Research firm Nielsen will release a new solution next month that aims to make it easier for sports fans to find their favorite team to watch across different linear television channels and streaming video apps.
The solution, called Gracenote On Sports, will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas between January 7 and January 9.
Gracenote On Sports includes a single application protocol interface, or API, that collects data from over 150 professional and college sports leagues and athletic competitions, which are connected to Gracenote’s video data, including imagery and content IDs.
Gracenote On Sports can be leveraged in a number of different ways, from integration into the electronic program guide on a traditional or streaming video platform or app, to standalone mobile and tablet apps that help viewers find something to watch across channels and services.
But helping people find sports on TV and video apps is only one part of the equation, with Gracenote On Sports also promising to deliver real-time game scores and team standings from across competitions, which can supercharge electronic program guides, discovery apps and similar services beyond mere discovery.
“Sports programming has the unique ability to attract large and passionate audiences, making it invaluable to video providers seeking to drive engagement and time spent with their services,” Bill Michels, the Chief Product Officer at Gracenote, said on Wednesday. “With Gracenote’s new solution, customers can now deliver innovative discovery experiences leveraging sports content and win the competition for viewers and their attention.”
The delivery of Gracenote On Sports comes at a time when the sports landscape is becoming increasingly fractured, with live rights to professional and college sports divvied up between traditional TV networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, and streaming platforms like Amazon’s Prime Video, Disney’s ESPN Plus, Apple TV Plus, Comcast’s Peacock and Paramount Global’s Paramount Plus with Showtime, among others.
Some solutions already exist in the marketplace to help people find a particular channel or app that a sporting event is on, but those apps typically require the developer to have a partnership with the channels and apps delivering the video content itself, or otherwise subscribe to a service like Gracenote that makes TV listings and some video app information available.
By focusing on athletic competitions, Gracenote On Sports promises to be a single point of reference for networks, video providers, app developers and sports franchises in helping fans connect with games, competitions and related programming.
In addition to sporting events, Gracenote On Sports will help people find other content, like entertainment-based shows and movies, that feature their favorite athletes.
“As the entertainment industry continues its evolution, Gracenote is transforming its offerings in step to ensure customers can effectively leverage programming to maximize engagement and monetization,” a Gracenote spokesperson said.
