Perform and Telstra's Bigpond Launch Global Australian Sports Portal
Australians living overseas will not have to miss out on their favourite Australian sport thanks to an agreement between Perform, the global digital sport and entertainment specialist, and BigPond, Australia’s largest internet provider.
BigPond, Australia’s largest internet service provider with 48% market share, holds exclusive online rights to the Australian Football League (AFL), the National Rugby League (NRL) and the V8 Supercars championship, each among the most popular spectator sports in the country.
Perform, who have an office in Sydney, will market and deliver sporting content online to fans from BigPond’s exclusive online inventory of rights on a video portal called Aussie Sport TV.
Premium content will include full length replays and highlights from the AFL, the NRL and V8 Supercars, as well as feature content on a team by team basis, round by round analysis and news desk programmes for each sport. Over 4,000 videos will be added to the channel throughout the year, which will also include an extensive archive catalogue.
Overseas fans will be able to choose from a range of viewing packages, from a four-day access pass to monthly and yearly subscriptions. All packages will be available on a sport by sport basis.
As well as managing all technical aspects of the day-to-day running of the site, Perform’s Australian operation will be responsible for the marketing and commercialisation of the site, including brokering and managing affiliate partnerships and site sponsorship deals.
Andrew Croker, Executive Chairman, Perform, said: “We are delighted BigPond have come to us to provide a service ensuring Australians, and fans of Australian sport worldwide, will be able to follow the action from overseas.
“These properties are the crème of Australian domestic sport, with a huge following throughout the world, and it speaks volumes for Perform’s reputation in delivering revenues for rights holders that a major regional rights owner such as BigPond should seek our expertise. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
Justin Milne, BigPond’s Group Managing Director, said: “BigPond’s online sporting content has won Australian and international awards and there is strong demand for overseas access to it so we are pleased to partner with Perform to ensure high quality delivery.”
In September 2007, Premium TV and Inform Group merged to create Perform, a global market-leading digital media company with branded and white label channels, production, distribution, rights management and sales functions. The merged company is led by joint CEOs Oliver Slipper and Simon Denyer and has offices in the UK, Singapore, Australia and Italy.
Perform has a proven track record in maximising audience reach for sporting rights holders globally and opening up domestic sports to international audiences. In January, Perform ran the broadband channel for the Australian Open, producing live streaming of over 240 matches from six show courts throughout the tournament.
About Perform
Perform is a world leader in monetising sports and entertainment rights in digital media and has been a consistent and renowned innovator since 2000, and a major driving force in the commercialisation of sport and entertainment rights online, on mobile and on TV.
Perform provides a range of user friendly, end-to-end products and services for businesses involved in sport and entertainment rights:
Services: We provide the platform and tools that enable rights holders to place, manage and monetise their content online and on mobile.
Channels: We own and distribute branded and white label sport and entertainment channels for broadcast online and on mobile.
Sales: We sell advertising, sponsorship and content partnerships around sport and entertainment on a wide network of UK and international web and mobile sites.
Perform operates over 200 websites including those for over 80 UK Football Clubs, Cricket Australia, Warner Music, ITV, Turner Broadcasting and works with various rights holders, including The Premier League, Virgin Media and the ATP Masters Series.
About BigPond
Backed by Telstra, BigPond is the address around 3 million Australians call home., BigPond provides reliable fixed and wireless internet services and unmetered entertainment channels featuring music, movies, sport and games, online and on Telstra Next G™ and 3G mobiles. BigPond’s dedicated team has received many awards, most recently for BigPond Wireless Broadband at the World Broadband Forum in Europe. BigPond Wireless Broadband was also named Internet Technology of the Year at the 2007 Australian Personal Computer Internet Technology award.
For information, contact James Scholefield
E: James Scholefield [james@pitchpr.co.uk]
Tel: +44 20 7494 1616 or +44 7736 677 977