Sports Media Report
While digital content and access remains quite the buzz, a new combination of traditional linear access combined with a robust digital sports rightsholder propped up late Thursday.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., which includes The Tennis Channel and the former American Sports Network, Silver Chalice and 120 Sports announced plans to combine forces as equity partners on a new multi-platform sports network, featuring a linear broadcast and comprehensive digital offerings.
The network, which does not yet have a name or a launch date and has a lot of gray areas on programming, will be built through the merging of 120 Sports’ live studio operations, Silver Chalice’s Campus Insiders’ live collegiate games and Sinclair’s American Sports Network’s (ASN) distribution and live collegiate games. According to a release Thursday, this new venture will take advantage of the rights that 120 Sports and Silver Chalice has through their existing partners…including MLB, the NHL, Time Inc., and others to maximize access to a broad array of post-game highlights, up-to-the-moment news, and original, long-form programming as well as full game archives provided by various partners.
It is an interesting combination for cord shavers and cord cutters as what this is not, is a full blown play on cable. It speaks to all platforms and some form of broadcast, an interesting combo that is more along the lines of what an NBC or a FOX can offer, without the ties just to cable that a massive player like ESPN has.
“With this incomparable set of strategic partners, we are evolving ASN into a vastly improved network with access to exclusive content and a combined linear and premium OTT offering that is the model for the future of television,” said Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair in a release.
While no other details were available yet, the intrigue over what games could be part of this; what events would fit in, and how this fits into the overall vision of those partners that Silver Chalice already has is still to be seen. Like the Amazon NFL announcement last week, this news continues to create fluidity for content with a consumer base that is becoming lass and less traditional.
Another bigger player is in the marketplace.
