Fifa picks Sky Media – The world’s football governing body Fifa has appointed Sky Media as its exclusive sales house for its nascent streaming platform Fifa+ in the UK and Europe.
Fifa, which launched Fifa+ last year, is the first sports federation to offer an extensive streaming platform. Having launched with a mobile app, the service has expended to TV apps and FAST channels.
During the World Cup in Qatar last year, Fifa+ said it generated 190 million views on match highlights videos. The platform also features live streams, full-match replays, and match previews — but content varies widely depending on country because of broadcast rights agreements.
The announcement comes within two weeks of the Women’s World Cup launching on 20 July. Romy Gai, Fifa’s chief business officer, said the Sky Media deal would enable Fifa+ to deliver an outstanding digital experience for football fans as the organisation promotes that tournament.
“Sky Media’s expertise and leading capabilities in advertising sales will maximize the commercial success of FIFA+ content enabling us to create new commercial opportunities,” Gai said.
However, advertisers still seem hesitant to get involved long-term in the Women’s World Cup, according to media experts and planners, The Media Leader reported earlier this week. The tournament is being played in Australia and New Zealand, which means matches in the UK will be shown outside of TV primetime.
Brett Aumuller, managing director of Sky Media, added: “It’s great to be collaborating with Fifa as it moves into the connected TV and FAST channels space. We already provide a wide-ranging football offering to advertisers, and adding Fifa+ will make it an even simpler and more compelling proposition for brands.”
News Source: The Media Leader