BTN and FloSports announce new distribution agreement
More than 1,000 Big Ten Conference events will be available to FloSports subscribers
CHICAGO, Ill. – Big Ten Network and FloSports, a subscription-based streaming sports platform, today announced a four-year agreement which includes the distribution rights to more than 1,000 non-televised Big Ten Conference events. The events, which were previously exclusive to BTN Plus and range from basketball to ice hockey, will now be available through FloSports’ sport-specific subscription channels such as FloWrestling, FloTrack and FloVolleyball.
FloSports is a digital content provider based in Austin, Texas, with a network of 25 verticals covering a range of sports, including basketball, football, wrestling, track, volleyball, gymnastics and swimming. The verticals include sport-specific live streams, documentaries, breaking news and more.
“We’re excited to partner with the Big Ten Network, as they bring incredible student-athletes and events to our die-hard community of sports fans,” FloSports co-founder and CEO Martin Floreani said. “We look forward to building up these event properties to bring more value to the events, athletes, and fans.”
With the agreement in place, BTN Plus will remain available within BTN2Go with no change for current subscribers. A subscription includes non-televised games and events, produced in conjunction with the B1G Universities. In addition to the games, BTN Plus also offers exclusive access to BTN’s library of B1G Classic Football and B1G Classic Basketball games. A BTN Plus subscription does not require a Big Ten Network TV subscription.
“BTN continuously explores opportunities to distribute Big Ten content across emerging third-party platforms,” said Michael Calderon, Senior Vice President, Programming and Digital Media at BTN. “FloSports has cultivated a passionate and widespread audience and we are looking forward generating a significant increase in exposure for the more than 1,000 Big Ten events that had previously only been available in BTN Plus.”
About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 1,500 events across all platforms, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. BTN2Go is the digital extension of the Big Ten Network, delivering live games and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones, and tablets. Events include football, men’s and women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is in more than 60 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For additional information, go to www.btn.com.
About FloSports
FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders and governing bodies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Basketball, MMA, Football, Wrestling, Track, Gymnastics and more.