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Hockey fanatics now have one more way to watch the action on the ice.
Yahoo announced a deal with the NHL on Thursday that allows the company to stream four live NHL games each week, according to Reuters. Yahoo Sports and Tumblr will provide free access to live games, highlights, and more without requiring a cable subscription or authentication.
The partnership begins immediately and will conclude at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Yahoo's deal with the NHL creates enormous potential ad revenue opportunities because the Internet company can sell its own ad sports during the games. Yahoo will also permit brands to advertise on the stream's website and will use its knowledge of its audience to engage with the viewer at the conclusion of the game.
This partnership is another piece of the growing desire for streaming services to broadcast live sporting events. Early this week, news broke that Facebook would bid for the streaming rights to Thursday Night Football games, according to Variety.
Yahoo also has partnerships with Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, and German soccer club Bayern Munich. In October, Yahoo became the first major online outlet to stream an NFL game.
Digital media companies are becoming more interested in live sports because these events can attract the cord cutters of the millennial generation. That same generation is now watching highlights on their phones and tablets, a sign of the shift toward a preference for mobile video.
But that is likely just the beginning.
Margaret Boland, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile video that takes a look at how short-form mobile video has exploded. The report examines how YouTube, the historically dominant force in short-form video, was slow to implement a mobile video strategy, opening the door for new players —namely Facebook and Snapchat — to emerge.
It also takes a look at how winners will begin to emerge in distinct video content categories. YouTube, for instance, will rely heavily on its homegrown YouTube stars to distinguish its video library and drive loyalty. Facebook will become the go-to place for brands and media companies to engage with the largest audience. And Snapchat will utilize its live-events coverage and exclusive content to promote video communication among younger mobile audiences.
Here are some key takeaways from the report:
In full, the report:
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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the rapidly changing world of mobile video.
