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The Pro14 provincial rugby union competition has become the sport’s first major tournament to launch its own over-the-top (OTT) video platform.
As part of a partnership with streaming service StreamAMG, the platform, which is available now via pro14.tv, will show live match coverage to paying subscribers, while also allowing free access to highlights and full-match replays behind a registration wall.
Pay-per-view passes for individual games will be available for the rest of the current season for €3.99 (US$4.50), while a 72-hour weekend pass will also be made available for €6.99 (US$7.85) between Friday and Sunday.
Monthly and seasonal packages will then be rolled out from the start of the 2019/20 campaign. Archived clips and a range of exclusive content will also be made available for free on the Pro14 platform.
In February, digital representatives from the Six Nations, European Rugby (EPCR), and World Rugby all discussed the inevitability of the sport adopting in-house OTT services during a panel discussion held in London, and are sure to pay close attention to Pro14’s progress in the space.
Dermot Rigley, commercial director of Pro14 Rugby, said: “Launching our own OTT video platform to reach fans around the world was a logical next step for us as we experience more demand for the Guinness Pro14 than ever before.
“To be the first major rugby union tournament to launch an OTT service is in keeping with our commitment to innovation and a commitment to embrace new technologies.
“We are looking forward to bringing the excitement of Guinness Pro14 rugby directly to supporters of our clubs. To deliver this we are extremely pleased to be working with StreamAMG, who have a strong track record in the sector. Their technical expertise was very much in evidence throughout the selection process.”
The Pro14, which originally included regional teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Italy, has seen significant growth in attendances and social media engagement since inviting teams from South Africa to participate in the tournament in 2017.
The competition, which announced a number of broadcast deals earlier this year, also has various rights agreements with OTT subscription platforms, including tie-ups with ESPN+ in the US, DAZN in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and RugbyPass in Southeast Asia.
In October, the league agreed a multi-year streaming partnership with subscription service FloSports, which includes rights to 152 matches during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns in France, Spain, Portugal and all Latin American countries.
The Pro14’s own OTT service will be based on StreamAMG’s MediaPlatform video management platform as well as incorporating CloudMatrix, a new feed-based distribution platform.
StreamAMG’s proprietary transaction platform CloudPay will also take responsibility of end-user payments and subscription management.
Duncan Burbidge, chief executive of StreamAMG, added: “To be able to work with a top-flight sporting property in the form of Guinness Pro14 is a real honour for us. Our team is relishing the opportunity to bring their technical expertise and sporting expertise to bear in the delivery of a best-in-class OTT proposition.”
The Pro14 provincial rugby union competition has become the sport’s first major tournament to launch its own over-the-top (OTT) video platform.
As part of a partnership with streaming service StreamAMG, the platform, which is available now via www.pro14.tv, will show live match coverage to paying subscribers, while also allowing free access to highlights and full-match replays behind a registration wall.
Pay-per-view passes for individual games will be available for the rest of the current season for €3.99 (US$4.50), while a 72-hour weekend pass will also be made available for €6.99 (US$7.85) between Friday and Sunday.
Monthly and seasonal packages will then be rolled out from the start of the 2019/20 campaign. Archived clips and a range of exclusive content will also be made available for free on the Pro14 platform.
In February, digital representatives from the Six Nations, European Rugby (EPCR), and World Rugby all discussed the inevitability of the sport adopting in-house OTT services during a panel discussion held in London, and are sure to pay close attention to Pro14’s progress in the space.
Dermot Rigley, commercial director of Pro14 Rugby, said: “Launching our own OTT video platform to reach fans around the world was a logical next step for us as we experience more demand for the Guinness Pro14 than ever before.
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“To be the first major rugby union tournament to launch an OTT service is in keeping with our commitment to innovation and a commitment to embrace new technologies.
“We are looking forward to bringing the excitement of Guinness Pro14 rugby directly to supporters of our clubs. To deliver this we are extremely pleased to be working with StreamAMG, who have a strong track record in the sector. Their technical expertise was very much in evidence throughout the selection process.”
The Pro14, which originally included regional teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Italy, has seen significant growth in attendances and social media engagement since inviting teams from South Africa to participate in the tournament in 2017.
The competition, which announced a number of broadcast deals earlier this year, also has various rights agreements with OTT subscription platforms, including tie-ups with ESPN+ in the US, DAZN in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and RugbyPass in Southeast Asia.
In October, the league agreed a multi-year streaming partnership with subscription service FloSports, which includes rights to 152 matches during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns in France, Spain, Portugal and all Latin American countries.
The Pro14’s own OTT service will be based on StreamAMG’s MediaPlatform video management platform as well as incorporating CloudMatrix, a new feed-based distribution platform.
StreamAMG’s proprietary transaction platform CloudPay will also take responsibility of end-user payments and subscription management.
Duncan Burbidge, chief executive of StreamAMG, added: “To be able to work with a top-flight sporting property in the form of Guinness Pro14 is a real honour for us. Our team is relishing the opportunity to bring their technical expertise and sporting expertise to bear in the delivery of a best-in-class OTT proposition.”
