Eleven Sports signs two-year deal to use Blackbird in Belgium and Portugal

Eleven Sports has signed a two-year deal with Blackbird that will see it use the cloud-based video platform for editing sports content and distributing it to fans and viewers.

The online sports streaming service, which is part of global sports investment and innovation group Aser Ventures, will integrate Blackbird into its video infrastructure and use it to clip, edit and publish sports action seconds after it has happened to its social channels and OTT platforms in Belgium and Portugal.

Stevie Rowe, the head of production at Eleven Sports, said: “We want to give our fans access to the best sporting moments as quickly as possible and Blackbird will play a big role in helping us do that. They have a great product and we’re really looking forward to working with them.”

Eleven holds rights to various sports properties in territories around the world including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and League 1, as well as the NBA, NFL, UFC and Formula 1.

Blackbird is accessed through a web browser and, according to the company, “delivers significant productivity and efficiency benefits to any enterprise-level organisation working with video.”

Ian McDonough, chief executive of Blackbird, added: “I am delighted to have a dynamic and innovative broadcaster like Eleven Sports as a customer of Blackbird. Together Blackbird and Eleven are redefining and reshaping long-established business models and industries. Eleven have selected Blackbird for its unparalleled speed to air, high-quality output and easy scalability. We look forward to expanding with them as they grow.”

Other Eleven Sports customers include IMG, Deltatre and Peloton.

In 2018 Eleven Sports agreed a three-year deal to broadcast the FIA Formula 1 World Championship (pictured) in Portugal from 2019 until 2021.