Indianapolis 500 to Air Live on SiriusXM
On the 100th Anniversary of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” listeners nationwide get live race broadcast plus extensive pre- and post-race coverage
Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves guest DJ on SiriusXM music channels throughout the weekend
Sirius XM Radio, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, announced that it will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world-renowned Indianapolis 500 with comprehensive coverage of the race and the events leading up to it.
SiriusXM listeners will have access to the live call of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 29, on channel 94 on XM and channel 212 on Sirius Premier (formerly known as “The Best of XM”). Motorsports fans will hear pre-race programming, including expert commentary and analysis, interviews with drivers and live coverage of driver introductions. When the green flag drops at 12:00 pm ET, SiriusXM listeners will hear the race live in its entirety, followed by a post-race recap and interviews. Read more
Livestream chosen by Horizon League to stream hundreds of Division 1 College Basketball Games Live
Exclusive Deal Expands Athletics Customer Base; Follows Launch of Livestream Sports Solutions Division
The Horizon League and WebStream Productions Inc. have chosen Livestream, the leading live Internet video platform, to broadcast hundreds of regular-season, NCAA Division 1 men’s and women’s college basketball games beginning November 13.
Under the exclusive deal, live game broadcasts will be available for free viewing at www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv along with regularly updated highlights and on-demand content.
“We are excited to partner with Livestream on the new Horizon League Network site. The power of their video platform including live streaming, on-demand content, automatic recording, archiving and APIs make Livestream the perfect fit for the Horizon League,” said John Servizzi, president of WebStream Productions.
The partnership is the latest in association with the recently launched Livestream Sports Solutions division, which is focused on delivering best-of-breed live streaming partnerships for athletic organizations. The Horizon League, with its perennial slate of NCAA Championship contenders, joins a growing number of leagues and networks that rely on Livestream for sports webcasting, including the CollegeFanz Sports Network, National Lacrosse League and the Kansas City Chiefs NFL franchise.
“This partnership with the Horizon League and WebStream Productions is yet another example of how Livestream technology is transforming the way sports organizations bring live video to their fans,” said Max Haot, CEO of Livestream. “We are excited to be working with WebStream Productions on their coverage of Horizon League athletics and look forward to helping other sports organizations do the same.”
“We are pleased to partner with WebStream Productions and Livestream to bring our fans and alumni a high-quality, live streaming video experience,” said Horizon League Commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone. “The Horizon League Network is a vital marketing and communications platform. Our partners are helping us maximize its potential.”
Source: Livestream
MLB.com, Turner Sports and FOX Sports give fans live user-controlled views for every MLB postseason game
Collaboration expands TBS HotCorner and FOX Feeds action and introduces mobile video
Postseason.TV, a live interactive online viewing experience delivered by MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, in partnership with MLB Postseason national television rightsholders, Turner Sports and FOX Sports, will debut on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, when the Division Series begins on TBS. Postseason.TV will be accessible from MLB.com, FoxSports.com on MSN and MLB.com/TBSHotCorner.
The subscription product provides fans the ability to customize their online viewing experience by offering up to 10 different stationary camera angles from every MLB Postseason game, blackout free. Postseason.TV delivers a complementary way for viewers to engage with the Division Series and National League Championship Series broadcasts on TBS and the American League Championship Series and World Series on FOX, while, for the first time, offering a complete package of live Postseason action for a one-time fee of $9.95.
Subscribers to Postseason.TV can choose to watch one of the available camera angles or up to any four different angles simultaneously in the multi-view option. In addition, TBS HotCorner and FOX Feeds will provide access to in-game video highlights, real-time statistics and play-by-play and social media integration through a live Twitter feed.
Fans also will have the opportunity to make Postseason.TV portable as MLB.com At Bat 2009, the award-winning application built exclusively for iPhone(TM) and iPod® touch, will provide mobile access to the same live camera angles as well as the quad mode option.
Source: MLB.com; Turner Sports; FOX Sports
MMA returns to primetime on CBS with STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS Live on Saturday, Nov. 7
Fedor, the #1 Ranked MMA Heavyweight in the World, To Be Seen for the First Time by Broadcast Television Audience
The CBS Television Network will return to the mixed martial arts (MMA) cage with STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS, to be broadcast Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT). SHOWTIME Sports will produce the four-fight event with host Gus Johnson calling the action and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts.
In 2008, CBS aired the first live MMA fights on network television, with three successful events earning time period-winning ratings in all key young adult and young men demographics. CBS’s most recent broadcast in October 2008 ranked as the night’s highest-rated program on both broadcast and cable in adults 18-34 and men 18-34, topping all other sports programming in those demographics, including the Major League Baseball playoffs and college football.
On Nov. 7, the world’s Number One-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. The fight marks the first bout for the highly coveted Emelianenko since his promotional company M-1 Global signed an agreement with STRIKEFORCE to co-promote major events.
“There’s no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television. “We’re excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport. The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it.”
Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions. The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds. He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the STRIKEFORCE brand to CBS,” said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE. “We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world’s No. 1 heavyweight–Fedor–compete for the first time on live network television against one of America’s most promising young, undefeated stars–Brett Rogers.”
STRIKEFORCE has experienced significant growth since it launched its first MMA promotion on March 10, 2006. After signing a landmark deal to air live events on SHOWTIME earlier this year, STRIKEFORCE earned the premium network its highest MMA rating ever on August 15 with Carano vs. Cyborg. Shortly before the live telecast, the main event principals–Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos–were the most searched terms on Yahoo! and Google, while the fight was the most discussed subject on Twitter.
Source: CBS Television Network