network NESN today relaunched the NESN 360 app with a redesigned user experience and upgrades.

Available in time for the second half of the Boston Red Sox season that begins tonight, the relaunched app is powered by cloud-based streaming platform ViewLift and is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as major connected TV platforms, NESN said.

The new app is designed to bring fans a sleeker, more intuitive experience. The sign-in process has been condensed and focuses on providing users with stable and reliable streaming of live games. NESN, the TV home of MLB’s Red Sox and the NHL’s Boston Bruins, will continue to develop new features for the app that will roll out throughout the rest of the year, it said.

“We’ve approached the NESN 360 infrastructure in an entirely new way to meet the wants and needs of our fans: better performance, easier navigation and more reliability,” David Wisnia, president and CEO of NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh, said.

“Innovation is core to NESN’s DNA, and there’s a real thirst across our team to continually elevate the fan experience. This relaunch is not just a one-time update,” he continued. “It’s the beginning of a foundation for ongoing improvement. We’re excited to deliver a better experience for a promising second half of the Red Sox season, the upcoming Bruins season and all other content that NESN is proud to exhibit.”

Also Read: NESN Gives Red Sox-Reds Matchup a Retro Makeover

ViewLift will manage the underlying technology powering the NESN 360 and streaming going forward. The company currently manages streaming for 16 professional teams and six other regional sports networks, including other NHL and MLB teams’ streaming.

“NESN is a pioneer regional sports network,” ViewLift CEO Rick Allen said. “We are excited to bring the new NESN 360 app to New England’s sports fans, especially as the Red Sox press toward the playoffs. As we head towards the Bruins’ new season, subscribers will see an extended roll-out of new features and even more devices, reflecting NESN’s legendary leadership.”

The relaunch comes at a pivotal moment in sports media as streaming now accounts for the largest share of TV consumption in the U.S. (44.8%), according to Nielsen, surpassing both broadcast and cable for the first time.

NESN 360 reached its highest subscription numbers at the start of the 2025 Red Sox season following a price reduction in February for annual plans from $330 to $240.

More information about the app and how to download it is available online.

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES—Fox Corp. said it will call its direct-to-consumer streaming service Fox One.

The company said the service is on track to launch later this year before the NFL and college football seasons, but has not released pricing.

Fox One will bring all of Fox's news, sports, entertainment and content together in one dynamic streaming platform, giving cord-cutters and cord-nevers access to live streaming and on-demand content from "the full portfolio of Fox brands including Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Weather, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, BTN, Fox Deportes, Fox Network Stations and the Fox network, as well as the option to bundle Fox Nation, within one platform," the company said.

“We know that Fox has the most loyal and engaged audiences in the industry, and Fox One is designed to reach outside of the pay TV bundle and deliver all the best Fox-branded content directly to viewers wherever they are,“ Fox One CEO Pete Distad said. “We have built this platform from the ground up to allow consumers to enjoy and engage with our programming in new and exciting ways, leveraging cutting edge technology to enhance the user experience across the platform.”

Among Fox One’s features will be advanced personalization technology that adapts to viewing preferences while seamlessly integrating live and video on-demand content in a cohesive experience, the company said..

More information is available at www.fox.com/FoxOne.

The Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger told analysts the direct-to-consumer ESPN app often referred to as “ESPN Flagship” will be available to the linear channel’s existing pay TV subscribers.

The comment, which came during Disney’s second-quarter earnings call, was designed to reassure pay TV operators that the DTC app wouldn’t accelerate cord-cutting. Iger stressed that ESPN’s current linear subscribers will have access to all of the features of the upcoming DTC offering.

“First of all, to the last point, if you are a subscriber of linear ESPN, you will automatically get what I know we've been referring to as ESPN Flagship,” Iger told analysts. “By the way, it will not be called that. And next week, [ESPN Chairman] Jimmy Pitaro plans to reveal not only the name, but he'll also talk about our pricing strategy."

Disney will be holding its upfront on Tuesday May 13.

“The plan would be to basically be somewhat agnostic from a subscriber perspective, so that we can still do our best to preserve the multichannel ecosystem but, at the same time, obviously, want to grow our DTC business,” Iger stressed. “The difference is that the ESPN linear service will, if that's all the consumer chooses to watch, will not have the bells and whistles and those additional features that the DTC service will have. But again, we're giving the consumer the option of consuming both.”

Added Iger: “From a critical mass perspective, we have obviously an unrivaled portfolio of licensed sports on ESPN and an unrivaled portfolio of studio programming and shoulder programming, the bulk of which will be on the linear service and, of course, on Flagship. At some point, I've got to stop using that word.”

In the not-so-distant past, sports fans turned to their TVs for a one-size-fits-all experience: games aired on regional networks, and everyone relied on the same broadcasters for coverage.

