Blackbird strikes two-year deal with new customer Eleven Sports

(Sharecast News) - Cloud video editing platform provider Blackbird has been chosen by Eleven Sports for the rapid editing and publishing of sports content to fans online, the company announced on Tuesday, with the contract running for two years.
The AIM-traded firm said Eleven Sports - part of global sports investment and innovation group Aser Ventures - is one of a "new breed" of broadcaster which was "redefining how global sport is packaged and delivered".

It said Eleven Sports' over-the-top (OTT) platform was at the core of a platform-agnostic approach, engaging fans across on-air, online and social media, and delivering thousands of hours of sports per year to millions of paying customers.

The company would integrate Blackbird into its video infrastructure, and use it to rapidly clip, edit and publish sports content seconds after live to its social channels and OTT platforms in Belgium and Portugal.

Eleven Sports' social media, marketing, digital and production teams would be able to create clips and highlight packages for sports fans to enjoy, Blackbird explained.

It said Eleven held rights to a wide range of sports properties in a number of territories, including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and League 1, as well as the NBA, NFL, UFC and Formula One.

"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," said Stevie Rowe, head of production at Eleven Sports.

"They have a great product and we're really looking forward to working with them."

Ian McDonough, chief executive officer of Blackbird, said he was "delighted" to have a "dynamic and innovative" broadcaster such as 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."

At 0921 GMT, shares in Blackbird were down 0.02% at 14.75p.