Tennis Channel signs long-term video services pact with NeuLion

NeuLion, a company that specializes in delivering live and on-demand video to Internet-connected devices, said it has signed a new multi-year deal with Tennis Channel.  

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal, NeuLion said it and Tennis Channel have agreed to collaborate on expanding into new markets and to support additional devices.  

NeuLion’s Digital Platform handles elements such as content ingestion, encoding, content security and monitoring.  

The deal comes on the heels of their work on the 2015 French Open, which was supported by Tennis Channel’s authenticated TV Everywhere app for MVPD partners, and Tennis Channel Plus, a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service that sells for $79.99 per year or $11.99 per month. Tennis Channel delivered more than 260 hours of coverage during the tournament.    

The programmer noted that Tennis Channel Plus subscriptions have increased 400% year-over-year, with 25% of subs using it on a daily basis. About 50% stream it on PCs, while 25% use tablets, 15% use players such as the Apple TV and Roku boxes, and 10% access Tennis Channel Plus on smartphones.  

"At this year’s French Open, we saw massive growth in year-over-year viewership on our digital platform and a tenfold increase in engagement, so we’re excited to extend our partnership with NeuLion." Adam Ware, Tennis Channel’s senior vice president and head of digital, said in a statement. "The NeuLion Digital Platform let us expand to more devices than ever before and build a new revenue stream by going direct-to-consumer with Tennis Channel Plus.”  

"This new multi-year agreement with Tennis Channel, is a clear example of our land and expand strategy whereby we add content, devices and markets to our agreements, building on our proven capabilities with our customers," added NeuLion CEO Dr. Kanaan Jemili, CEO.

 

Jeff Baumgartner | 06/22/2015

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