Today, that model is unraveling. Consumers are increasingly cutting the cord in favor of Connected TV (CTV) and streaming services, leading to rapid shifts in advertising spend and new direct-to-consumer subscription and pay-per-view offerings.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming is emerging as a vital strategy for sports organizations to engage audiences, monetize content, and expand their reach. For many organizations and brands, this shift isn’t just an opportunity to engage this new type of sports fan—it’s a necessity.

Adapting to the Evolving Media Landscape
Sports have long been considered the final frontier sustaining paid cable television, particularly in the United States, where traditional broadcasters secured exclusive rights through large licensing deals keeping fans tethered to cable.

However, the landscape is shifting. A key turning point came when Diamond Sports Group signed a multi-year agreement allowing Prime Video users to stream Diamond’s 16 FanDuel regional sports networks. We’ve also seen the evolution of Fubo, a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) that is now offering standalone subscriptions to popular DTC streaming services like FanDuel, NBA League Pass, and more without requiring a full MVPD customer.

With streaming platforms now competing for sports rights, leagues, teams, and even individual games can now appear across multiple platforms like linear TV, streaming services, or their own DTC channels. Rather than being limited to a single broadcaster, rights holders can now strategically mix exclusive and non-exclusive deals, expanding their reach while maintaining control over their content.

For years fans have been constrained to a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to sports but in the wake of streaming, fans can now have a customized and seamless viewing experience, all from the platform(s) of their choosing. Now more than ever, organizations are delivering seamless viewing experiences that allow fans to subscribe to the content they love while also creating new opportunities for brands to engage them.

Meeting Fans Where They Are
The streaming industry is racing to keep up with the evolving sports landscape, but we’re already further along than many realize. This isn’t the first cycle of investment—it’s the next phase of refinement and optimization. The foundations have been laid, and now it’s about building smarter, more sustainable models that align with shifting consumer behaviors and the growing demand for flexible, data-driven sports streaming experiences.

The ability to deliver personalized, automated ad experiences across these platforms will be a game-changer for monetization and audience engagement. Many teams are launching their own OTT streaming apps to deliver live games, replays, and exclusive content straight to fans’ screens.

For example, last year the NBA struck an 11-year agreement with The Walt Disney Company that will net them roughly $76 billion dollars. Through this agreement, the NBA app will be leveraged as a universal access point to direct fans to the platform of their choosing (Disney, NBCU, or Amazon) to watch their favorite games.

As digital viewership climbs, the cost of game rights continues to soar. Major streaming platforms and tech giants are vying for digital sports rights, fueled by the power of sports to captivate audiences across all demographics on a massive scale.

For premium leagues like the NBA, digital streaming rights opportunities have opened up the competition for coveted network ad dollars, providing new revenue and highly engaged audiences. This also opens up opportunities for brands to leverage contextual targeting, aligning their content with trending athletes, and ensuring their ads reach engaged fans at the perfect time.

This hybrid approach will allow the NBA to balance traditional revenue streams with digital innovation, meeting fans where they are by maximizing accessibility and engagement. The rewards are substantial: by taking control of their platforms and owning the relationship with fans, organizations can sell their sponsorships directly, maintain control over valuable data, and connect with fans in deeper, more personalized ways driving higher engagement and offering tailored advertising and content experiences.

Engagement Lasts Beyond The Season
The always-on nature of sports (there is at least one broadcast-worthy sporting event every day) and the lengthy seasons provide ample opportunities to attract new subscribers – drawing them in with their favorite teams and then hooking them with other offerings when the games end. Female athletes and sports fans are also reshaping the media landscape, breaking long-held stereotypes, and redefining how sports are covered and consumed.

Deloitte predicted that 2024 revenue from women's sports would surpass 1 billion dollars for the first time. We’ve seen streamers start to follow this revenue stream – Peacock partnered with podcaster Alex Cooper for live Olympic coverage, and Netflix (whose subscriber base is 51% female) live-streamed the Christmas NFL games featuring a halftime show from Beyoncé. Netflix has also become home to shows like Quarterback and Receiver which have been praised for a real-life look into NFL players' lives both on and off the field.

With DTC and owned streaming platforms, teams have greater opportunities to offer fans exclusive behind-the-scenes content of their favorite athletes, providing a deeper, more personal look into their lives. There’s significant potential, especially during the off-season, to expand on these connections by highlighting team personalities in more engaging and creative ways, fostering stronger bonds with fans.

However, this begs the question of how this could impact Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in sports. We could begin to see more negotiations centered around the individual rights of athletes. With sponsorships now commanding premium placements, brands are increasingly looking to align with athletes, teams, or leagues that have high visibility and direct fan engagement, making NIL deals a key factor in securing lucrative sponsorships. As a result, athletes’ NIL rights could become a major bargaining chip in the negotiation process, influencing the distribution and monetization of digital sports content in unprecedented ways.

