CBS adds live streaming of college sports to iPhone app
CBS Sports will stream the entire 2009 Southeastern Conference of football games on the CBS Sports College iPhone and iPod touch application.
The application provides users with in-game box scores and player statistics as an overlay on top of the streaming video. In addition to the overlaying information, a full division scoreboard, individual game centers for top 25 matchups, polls, headlines and standings are all accessible on the application.
?CBS Interactive has been a leader in streaming mobile entertainment content and is continuing this trend with our new mobile sports offerings,? said Robert Gelick, vice president of mobile at CBS Interactive, Los Angeles. ?CBS Interactive saw there was an overwhelming response this past spring to the March Madness On Demand iPhone application in which we streamed all tournament games.
?CBS Interactive decided to extend the event-based experience throughout the college sports season so that fans can watch live games wherever they might be,? he said. ?We've also gone beyond just broadcasting the game to mobile, creating an immersive experience where, at any point within the game, users can check real-time stats without interrupting the viewing experience.?
The application was developed in partnership with MobiTV. It is currently in the Apple App Store for $9.99.
The entire SEC football season is streaming on CBSSports.com.
Fifteen football contests will be streamed on the CBS Sports Mobile application, including the SEC Championship Game featuring the Eastern and Western Division champions.
The 110th Army-Navy College Football Classic will also be streamed on CBS Sports Mobile.
CBS Sports College will also stream select games from the 2009-2010 SEC basketball schedule.
CBS Sports is just beginning the first year of a 15-year contract extension with the SEC. In addition to broadcast rights, the deal includes digital, Internet, wireless, video-on-demand and enhanced highlight rights across all CBS Sports properties.
CBS Interactive has had a dedicated mobile broadcast center supporting mobile TV efforts across North America.
Mr. Gelick said that there is a new generation of passionate sports enthusiasts that may not have the luxury of sitting in front of a TV or PC to catch a game. These fans are used to watching content on their phones, he said.
?Mobile video has evolved far beyond users watching highlight clips and post-game recaps," Mr. Gelick said. "We are now seeing a fully engaged mobile audience as the games are happening."
The games are offered within the premium application, so there are no ads currently, but Mr. Gelick said that there has been a large amount of sponsor interest in future releases because CBS Interactive has shown an ability to offer unique ad units in other mobile products.
An advancement in handsets has led CBS to embrace the channel.
Mr. Gelick said that iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm and Android devices offer a huge opportunity to reach the core sports audience in new ways.
?We can attract new audiences to CBS Sports and CBSSports.com by engaging them on devices they're already using,? Mr. Gelick said. ?We always look for ways to extend our reach - launching products on a wide array of mobile devices accomplishes this.?