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The Rugby Super League is a UK rugby tournament
now considered to be one of the top three sports
in Great Britain under the Sport England assessment
criteria. Its website, www.engagesuperleague.com,
has quickly established itself as a leading rugby
league website with approximately 120,000 monthly
unique users. The web TV service, Super League
TV was developed and is managed by streaming solution
provider Servecast, and it offers a comprehensive
video-based archive for rugby league in the UK.
The Servecast solution for Super League TV includes
delivery of live and on demand video and audio
commentaries and the entire design and set up
of the complete subscription and delivery platform
for the broadband service. To ensure only legitimate
subscribers can access the online content, Servecast
provides the necessary tools to provide security
for all broadband video content including digital
rights management, geographic controls, prevention
of password trading and support of multiple business
models. Servecast also manages the billing and
security for the Super League website including
set up of an online payment interface, a tailored
revenue tracking system and a subscriber database.
As part of the service, Servecast provides regular
reporting at the end of each month including content
usage, user analysis, geographic location, sales
and revenue related to the pay-per-view and subscription
sales.
Benefits to the Rugby Super League
With its broadband subscription service, the
Rugby Super League can derive more revenue from
its rugby content through online streaming of
the club matches. Super League TV represents a
type of electronic turnstile which, together with
other forms of football consumption - increases
the league's commercial advantage. Super League
TV also provides a high quality, online viewing
experience and offers supporters a new stimulating
experience that will engage UK fans and fans overseas.
The RFL has a large international following, particularly
in the US where there are many UK expatriates.
With an online video service, the Rugby Super
League can expand and acquire a global dimension
to broaden its spectator appeal together with
its commercial and media value.
The implementation of Super League TV has different
benefits for UK and overseas fans. It enables
the UK fans to access exclusive online content
to complement TV coverage and their experience
at the Rugby League matches. Overseas fans can
view live coverage online that they may otherwise
be not able to view on TV due to rights restrictions
in different geographic locations. Using the internet,
the Super League is better able to tap into its
global fan base which ultimately drives increased
revenues and profits from its media assets.
By promoting free sample video clips of archive
matches on the website, Super League TV can engage
avid rugby league fans in the UK and throughout
the world, and encourage them to sign up for live
and archive rugby coverage.
A successful broadband subscription service also
enables sports organisations to grow e-commerce
revenues from online merchandise sales. The resultant
increased traffic levels to the website due to
Super League TV will invariably lead to increased
merchandise income.
A crucial aspect of the development of Super League
TV is to build a dynamic and industry-leading
website. The ability to webcast the league puts
the Rugby Super League right at the cutting edge
in terms of sports broadcasting on the web. When
the live video service launched in June 2006,
the service was a first for British Rugby League.
Superleague.tv - Live Video and VOD
Two games per week are made available live
over Super League TV for international viewers
and are also available on demand immediately afterwards
on the site.
The rugby matches are available live over broadband
to all non-UK, French, Middle Eastern and Australasian
territories. A total of 62 games, approximately,
including the play off matches and Grand Final
are streamed live over the Super League TV each
season.
In the UK, France and the Middle East, the matches
are available as archived, video-on-demand content
with a 24 hour delay. Ten minute highlights are
also available after a 24 hour delay from the
end of each match.
Superleague.tv additional content
Live coverage of each of the seven Tri-Nations
matches and the World Cup Challenge matches are
set to be made available through Super League
TV. These matches will be included in the pay-per-view
and the subscription package.
The Tri Nations tournament captured public imagination,
strong commercial investment and worldwide media
attention. Therefore the ability to deliver online
coverage of the Tri Nations is a major opportunity
for the RFL to further promote its web TV service
and grow subscribers.
The Tri Nations brings together the world's three
leading Rugby League playing nations - Australia,
Great Britain and New Zealand - creating an opportunity
to showcase the vibrancy and competitiveness of
the sport at this elite level. With Servecast's
Media Studio, the RFL is very well positioned
to use an effective online streaming platform
for international Rugby League to attract increased
levels of media exposure, spectator interest and
sponsorship. The broadband subscription service
is a format which will serve the sport well in
future years, particularly in reaching a wider
audience.
Reaching the US
Through Servecast's connections with Setanta Sports,
a partnership between the sports broadcaster and
the RFL has been put in place so that the RFL
can advertise, promote and deliver Superleague.tv
over Setanta Sports' US Broadband service. Setanta
Broadband in the US is a highly successful service
with rich content and growing subscribers. For
the RFL, the UK expatriate community in the US
is a huge market and reaching fans of the Rugby
Super League in the US was a high priority. One
of the key targets of Setanta Broadband is the
expatriate community in the US so this provided
a perfect fit between the two sports brands. Servecast
facilitated the agreement between Setanta Sports
US and the RFL to enable Superleague.tv become
available over Setanta Broadband.
Conclusion
The Super League TV broadband service is a great
example of how the rapid growth in broadband penetration
is enabling leading sports content owners to reach
a wider audience and generate new and profitable
revenue streams through broadband video delivery.
Using Servecast's Media Studio platform, the
RFL can offer fans both in the UK and in key markets
throughout the world a new and exciting way to
view the Super League. The internet is an increasingly
important channel for all sports to reach fans
directly. Super League TV is a first for British
Rugby League and will assist the RFL in reaching
potential new supporters Servecast's unrivalled
technical and commercial expertise delivering
broadband subscription services for sports organisations
enables it to deliver a complete business partnership
that delivers on the potential of new media for
sport. Not only can Servecast implement the most
sophisticated and advanced streaming media platforms,
Servecast can also offer commercial and marketing
insight to assist in promoting broadband services
to end users and also can help to build commercial
partnerships with other sports organisations to
grow the service.
About Servecast
Founded in 1998, Servecast is the leading specialist
supplier of New Media Sportscasting delivering
advanced streaming media solutions for the Sports
Industry. Servecast's Media Studio™ Platform
enables Sporting Organisations and Rights Holders
to exploit their media assets to new broadband
and mobile connected audiences.
Through the delivery of high quality audio visual
sports content over broadband and mobile applications,
Servecast's Media Studio platform greatly enhances
the global fan sporting experience and enables
the delivery of significant new revenue streams
to the rights holder. Through our focus on sports,
Servecast has developed a deep partnership network
with major broadcasters, clubs and sporting bodies,
the online betting industry, technology providers
and content syndication partners. We leverage
these partnerships to ensure optimal business
success for our customers.
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