A new era of sports fans is here and the growth opportunities are unlimited. It’s clear that sports streaming has become a cornerstone of the modern entertainment landscape that’s here to stay. Sports is no longer about the calendar of events, but building and engaging a community on and off the field, year-round, and the broadcasters that take an audience-first approach and cater to this direct-to-consumer shift will be primed for long-term success, and the brand dollars will surely follow.

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery reported impressive gains in its global streaming subscriber numbers, adding more net Max subs than during any quarter since the streaming service launched. That boosted the company stock by more than 10% by 2 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 7 despite hefty Q3 declines in advertising and distribution revenue from its traditional pay TV networks.

Overall, global direct-to-consumer subscribers hit 110.5 million at the end of Q3, an increase of 7.2 million subscribers vs. Q2, with the most new subscribers coming from outside the U.S.

Domestic subscribers rose by 0.2 million to 52.6 million in Q3 versus Q2 2024, but were about the same as they were a year earlier.

Total corporate revenue declined by 4% to $9.673 billion in the third quarter, compared to a year earlier, but net income was a positive $136 million, versus a $417 million loss in Q3 2023.

WBD’s networks segment saw distribution revenue decline by 8% year-over-year while advertising dropped a whopping 13%. Adjusted earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the division fell by 12% from a year earlier.

DTC revenues increased 9% excluding the impact of foreign currency changes (ex-FX) to $2,634 million compared to the prior-year quarter. Advertising revenue in the DTC segment increased 51% ex-FX, primarily driven by an increase in domestic ad-lite subscribers. Meanwhile, DTC operating expenses increased by only 1% ex-FX to $2,345 million compared to the prior year quarter.

DTC adjusted EBITDA was $289 million, a $178 million increase in adjusted EBITDA vs. the prior year. Those results included a $41 million loss from the broadcast of the Paris Summer Olympics in Europe.

LOS ANGELES—Sinclair’s Tennis Channel is planning to launch a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service that merges its 24-hour network with extensive live and on-demand multicourt coverage.

The service, which launches Nov. 12, will cost consumers $109.99 a year or $9.99 a month when the service launches.

The streamlined platform integrates the live channel with all content previously available through its existing subscription-streaming service, Tennis Channel+, providing more than 10,000 hours of live and on-demand tennis. This includes replays, highlights and interviews, along with press conferences and a library of series, podcasts and documentaries. Current subscribers will receive the flagship channel at no extra charge.

Cable and satellite video customers who receive Tennis Channel as part of their linear pay TV bundle will also have authenticated access through the network app and website to the enhanced content previously only available through Tennis Channel+ at no further cost.

The addition of the Tennis Channel linear network further enhances the app experience, Sinclair said, offering exclusive commentary, in-depth analysis, player interviews and studio show “Tennis Channel Live.”

“Tennis Channel is transforming the way fans connect with the sport,” Tennis Channel Senior Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer Matt Graham said. “By merging our flagship network with extensive live and on-demand offerings, we’re making it easier for fans to enjoy the game they love. Subscribers have total control of their viewing experience, with the ability to follow their favorite players in real time, switch between multiple live matches or sit back and enjoy our 24/7 network.”

The new, all-in-one service provides live tennis coverage of more than 100 tournaments and thousands of matches from both the men’s and women’s tours. This includes full access to the men’s ATP and women’s WTA seasons, featuring every 1000, 500 and 250 event, as well as their year-end championships. International team competitions Davis Cup (men’s national teams), Billie Jean King Cup (women’s national teams), United Cup (mixed men’s and women’s international teams) and Laver Cup (men’s Europe vs. World teams) are also available on the platform. It also carries exhibition events that showcase the sport’s biggest stars.

The Tennis Channel app is accessible on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Roku, with plans for expansion to additional platforms.

With more professional sports leagues turning from traditional TV to streaming for live coverage, sports rights owners need to do a better job of adapting to new media technologies and strategies. 

That’s according to Altman Solon’s 2023 Global Sports Survey, which queried more than 2,500 sports fans and 150 top executives from eight major global markets, and found that 85% of industry leaders believe that rights owners are not actively addressing the changing needs of their media partners.

“Changes in fan viewing habits and new streaming competitors have sent the sports media industry into a state of flux,” said Altman Solon Director Matt Del Percio. “While the major U.S. sports leagues are operating under blockbuster deals with the networks and streamers, some of their European counterparts have experienced some pull back. The leagues that create flexible, performance-based rights deals that address the industry flux will be more competitive over the longer term.”

Del Percio highlighted Major League Soccer’s new 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple TV, which factors potential upside based on subscriber growth, as a model for future rights deals. When it comes to signing rights deals, 65% of sports executives said rights owners should lengthen media cycles and focus on long-term partnerships with performance-based variables.

