Guinness PRO14 and StreamAMG launch rugby union’s first tournament OTT service

The Guinness PRO14 has become the first major rugby union competition to launch its own OTT video platform thanks to a partnership with StreamAMG. After major worldwide broadcasts were unveiled by the Championship earlier this season, supporters in selected international territories will also be able to watch matches live via an official direct-to-consumer platform.

Having already streamed PRO14 games on social media to selected territories this season, an expected audience has already signed up to be the very first to access PRO14 TV.  The service launches in time for the climax of the season – the Guinness PRO14 Finals Series.

The service is now available at www.pro14.tv and fans will be able to choose from a range of packages (priced here in Euros for comparison), Pay-per-view passes for individual games will be priced at €3.99, with a weekend pass (Friday, Saturday, Sunday fixtures; 72 hours) available for €6.99.

Traditional monthly and seasonal options will be launched for the 19/20 season. In addition to live, chargeable match coverage, the service will offer free registration-led access to a comprehensive library of clips, highlights, full-match replays and a range of exclusive content.

Dermot Rigley, commercial director of PRO14 Rugby, said: “Launching our own OTT video platform to reach fans around the world was a logical next step for us as we experience more demand for the Guinness PRO14 than ever before. To be the first major rugby union tournament to launch an OTT service is in keeping with our commitment to innovation and a commitment to embrace new technologies.

“Since expanding the Championship into South Africa in 2017 we have experienced significant growth across all metrics including attendances, social media engagement and, of course, signing record-setting broadcast deals earlier this year.

“We are looking forward to bringing the excitement of Guinness PRO14 rugby directly to supporters of our clubs. To deliver this we are extremely pleased to be working with StreamAMG, who have a strong track record in the sector. Their technical expertise was very much in evidence throughout the selection process.”

The service will be based on StreamAMG’s MediaPlatform video management platform as well as incorporating CloudMatrix, a new feed-based distribution platform. StreamAMG’s proprietary transaction platform, CloudPay, will take care of end-user payments and subscription management.