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| (Image Source: The Roku Channel/Sports Studio Inc.) |
Capitalizing on the universal appeal of sports — from top-tier professional and college to amateur and emerging sports — streaming industry leaders Cathy Rasenberger (Rasenberger Media, LLC), Ryan James and James Patrick (OTT Studio, LLC), and Geoff Clark (acTVe) have officially announced the launch of Free Live Sports, a free sports streaming platform offering an unmatched selection of over 100 live sports channels plus rights to thousands of premium on-demand sports movies, docs, series and highlights — all at no cost to viewers — giving fans unparalleled access to premium sports action from around the globe, anytime, anywhere.
Having secured the rights to over 100 channels of subscription-free sports and lifestyle programming (68 are live, 34 will be onboarded by the end of October), Free Live Sports already has a huge selection of sports genres ranging from Football to Futbol, Motorsports to MMA, Fishing to Poker, Extreme Sports to eSports, Raquet Sports, Billiards, Cricket, College Sports, Major League Sports, and more. These sports channels include ACCDN, Big 12 Network, Willow Sports, Glory Kickboxing, PFL, Boxing TV, Mike Tyson TV, Motorsport.tv, MAVTV, MotoAmerica, PokerGo, Tennis Channel, Court Sports Network, Powder, SURFER, NitroCircus TV, Teton Gravity, World of Free Sports, CampusLore, Origin Sports, Billiard TV, Cornhole TV, ChessTV, Wired2Fish, Horse and Country, TNA Wrestling, Strongman Champions League, ChessTV, Perfect Game, BLEAV, SportsGrid Live, Outdoor America, and Pursuit Up among others and are available depending on the country where you are watching from. Passionate fans of nearly every sport category will find compelling, must-watch programming to satisfy their hunger in their devices without the need to sign up for an account and pay for their subscription.
Free Live Sports is already the largest, most comprehensive FAST (free ad-supported television) and VOD (video on demand) dedicated sports platform in the world, available in more than 75 countries, with a focus on established markets for CTV (connected television) advertising. Its content is available across multiple devices including web, mobile, connected TVs, and set top boxes via watch.freelivesports.tv. Free Live Sports is prioritizing its expansion in the U.S. where the FAST business is exploding with new app launches on ROKU and FIRE TV. Android, VIZIO, IOS, tvOS and other platforms are launching soon. The Free Live Sports platform has a fans-first strategy that provides viewers unparalleled access to sports action, starting at launch. Through their new joint venture called Sports Studio Inc., the four partners recently acquired the UK-based Sports Tribal platform, the premier free sports streaming platform in the European Union (EU) with a robust lineup of channels and a global footprint. The Sports Studio partners are building Free Live Sports on that formidable foundation, adding dozens of new premium sports and lifestyle channels. In a joint statement, the Free Live Sports founders and partners said, "From the outset, we are providing fans with the opportunity to experience their favorite sports and competitions. With our combined expertise in launching, marketing, operating, and optimizing cable and streaming channels and OTT apps, we are rapidly establishing ourselves as the primary FAST destination for millions of passionate sports fans."
To supercharge the growth of its unrivaled lineup of ad-free sports channels and VOD, the Sports Studio team is leveraging the consumer marketing power of its existing companies' owned and operated network of U.S. streaming services. The team plans to capitalize on its strong relationships with leading OEMs and third-party FAST streaming services to expand the reach of their programming partners' content as well as O&O FAST channels in development. In conclusion, the partners said, "Our fans-first focus is why we are looking forward to partnerships with major sports leagues in the U.S. that already have, or are developing, their own branded FAST channels. Free Live Sports can help them broaden their reach and attract new fans within our rapidly growing user base."