The survey also found that when it comes to promoting the internal offerings of direct to consumer (DTC) streaming services vs. those of rights licensing/supporting existing partners, execs slightly favor traditional, 53-47% with nearly the same number (53-46) supporting empowering traditional broadcasters and their transition to streaming vs. pure streamers (i.e. Apple, Amazon Prime or Netflix).

The survey also found that fans of tier 1 sports leagues (European football, U.S major leagues) are willing to pay ~$20-25 per month to pay for access to live games and that 58% of surveyed rights owners prefer to improve and innovate core product over optimizing media and commercial models.

This year’s survey for the first time included a poll of more than 150 global sports media executives to understand the priorities and solutions for a changing industry. In October, Altman Solon released data on global sports fans’ changing viewing habits.

BURBANK, Calif.—Disney posted only slight direct-to-consumer subscriber gains in the quarter ending July 1, 2023, but saw significant progress on its plans to cut streaming losses as losses in its DTC segment fell from $1.064 billion a year ago to $512 million for the Q3 FY2023 ending July 1, 2023.  

Domestic U.S. and Canada Disney+ subs fell from 46.3 million subs for the quarter ending April 1, 2023 to 46.0 million in its Q3 FY 2023. But global core Disney+ subs increased to 105.7 million, up from 104.9 million in April. 

The global core Disney+ sub counts exclude Disney’s troubled Disney+ Hotstar in India service that saw a massive sub drop to 40.4 million in July 1, 2023 from 52.9 million in April. 

ESPN+ held basically steady, at 25.2 million in Q3, FY2023 from 25.3 million in April.

Hulu SVOD only service increased from 43.7 million in April to 44.0 million in Q3 FY2023 while Hulu’s vMVPD service saw slight decline from 4.4 million in April to 4.3 million on July 1 of Q3 FY2023. 

“Our results this quarter are reflective of what we’ve accomplished through the unprecedented transformation we’re undertaking at Disney to restructure the company, improve efficiencies, and restore creativity to the center of our business,” said Robert A. Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “In the eight months since my return, these important changes are creating a more cost- effective, coordinated, and streamlined approach to our operations that has put us on track to exceed our initial goal of $5.5 billion in savings as well as improved our direct-to-consumer operating income by roughly $1 billion in just three quarters. While there is still more to do, I’m incredibly confident in Disney’s long-term trajectory because of the work we’ve done, the team we now have in place, and because of Disney’s core foundation of creative excellence and popular brands and franchises.”

More to come after the completion of Disney’s earning’s call with analysts. 

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery reported sluggish growth in its global direct-to-consumer streaming business in Q4, 2022 as the company's total revenue declined by 9% to $11.0 billion and losses increased to $2.1 billion in Q4, 2022. 

The report also highlighted the company's shift in strategy towards trying to reduce streaming losses and costs, with DTC losses remaining large but significantly reduced from a year ago. 

Overall, global DTC subscribers increased 1.1 million to 96.1 million at the end of Q4 versus 95.0 million subscribers at the end of Q3, helped in part by the re-launch of HBO Max on Amazon Channels in December 2022. For all of 2022, DTC subs grew by 9.9 million from 86.2 million in Q4 2021 to 96.1 million in Q4 2022. 

In the U.S., DTC subs grew by about 1 million to 54.6 million in Q4, up from 53.6 million in Q3, 2022 and 51.2 million a year earlier. 

DTC Q4 revenues were $2,451 million up 6% compared to Q3, 2022 excluding changes in currency rates (ex-FX), the company reported. Advertising revenue increased 75% ex-FX, primarily driven by subscriber growth on our DTC ad-supported tiers and distribution revenue increased 2%. 

The results also highlighted the company’s shift towards trying to cut costs by selling more content. Content revenue increased 28% ex-FX, primarily driven by higher third party licensing of HBO content and while DTC operating expenses were $2,668 million, operating expenses decreased 12% ex-FX compared to Q4 2021. 

DTC Adjusted EBITDA showed a $217 million loss, a $511 million year-over-year improvement in losses on a pro forma combined basis, the company reported. 

Ashwin Navin, CEO of TV data researcher Samba TV weighed in on the company's latest results:

"We continue to see an increasingly competitive landscape in the subscription and advertising supported entertainment market as we enter 2023. Our data shows that many streaming services are vulnerable to subscriber churn and subscription cycling, where viewers sign up for a service to watch a specific program with the intent to immediately cancel after one month," he said. "While over two thirds of adults report they plan to cycle in the next six months complicating forecasting and altering our perception of the true annualized value of a “subscriber”, our data indicates that HBO Max is faring slightly better than most other streamers in delivering multiple programs of interest to viewers that will help stave off churn.

