Sports streaming platform Screach secures $2 million to launch internationally

Screach, the world’s first live sports streaming and advertising platform built specifically for commercial venues, is rolling out its technology globally after securing $2 million in investment.

The funding round included investment by several high net worth individuals and Hotspur Capital, who together with the British Business Bank’s Future Fund have provided $2 million in growth capital to power the international roll-out.

Developed by UK-based tech firm Screenreach, the cloud-based Screach platform aggregates all live sports content available in the user’s home country into a single place. Enterprise venues such as bars, cafes, hotels and gyms access the content via the Screach smart TV app, which is already available in 157 countries.

Screenreach runs a ‘freemium’ model; its app is free to download and offers the venue a free marketing and advertising channel that includes programmable digital signage and revenue-generating third-party adverts. Using Screach’s web-based portal, the venue can then use a single log-in to purchase any sports subscriptions or pay-per-view events they wish.

The service offers broadcasters and the owners of sports rights a frictionless way to deliver their content directly to enterprise venues, with no capital costs. The platform also helps them address the increasing challenge of content piracy.

Sports rights owners can use Screach to cut the cord with conventional satellite and cable broadcast infrastructure, allowing them to sell subscriptions directly to any venue consuming their content anywhere in the world.

For existing broadcasters, the technology offers an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution to run alongside their existing distribution approach, or a way to migrate away from costly legacy platforms to save costs and widen audience reach. Worldwide, the enterprise venue market offers an estimated revenue opportunity of $10 billion.

The technology, which has been piloted successfully in the UK, enables commercial venues to purchase the content they want, streaming it in HD quality to their existing TVs with no need for a satellite or cable TV connection.

Robert Rawlinson, CEO of Screenreach, commented: “The streaming revolution has left few corners of the consumer market untouched – with millions of people around the world embracing the ease and abundance of content available on countless new streaming services.

“Understandably, during lockdown the focus of broadcasters and rights holders has been on getting content into people’s homes. But as commercial venues reopen, the Screach platform offers a frictionless way for sports rights owners to extend their reach into the globally underserved enterprise market.

“Our intention has always been to help content rights holders and advertisers to monetise the enterprise space, by offering venues a business tool that helps them drive footfall and revenues.

“With our app now available in 157 countries, we’re in advanced discussions with a string of international broadcasters and top tier sport rights holders. We expect to announce several exciting partnerships in the coming months, that will all lead to the delivery of live sports content to commercial venues via our next generation streaming and advertising platform.”