Poland ready for NFL season after direct-to-enterprise agreement with Screach
The NFL has reached agreement with the Screach streaming platform to broadcast its 2021 season via a smart TV app to thousands of commercial venues across Poland.
The partnership marks a decisive move by the NFL to expand its live game proposition for the enterprise market in Poland, which includes bars, cafes, hotels and restaurants.
Screach’s cloud-based technology enables venues to stream the content they want in HD quality to their existing TVs, seamlessly via either an app or plug and play hardware, with no need for a satellite or cable TV connection.
The Screach platform, which was developed by the UK tech firm Screenreach, is designed to help commercial premises generate more footfall and revenue via their TVs and social media, in turn delivering a return on the venue’s investment in sports subscription costs. Screach even features an on-screen advertising capability that enables venues to turn their TV screens into an advertising platform they can use to boost sales and generate incremental advertising revenue.
Poland has an estimated 43,000 commercial venues – 19,000 of them pubs and bars – and a strong culture of friends socialising together over a drink. Poles made more than 551 million visits to a bar or pub in 2019.
The initial agreement will see Screach stream nearly 80 NFL games to Poland, including the play-offs and Super Bowl LVI live from Los Angeles in February 2022. With the NFL’s 2021 regular season due to get underway on 9 September, Screach will also stream some of the biggest games live at 19:00 Polish time every Sunday evening.
The partnership gives the NFL access to a potentially strong market in one of Europe’s fastest growing economies, which saw average wages rise by almost 10% in the 12 months to the end of June.
Sameer Pabari, NFL’s managing director of international media, commented: “Increasing the popularity of the NFL and the size of our global fanbase is a core strategic goal for us. Reaching new audiences in new markets is central to that – and this is exactly what our agreement with Screenreach enables us to do.
“Screach will allow us to showcase the excitement and drama of live NFL action to thousands of Polish sports fans.”
Robert Rawlinson, CEO of Screenreach, added: “Streaming is already integral to the NFL’s global success, enabling it to build enduring connections with new and existing fans. By partnering with Screenreach, it is raising the digital bar once again – giving thousands of commercial venues across Poland flexible access to NFL content and showcasing the sport to a huge audience of potential new fans.
“Our tried and tested Screach technology offers a turnkey solution for ambitious and astute rights holders like the NFL who recognise the value of the enterprise space, both as a source of commercial subscriptions as well as a powerful way to reach individual fans.
“We’re delighted to be helping the NFL accelerate its growth in this exciting new market and hope Poland will be the first step on a long and successful strategic journey together.”