Sports Studio has partnered with TheSoul Group to expand distribution of its Free Live Sports service across YouTube and other social media platforms, the companies announced early Tuesday morning.
The agreement centers on a YouTube-focused distribution strategy intended to increase audience reach and advertising revenue for Free Live Sports, Sports Studio’s flagship brand.
Under the partnership, TheSoul Group will apply its channel management, platform operations and audience development capabilities to Free Live Sports programming. The initial rollout will include a range of sports content adapted for YouTube viewers and audiences watching through connected television devices.
Free Live Sports aggregates more than 125 live channels covering traditional and nontraditional sports. The service is available without a subscription across connected devices and offers live programming alongside on-demand sports content.
Cathy Rasenberger, the co-Founder and co-President of Sports Studio, said the agreement is intended to make the company’s sports programming easier to find across platforms already used by fans.
“Fans should not have to pay for or hunt across a dozen services to watch the sports they love,” Rasenberger said in a statement on Tuesday. “This partnership extends Free Live Sports onto the platforms where fans already spend their time.”
Rasenberger said TheSoul Group’s platform expertise and audience engagement operations will help Sports Studio increase the reach and commercial value of its content across YouTube and the broader social video market.
TheSoul Group operates a digital content and creator services business that supports programming distribution, audience growth and monetization across major video platforms.
Jonathan Shrank, the Vice President of Streaming and Content Partnerships at TheSoul Group, said YouTube’s growing role on television screens creates an opportunity for free sports services to reach viewers outside conventional streaming applications.
“Live sports viewing behavior continues to evolve rapidly, particularly as audiences increasingly follow the games they love through YouTube on connected TVs,” Shrank said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how live sports will be distributed on YouTube — whether it will be offered through specific channels or through another means. The Desk has sent an e-mail to a spokesperson for the companies to learn more information about the deal.