"We’re seeing that some of HBO Max’s popular tentpole franchises like "House of the Dragon" have become appointment viewing, with other programs also enjoying a much longer shelf-life attracting new viewers far longer than those of its streaming counterparts," Navin added. "The most recent season of "The White Lotus" for example was among the top three streaming premiers in the second half of 2022 and the show continued to draw in new audiences week after week to the service. As we shift from a model that was largely focused on acquisition to one that balances the critical need for retention in 2023, HBO Max’s strong portfolio of diverse content is well positioned to help the service as we enter the next phase of the streaming wars."

NEW YORK—Paramount Global’s streaming operations added record numbers of subscribers but advertising revenue in its broadcast and cable networks fell sharply in Q4 2022 as operating income for all of 2022 fell to $2.3 billion, down from $6.3 billion in 2021. 

In Q4, 2022, Paramount+ added record 9.9 million subs and grew revenue 81% year-over-year as total Paramount+ subs reached nearly 56 million. Global direct-to-consumer (DTC) subs rose by 10.8 million to more than 77 million at the end of 2022. 

Pluto TV also added 6.5 million global monthly active users (MAUS), reaching nearly 79 million. 

Overall, DTC revenue increased 30% year-over-year as Paramount+ revenue grew 81% year-over-year while subscription revenue grew 48% year-over-year, principally reflecting paid subscriber growth on Paramount+ and advertising revenue rose 4% year-over-year, the company reported. 

But OIBDA (operating income before depreciation and amortization) losses in the DTC segment grew to a $1.81 billion loss in 2022, up from a $992 million loss in 2021. 

Among its broadcast and cable networks, advertising declined by 7% in Q4, 2022 and affiliate and subscription revenue dropped by 4%. As a result OBIDA fell to $5.45 billion in 2022 down from $5.89 billion in 2021. 

LOS ANGELES—The LA Clippers have announced that they will be the first team in the NBA to launch their own direct-to-consumer streaming platform, ClipperVision, which will stream more than 70 games live in-market in its first season. 

The service, which will offer six different streams and is priced at $199 a year, will allow subscribers of ClipperVision to watch the games and other content without a pay TV subscription.  

The move adds to the ways that viewers can watch the team's games. The NBA team recent agreed to show 11 of its regular season games on Nexstar's broadcast station KTLA-TV and it has renewed its regional sports network deal with Sinclair's Bally Sports SoCal. 

The new direct-to-consumer service will use cutting-edge technology to enhance the live game-watching experience with augmented reality and alternate-language commentary options. It will launch with six different stream options, and additional features are in the plans.

“I have wanted to create a product like ClipperVision since the day I came to the Clippers. Years of effort, hard work and development have led up to its launch,” said Clippers chairman and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “ClipperVision’s augmented reality and interactivity will let us transform the experience our fans have watching games, and provide them with more platforms to watch the Clippers.”

ClipperVision expands from the Clippers CourtVision Beta, which was introduced in 2018 as the very first live, augmented sports broadcast available and won numerous awards for its innovation. 

ClipperVision is powered by the NBA’s new integrated digital platform, which also runs the new NBA app.

ClipperVision’s six streams will include:

• BallerVision – BallerVision will feature live commentary from some of Clipper Nation’s biggest and most well-known personalities -- Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, Quentin Richardson, and Matt Barnes -- along with guest appearances from Steve Ballmer and celebrity Clippers fans. 
• Traditional Clippers Broadcasts – The app will provide access to live game streams from Bally Sports SoCal and KTLA featuring traditional on-air talent and graphics.
• CourtVision powered by AWS – Fan-favorite augmented reality streams are back. The CourtVison stream, similar to ShotIQ Mode in the Clippers CourtVision Beta, will carry over augmented graphics for real-time shot probability, statistics, and more. 
• CourtVision Mascot Mode powered by AWS – This stream will feature new and enhanced animations, graphics, and special effects added in real-time with machine learning, an expansion of the similar mode from Clippers CourtVision.
• ClipperVision in Korean – The Korean-language stream on ClipperVision will be the first Korean-language commentary available OTT in the L.A. market, and it will be called live from Korea by commentator Yong-Gum Jeong, former basketball player and Korean Basketball League champion Tae-Sool Kim, and basketball reporters Hyun-Il Cho and Dae-Bum Son. 

BALTIMORE—After an introductory launch of five direct-to-consumer regional sports streaming services in June, Sinclair's Diamond Sports Group said Bally Sports+ will officially launch all 19 of its Bally Sports regional sports network brands (RSNs) as direct-to-consumer services on September 26.

