CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 ® Volume 162, No. 27 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 161 years Sports streaming quickly becoming the way to watch your team ust about everyone followed by sports networks knows Netflix, Amazon MLB.TV and WWE Network in Video and Hulu, the Big fourth and fifth place, respec - SPORTS MARKETING PLAYBOOK Three of “over the top” tively, according to a survey (OTT) streaming released by Parks Associates in Jservices that offer a wide variety November 2015. of entertainment programming. NFL Game Pass is further And for good reason — they down the list in eighth place. dominate the list of top 10 OTT (Rounding out the list are HBO DOUGLAS N. M ASTERS streaming services with the most Now and Crunchyroll in sixth AND SETH A. R OSE U.S. subscribers, according to a and seventh place, with The recent survey. Blaze and Sling TV taking ninth Most people think of OTT and 10th place.) Douglas N. Masters is a partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he litigates and streaming services in terms of Just how big is the OTT counsels clients primarily in intellectual property, advertising and unfair the delivery of film and television subscriber base? Netflix competition. He is deputy chairman of the firm’s advanced media and technology content, whether its original launched its streaming service in department and co-chair of the firm’s intellectual property protection group. He can content or access to existing 2007 and is closing in on 70 be reached at [email protected]. Seth A. Rose is a partner at the firm, where he movies and episodes of shows. million subscribers worldwide, counsels clients on programs and initiatives in advertising, marketing, promotions, But what many people don’t including more than 42 million media, sponsorships, entertainment, branded and integrated marketing, and social media. He can be reached at [email protected]. know — yet — is that several U.S. subscribers. In early sports-specific OTT streamers January, the streaming jugger - are gaining serious traction on naut launched its service in 130 come by, but Forbes.com Just prior to the acquisition the list of top OTT providers. new countries around the world, estimated MLB.TV and the At by AT&T, DirecTV ramped up Not all that long ago, cable and for a total of 190 countries. Bat mobile app had more than its gridiron star power by satellite television were the go-to With nearly 9 million 3.5 million subscribers in 2014. adding Dallas Cowboys quarter - media for in-depth sports subscribers, Hulu is a distant The WWE Network, which back Tony Romo and coverage. The rapid rise of OTT second to Netflix. Hulu, launched has approximately 1.15 million Indianapolis Colts quarterback streaming has pushed cable and in 2008, streams original content subscribers, offers both archived Andrew Luck to longtime satellite TV providers to break and programming from more wrestling content and live pay- spokesmen Peyton and Eli the old-school mold and pursue than 500 content partners. per-view events. The WWE Manning on the NFL Sunday OTT partnerships of their own Subscribers to Amazon Video Network announced on Jan. 5 Ticket spokesmen team. with sports organizations. can stream movies and TV that it is expanding into DirecTV also recently OTT streaming services shows, and eligible members of Germany, Switzerland, Austria announced the expansion of its deliver subscription-based the popular Amazon Prime and Japan. live streaming service, content to consumers through service can stream selected NFL Game Pass, launched in NFLSundayTicket.tv, to Internet-connected devices, programming for free or at a mid-2015, lets viewers watch residents of apartments, condo - enabling consumers to cut down discount. A recent report on every regular-season football miniums and town homes who on — or forego altogether — Fortune.com estimates Amazon game and listen to live home are not receiving DirecTV paying for traditional television Video has approximately 3 radio feeds. service, or current customers providers including cable and million subscribers. To stay competitive, satellite who were unable to install a satellite television. By comparison, the three TV and cable providers jumped DirecTV dish to their residence OTT services allow consumers sports OTT services don’t have into streaming sports in 2015. because of an obstruction or to take advantage of increased anywhere near the numbers or AT&T Co. acquired satellite other restriction. and more flexible viewing reach of the top three, but they TV company DirecTV and its DirecTV also said it would options, and lower fees. Not commandeer OTT programming more than 20 million customers offer the streaming service to surprisingly, OTT streaming for some of the most popular in mid-2015, making it the largest students at four-year universities services have gained a consider - sports in the U.S. and up-and- pay TV provider in the U.S. and for a special price. The company able audience over the past two coming markets around the the world, according to DirecTV. also seems to be making years, especially when it comes world. In terms of OTT sports program - streaming major sports events to sports programming, MLB.TV, now in its 13th year, ming, DirecTV’s crown jewel and creating exclusive program - Three sports OTT services offers subscribers out-of-market arguably is its NFL Sunday ming packages a priority. For make the list of top 10 OTTs with baseball games and reportedly Ticket package, which provides example, DirecTV offered golf the most U.S. subscribers. will begin offering single-team, access to every out-of-market fans comprehensive coverage of Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu out-of-market streams this year. Sunday afternoon NFL game on the 2015 Masters Tournament in claim the top three slots, Subscriber numbers are hard to any Internet-connected device. April through its multichannel Copyright © 2016 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company. “Masters Mosaic” programming, recently began offering the add- of unbundling (or at least smaller Sony says its PlayStation Vue including the main CBS on package called “Sports bundles of channels). TV service, which streams live Sports/ESPN telecasts. Extra,” including ESPNU, Premium cable channels like TV, movies and sports, will soon DirecTV competitor Dish ESPNews and international HBO and Showtime have intro - let subscribers customize their Network introduced Sling TV, its soccer coverage on beIN duced their own standalone channel packages. Meanwhile, own streaming service, in early SPORTS. streaming options. HBO Go and Yahoo.com appeared to be 2015. At the start, Sling TV Cable TV companies like Showtime Anytime both offer testing the waters of OTT sports included access to cable sports Comcast and Verizon have to live and on-demand sports streaming when it bought the staples contend with consumer “cord events as well as original global rights to one 2015 ESPN and ESPN2 and, in cutters” who are taking programming. midseason NFL game between January, Dish announced the advantage of the increasing And the market for OTT the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville addition of ESPN3 to its lineup. number of streaming services to sports streaming is only getting Jaguars. The one-time NFL- This is the first time that escape the cost of cable TV and more crowded. Gaming console Yahoo partnership raises further ESPN3, which offers access to lack of control over bundled makers are streaming sports, speculation about the future of live and on-demand events, channel packages. with Microsoft offering MLB and OTT sports streaming. including college football and Significantly, ESPN’s deal with NBA packages featuring regular As OTT sports streaming college basketball, will be inte - Sling TV made the cable sports season and out-of-market games continues to evolve rapidly, grated directly into a pay-TV network accessible to consumers live or on-demand through its programming providers will be provider’s channel guide, without a cable subscription and Xbox 360 and Xbox One as of closely watching every according to Dish. Dish also helped spotlight the advantages mid-2015. streaming innovation. Copyright © 2016 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company..