The company aimed at becoming the Internet's prime live-event streamer scores the promise of a large cache of high-profile events by joining forces with the talent and marketing agency behind Wimbledon and New York Fashion Week. October 2, 2013 5:01 AM PDT Livestream broadcasts games of IMG client National Rugby League in markets where they aren't televised, on devices like the Roku streaming box. (Credit: Livestream) Livestream, which is aiming to use live events to grow into the place everyone goes to stream live video to the world, announced its biggest partnership deal Wednesday with IMG Media Worldwide, a sports and fashion talent and marketing agency. It's the "single most impactful deal" Livestream has ever signed, Livestream's Chief Executive and co-founder Max Haot told CNET in an email about its partnership with IMG. "This partnership will see IMG and Livestream stream tens of thousands of high-quality live sports events every year, from the US, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia." Hoat has a long history with IMG, having cut his teeth working on interactive media at IMG in London for nearly a decade. David Salmon, IMG's head of technology and strategic partnerships, said Livestream was attractive for providing a good set of tools to connect to mobile devices, televisions, and desktop computers. "In general, live streaming as a medium is still kind of convoluted," he said. "Live streaming is still far harder than it should be, and you are dealing with lots and lots of immature technologies. Livestream really helps bridge that gap." IMG, traditionally an agent for athletes, in recent years has expanded into marketing, sports training and media for news spheres like fashion, music, and collegiate sports enterprises. IMG tested the waters with Livestream before signing the long-term partnership by working with the service to stream events such as Wimbledon, The Open Championship, the National Rugby League, and major European football leagues. Related stories Do-it-yourself Web site builder Wix files for $100M IPO GTA Online hit with launch problems Language of Facebook: Women talk about shopping, men curse Facebook sees mobile riches in richer app ads Zynga settles suit with hookup app Bang with Friends Video falls into two categories in the online world: live and so-called library, like Netflix and Hulu. Live video has long been trickier proposition than library, which has the benefit of lead time to prepare and polish its content and the technology behind it before it is viewed. Live must work toward the goal of getting the most popular content to the most people too, while facing a more challenging technological feat: bringing high-definition video at an adaptive bitrate that won't look like a pixelated mess on 50-inch plasma. As technology has advanced to the point that making live video look good is no longer the biggest hurdle, Livestream has adopted the strategy of targeting live-events partners as its platform of growth. By signing on live events partners that have niche, scattered fans that don't form a critical mass that's large enough to attract a traditional television broadcaster, Livestream is aiming to collect a diverse -- and large -- base of viewers and content producers that conglomerate into a bigger whole. Alongside the announcement of its IMG parternship, Livestream said it is opening a London office to handle its Europe, Middle East, and Africa operations and sales. The company said it has about 10 open positions in development, operations and sales, and will continue to grow in the months to come. Globally, it has more than 130 employees in offices in New York and satellite offices in Los Angeles, India, and Ukraine.
The company aimed at becoming the Internet's prime live-event streamer scores the promise of a large cache of high-profile events by joining forces with the talent and marketing agency behind Wimbledon and New York Fashion Week.
Livestream broadcasts games of IMG client National Rugby League in markets where they aren't televised, on devices like the Roku streaming box.
(Credit: Livestream)
Livestream, which is aiming to use live events to grow into the place everyone goes to stream live video to the world, announced its biggest partnership deal Wednesday with IMG Media Worldwide, a sports and fashion talent and marketing agency.
It's the "single most impactful deal" Livestream has ever signed, Livestream's Chief Executive and co-founder Max Haot told CNET in an email about its partnership with IMG. "This partnership will see IMG and Livestream stream tens of thousands of high-quality live sports events every year, from the US, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia."
Hoat has a long history with IMG, having cut his teeth working on interactive media at IMG in London for nearly a decade.
David Salmon, IMG's head of technology and strategic partnerships, said Livestream was attractive for providing a good set of tools to connect to mobile devices, televisions, and desktop computers. "In general, live streaming as a medium is still kind of convoluted," he said. "Live streaming is still far harder than it should be, and you are dealing with lots and lots of immature technologies. Livestream really helps bridge that gap."
IMG, traditionally an agent for athletes, in recent years has expanded into marketing, sports training and media for news spheres like fashion, music, and collegiate sports enterprises. IMG tested the waters with Livestream before signing the long-term partnership by working with the service to stream events such as Wimbledon, The Open Championship, the National Rugby League, and major European football leagues.
Related stories
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- GTA Online hit with launch problems
- Language of Facebook: Women talk about shopping, men curse
- Facebook sees mobile riches in richer app ads
- Zynga settles suit with hookup app Bang with Friends
Video falls into two categories in the online world: live and so-called library, like Netflix and Hulu. Live video has long been trickier proposition than library, which has the benefit of lead time to prepare and polish its content and the technology behind it before it is viewed. Live must work toward the goal of getting the most popular content to the most people too, while facing a more challenging technological feat: bringing high-definition video at an adaptive bitrate that won't look like a pixelated mess on 50-inch plasma.
As technology has advanced to the point that making live video look good is no longer the biggest hurdle, Livestream has adopted the strategy of targeting live-events partners as its platform of growth. By signing on live events partners that have niche, scattered fans that don't form a critical mass that's large enough to attract a traditional television broadcaster, Livestream is aiming to collect a diverse -- and large -- base of viewers and content producers that conglomerate into a bigger whole.
Alongside the announcement of its IMG parternship, Livestream said it is opening a London office to handle its Europe, Middle East, and Africa operations and sales. The company said it has about 10 open positions in development, operations and sales, and will continue to grow in the months to come. Globally, it has more than 130 employees in offices in New York and satellite offices in Los Angeles, India, and Ukraine.