“Today is a significant step for the RSN industry as we offer local sports fans across our Bally Sports footprint a new way to watch their hometown teams,” said Chris Ripley, CEO, Sinclair Broadcast Group. “We view Bally Sports+ as a great complement to the incredible value our distribution partners provide our linear networks; and with both models, we are uniquely positioned to help our team partners grow their fan bases for years to come.”

Following the June introductory launch of Bally Sports+ in five regions – Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun and Bally Sports Wisconsin – the Sept. 26 launch announcement means that viewers residing in regions of the remaining portfolio of Bally Sports RSNs – Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest and Bally Sports West – will have a new option for watching their favorite local teams via a direct-to-consumer streaming services. 

Bally Sports+ will be available to subscribers at $19.99 per month or $189.99 per year. Additional pricing options will be released when the service launches.

Michael Schneider, COO and general manager of Bally Sports+, added, “Launching a streaming service like Bally Sports+ across 19 different regions, all with unique content offerings, is an unprecedented undertaking. This full introduction marks a key moment in the evolution of RSNs, but it is also a great moment for local fans who now have another viewing option for their favorite teams.”

Starting this fall, subscribers will have access to live, local NBA and NHL broadcasts, pre- and post-game shows, regionally produced programming – including college football and basketball and high school sports – and Bally Sports’ The Rally and Live on the Line, Powered by BetMGM. At launch, subscribers can access Bally Sports+ via mobile and tablet devices operating on iOS or Android, Android TV, TvOS, and BallySports.com.

LONDON—A+E Networks UK & EMEA has announced that it will launch the direct-to-consumer true crime streaming service Crime+Investigation Play on the 5th of September in the U.K. 

At launch the DTC version of the service will offer over 1,000 hours of premium programming and local originals. 

Launched in 2019, Crime+Investigation Play is available via Amazon Prime Video Channels and Apple TV Channels in the UK, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The new direct-to-consumer rollout will see Crime+Investigation Play become widely available to true crime fans in the U.K. through the Crime+Investigation Play app and across multiple additional platforms.

"The popularity of true crime content has exploded in the last few years, and as a leading broadcaster in this space, Crime+Investigation has played a key role in that growth,” said Dean Possenniskie, managing director, A+E Networks UK & EMEA. “Its clear proposition, quality content, and journalistic integrity have helped to transform the broad appeal of true crime programming. Our ambition now is to bring the most comprehensive collection of premium true crime programming to new audiences in the UK while continuing to grow the quality of this passion brand with established partners such as Sky, Virgin, and Amazon."

BOSTON—The New England Sports Network (NESN) has become the first regional sports network (RSN) to offer a direct to consumer service (DTC) with the launch of NESN 360, a digital subscription service that will allow fans to purchase a direct subscription to NESN’s live programming and video-on-demand content. 

The NESN 360 SVOD regional sports service allows Red Sox and Bruins fans to stream 220+ live games through a direct subscription or a participating TV provider account.

The service was launched in partnership with the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins and Major League Baseball (MLB). 

The launch comes at a time when Sinclair's Bally Sports and others are planning to launch similar DTC services this year.  

NESN has also announced that it will introduce new features and functionality in the upcoming months, including 4K HDR, cloud DVR, and will expand its reach with FIRETV and Google TV apps. NESN is also exploring an exclusive live home batting practice feed in partnership with the Red Sox.

“NESN 360 is the latest iteration in NESN’s long history of innovation and providing fans with the best sports viewing experience,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s president and CEO. “We believe the direct subscription option will build on NESN’s reach in the region, and will be an excellent complement to the existing, valuable partnerships we have with TV providers to bring NESN to all homes in New England.”

Fans who choose to subscribe directly have an annual and a monthly subscription option, each with its own limited time promotion for the launch of the new product. The monthly plan will bill $1 for the first month, followed by $29.99 once per month. Annual subscribers will be billed $329.99 once per year, which reflects the first month as just $1, and will receive eight tickets to a 2022 Red Sox game of their choosing, while supplies last. 

Subscribers can stream NESN’s live feeds and video on demand (VOD) library directly to their computer, iOS, Android, Apple TV or Roku device. Fans who already have NESN through a participating TV provider will be able to authenticate into the NESN 360 app to access the same experience, including streaming live Red Sox and Bruins games and VOD content.

In addition to the live TV programming, NESN 360 will include expanded access to Red Sox content, including highlights and select on-demand historical Red Sox games, as well as Bruins games, Bruins highlights, exclusive new content and a library of hundreds of video-on-demand titles, including NESN original shows. Additionally, NESN 360’s video-on-demand library will feature full games of notable 2022 Red Sox season matchups, including nationally broadcast games after they’ve aired.

NESN has also invested in original content featuring notable personalities, including baseball content creators Jared Carrabis and Pitching Ninja. There are also collaborations in progress with other content partners such as The Boston Globe.

BURBANK, Calif.—Disney’s results for the second fiscal quarter ending April 2, 2022 showed there is still a lot of growth in the streaming business, with Disney+ adding 7.9 million subs from a year earlier and the company as a whole hitting 205 million direct-to-consumer subs. 

Disney+ ended the quarter with 44.4 million subs in the U.S. and Canada, up 19% from 37.3 million in 2021 and 137.7 million subs worldwide, up 33% from a year earlier.

ESPN+ also saw significant growth, hitting 22.3 million subs in the quarter, up 62% from the same quarter in 2021.

Hulu’s SVOD service ended the quarter up 10% to 41.4 million while its Hulu Live TV + SVOD service grew 8% to 4.1 million. 

Direct-to-Consumer revenues for the quarter increased 23% to $4.9 billion, but operating losses increased $0.6 billion to $0.9 billion as programming costs continued to rise. 

“Our strong results in the second quarter, including fantastic performance at our domestic parks and continued growth of our streaming services—with 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers added in the quarter and total subscriptions across all our DTC offerings exceeding 205 million—once again proved that we are in a league of our own,” said Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “As we look ahead to Disney’s second century, I am confident we will continue to transform entertainment by combining extraordinary storytelling with innovative technology to create an even larger, more connected, and magical Disney universe for families and fans around the world.”

The bigger losses at Disney+ reflected higher programming and production, marketing and technology costs, partially offset by an increase in subscription revenue, the company said. 

Meanwhile, higher sports programming costs and a decrease in income from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view events, partially offset by an increase in subscription revenue due to subscriber growth produced larger losses at ESPN+.

Hulu also saw higher programming and production, marketing and technology costs, partially offset by subscription revenue growth and higher advertising revenue. 

BURBANK, Calif.—The combination of the success of Disney+ with the financial struggles caused by the pandemic is transforming The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer strategy, as the company announced a reorganization of its media and entertainment business to put a greater focus on developing and producing original content for its streaming platforms.

There will be three distinct groups for creating content—Studios, General Entertainment and Sports. Studios, led by Alan Horn and Alan Bergman, will handle the theatrical and episodic content like Marvel, Star Wars and Disney live action and animation for theatrical, Disney+ and other streaming platforms. General Entertainment, led by Peter Rice, oversees 20th Television, ABC Signature, ABC News, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic and will create episodic and original long-form content. Sports, led by James Pitaro, will be responsible for ESPN live sports programming, sports news and original and non-scripted sports-related content for cable channels, ESPN+ and ABC.

Meanwhile, a new single, global Media and Entertainment Distribution organization will be responsible for overseeing legacy platforms as well as monetization of content—both distribution and ad sales. Kareem Daniel, former president of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, will head the Media and Entertainment Distribution group. The Media and Entertainment Distribution group will also manage the operations of Disney’s streaming services and domestic TV networks.

“Given the incredible success of Disney+ and our plans to accelerate our direct-to-consumer business, we are strategically positioning our company to more effectively support our growth strategy and increase shareholder value,” said Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “Managing content creation distinct from distribution will allow us to be more effective and nimble in making the content consumers want most, delivered in the way they prefer to consume it. Our creative teams will concentrate on what they do best—making world-class, franchise-based content—while our newly centralized global distribution team will focus on delivering and monetizing that content in the most optimal way across all platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the coming Star international streaming service.”

The new structure is effective immediately at Disney, with financial reporting expected to transition to the new structure in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021.

On Dec. 10, Disney will conduct a virtual Investor Day where it will present further details of its new DTC strategies.

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.—The impact of Disney+ goes beyond all the memes of Baby Yoda from “The Mandalorian.” The direct-to-consumer (DTC) OTT service, which will be joined by others like HBOMax and NBCUniversal’s Peacock in 2020, is forecasting a shift in the video market, according to a new report from ABI Research.

ABI dove into this and other topics in its “54 Technology Trends to watch in 2020” report. Some of the other trends dealt with virtual reality and augmented reality, 8K and 5G.

The last few years, virtual MVPDs like YouTube TV, DirecTV Now (now AT&T TV Now) and PlayStation Vue (soon to be defunct) were seemingly pointing to how content was distributed as being the key factor in a changing market. However, the popularity of Disney+ and its library of content is shifting that paradigm, and the launch of DTC services HBOMax and Peacock—with deep libraries of content of their own—will result in consumers debating how they will spend their content budget, per ABI.

This will make it difficult for new services that do not have preexisting content to make an impact in the market, predicts ABI. It says Apple TV+ is an example of that already with its lower price ($5 per month) and its bundling with new Apple hardware purchases to help spur subscriber growth.

ABI does see a potential avenue for traditional pay-TV operators. “[T]he shift to DTC does create an opportunity for these MVPDs to serve as an aggregation point for fragmented OTT services,” ABI writes.

2020 may be a good year for DTC, but ABI does not see a big growth in 8K TVs. While the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan will be broadcasting in 8K, that hi-res broadcast is expected to be limited to the host country. In reality, 8K content for TVs around the world is still extremely limited, so, “without the content to take advantage of the higher resolution, adoption, of course, will be limited,” ABI reasons. 

Price is expected to come down for 8K TVs, though it is still expected to be higher than the average consumer can afford, so ABI forecasts less than 1 million shipments of 8K TVs worldwide in 2020. However, 4K TVs are expected to see some growth.

Other findings from ABI’s report touched on VR and AR technology. While there is growing buzz for consumer VR experiences, it is not expected to see a big growth as there still needs to be some maturation in both the hardware and software for the technology. AR, on the other hand, is expected to have some significant growth, particularly on mobile platforms. 2020 will be more of a chance for VR to establish a clearer path moving forward, says ABI.

ABI also touched on the deployment of 5G. It said that it expects 5G Fixed Wireless Access services to see “accelerated growth,” while other 5G services will continue to be built out, though there will still be ample room for growth in the coming years.

One thing that ABI did not touch on that is set for a major deployment next year is Next Gen TV. The new television standard garnered no mention in the report, even though it is expected be available in the top 40 U.S. markets by the end of 2020.

More information can be found on ABI Research’s website, www.abiresearch.com.

Whiteley, Hampshire, UK, 16 August 2018 - The NBA’s Miami HEAT has bought two of DTC’s Broadcast Nano transmitters and a PRORXD 8-Way Diversity RF receive system with camera control to help enhance fan engagement and experience opportunities for HEAT home games at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami.

Ed Filomia, Senior Director of Broadcast Services for the Miami HEAT and recent inductee into the Information Display & Entertainment (IDEA) Hall of Fame, said, “To maintain our tradition of creative storytelling with broadcast technology for sports and entertainment, we knew we needed more capabilities than we had.

“We wanted to grow our wireless capabilities and DTC’s Diversity receiver enables us to grow modularly. In addition, with the exceptional RF performance and picture quality of the Broadcast Nano and its paint control system, we knew it was what we needed to expand and improve our ability to shoot and edit team content in new and exciting ways for image branding and game broadcasts for the HEAT within the arena.”

The Broadcast Nano transmitter evolved from DTC’s original, acclaimed Nano HD transmitter and now incorporates an integral control panel; solid, broadcast-standard connections; and cooling that provides outstanding thermal control. These features will enable HEATV, the team’s internal production department, to capture stunning high definition images with ultra-low latency from the heart of the action in ways that were not previously possible.

DTC’s PRORXD 8-Way Diversity RF receive system is a multi-way diversity COFDM receiver that achieves less than two frames delay. Importantly, its eight-way maximum ratio combining of RF inputs ensures video is recovered free from distortion.

DTC CEO Juan Navarro added, “The Broadcast Nano’s small size, ultra-low power, and feature-rich build make it ideal for live sports. Moreover, the Diversity receiver gives HEATV far more range. They can transmit uninterrupted Broadcast Nano shots from anywhere inside or outside the arena to a single receive point. It’s also important to note that the HEAT package includes a straight-line upgrade path to 4K."

Features of the Broadcast Nano include high profile H.264 SD and HD encoding; the ability to handle video formats up to 1080p60 and optional 4:2:2 chroma sampling; balanced stereo audio input with switchable phantom power; industry standard DVB-T modulation for interoperability with existing systems; DTC UMVL modulation for enhanced high frequency/high speed performance; and control via USB or Bluetooth with an integrated OLED display.

DTC Domo Broadcast VP Sales JP Delport said, “We’re very grateful to our reseller Newlin Warden of Broadcast Technology and Services who helped to coordinate the sale and will organise delivery and aftercare before the 2018-19 NBA season gets underway. It will be very interesting to see what new ideas Ed Filomia’s production team will come up with to use Broadcast Nano to excite and immerse HEAT fans this season."


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About DTC Domo Broadcast - Broadcasting without boundaries

DTC Broadcast (Domo Tactical Communications) is at the forefront of wireless broadcast communication technologies. DTC has developed its cutting edge technologies for the broadcast market providing real technical and operational benefits that empower users to broadcast without boundaries.

A world-class supplier of wireless links globally and a leader in the MPEG4 wireless technology revolution, DTC offers high-quality, DVB-T low-delay broadcast transmitter/receiver systems and IP solutions designed specifically for electronic news gathering, outside broadcast, satellite newsgathering, motor and extreme sports coverage, portable field monitoring and video assist applications.

Backed by more than 50 years' experience in the military and surveillance market, DTC’s broadcast portfolio benefits from the ultra-high build quality and ruggedness these markets require.

For more information www.domobroadcast.tv

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