Endeavor Streaming

Endeavor Streaming is a multinational digital video broadcasting and technology company.[1] Based in New York City,[2][3][4][5] the company works with professional sports leagues and entertainment companies to distribute live and on-demand content.[1] It also offers various business services.[2]

Endeavor Streaming
FormerlyNeuLion
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryStreaming media
Video on demand
PredecessorsNeuLion (founded 2004)
FoundersEndeavor Group in 2019
Headquarters,
United States
Areas served
United States, international
Key people
Fred Santarpia (President)
BrandsThe Vesper Platform
ServicesStreaming and web services, business consulting
ParentEndeavor Group Holdings
Websitewww.endeavorstreaming.com

Operating as a subsidiary of the American company Endeavor,[1][2] Endeavor Streaming was formed in January 2019[6] in part through the rebranding of NeuLion, which had been founded in 2004[7] and acquired by Endeavor in 2018.[1]

History

Predecessor companies

NeuLion, later Endeavor Streaming, was founded as a private technology company in 2004.[7] Headquartered in Plainview, New York,[8][9] among its co-founders were Charles Wang and Nancy Li.[7] NeuLion merged with streaming company JumpTV in 2008.[9] JumpTV Inc. changed its name to NeuLion, Inc. in 2009 and continued trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the new name.[10] NeuLion then acquired Interactive Netcasting Systems, a Vancouver-based webcasting company, in November 2009,[11] followed by TransVideo International in October 2010.[12]

By 2015, various NeuLion customers included the National Football League (NFL),[13] Sky in New Zealand,[4] and the EFL, among others.[14] With competition in the sports streaming market increasing, NeuLion lost the NHL as a client in 2015 when the league moved its contract to BAMTech.[7] NeuLion acquired DivX, Inc. in 2015 for $62.5 million,[3] with former DivX CEO Kanaan Jemili becoming CEO of NeuLion.[3] The acquisition gave NeuLion access to DivX's 4K Ultra HD technology,[3] which NeuLion integrated into devices by companies such as LG,[15] Samsung,[16] and Sony.[17]

In 2016, the company partnered with the NBA,[18][19] UFC,[1][20] and Univision[21] on trial streams of 4K games,[22] with NeuLion's 2016 broadcast of UFC 205 becoming the first global pay-per-view event to be live streamed in 4K.[23] When NeuLion acquired Saffron Digital in June 2016, Roy Reichbach was named NeuLion's President and CEO.[24] In March 2018, NeuLion agreed to be acquired by Endeavor for USD$250 million, with NeuLion to become a privately held subsidiary.[1] As part of the deal NeuLion retained 550 employees, including 125 at its Long Island headquarters[7] it had moved into in 2016.[25] The deal was finalized in May 2018 and NeuLion common stock was delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange.[26]

Endeavor Streaming

Endeavor Streaming was formed by Endeavor Group in January 2019, with the new division including Endeavor's video streaming products and services[6] and also absorbing NeuLion.[27] The new subsidiary was described as a "direct-to-consumer streaming unit, which conducts front and back end operations for sports leagues" and other clients.[28] Endeavor Streaming maintained contracts with former NeuLion clients such as Univision, Sky Sports,[6] the NFL, NBA, UFC, and Big Ten Network.[27] Endeavor Streaming announced it would be managing the WWE's WWE Network subscription service as well.[6]

Endeavor hired Fred Santarpia to run Endeavor Streaming in November 2020. Business Insider wrote that Santarpia would oversee global expansion.[28] In 2021 and 2022, it launched OTT platforms for networks and sports organizations in Europe, Japan,[29] and the Philippines.[30] In recent years, the company has also offered business consulting and predictive analysis on matters related to OTT platforms.[2]

Products and services

Vesper Platform

Endeavor Streaming describes itself as an over-the-top (OTT) platform provider, customizing streaming applications for networks and major sports franchises.[31] In particular, it creates direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming services[32] which are compatible with desktop computers, iOS and Android devices,[29] and various streaming television systems.[33]

The company calls its end-to-end video streaming platform[33] the Vesper Platform. The platform primarily distributes premium sports and entertainment content, live and on-demand. The platform also has a number of distribution and management features, including a monetization suite, analytics and data aggregation, machine learning, playback options, stream security,[34] and subscriber management.[35] There are also features to optimize content for viewers,[34] such as localization of content and bookmarking between devices.[33]

To allow live shopping on its streaming platforms, Endeavor Streaming incorporated the platform AiBUY into its own platform in 2022.[36] Also in 2022, partnered with Frequency, Endeavor Streaming created a platform to allow clients to directly customize their own channels,[32] and launch and monetize their platforms on free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services, for example The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus.[31]

Consulting

Endeavor Streaming also offers services such as business consulting,[2] analytics, and predictive modeling[33] in relation to over-the-top (OTT) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) media streaming.[2] Its DTC growth services division consults[33] on scaling and topics such as churn rate, pricing, and marketing.[2] In 2023, Endeavor Streaming published a whitepaper on streaming and market trends in collaboration with SportsPro.[37]

References

  1. David Ng (March 26, 2018), "Endeavor acquires digital streaming company NeuLion", Los Angeles Times, retrieved August 21, 2023
  2. Euan Cunningham (May 5, 2023), "Endeavor Streaming's Santarpia on half-decade of progress", Sportcal, retrieved August 27, 2023
  3. "NeuLion to Buy Video-Tech Firm DivX in $62.5 Million Deal". Variety. 5 January 2015.
  4. "NeuLion rises after deal with New Zealand's Sky". Cantech Letter. 29 April 2015.
  5. Eric Fisher (June 22, 2015). "Tennis Channel renews with NeuLion for OTT". Sports Business Journal.
  6. David Ng (January 14, 2019), "Endeavor launches streaming division, with WWE as new client", Los Angeles Times, retrieved August 27, 2023
  7. Jon Ourand; Eric Fisher (April 2, 2018), "Timing right for NeuLion, Endeavor deal", Sports Business Journal, retrieved August 21, 2023
  8. Claude Solnik (November 18, 2013), "Rough start (still) for NeuLion", Long Island Business News, retrieved August 27, 2023
  9. JumpTV, NeuLion to merge, CBC, June 9, 2008, retrieved August 21, 2023
  10. "JumpTV Inc (TSX:NLN) Announces New Name Change to NeuLion, Inc". MarketWire NeuLion. 2009-03-14.
  11. "NeuLion Announces Close of Acquisition of Interactive Netcasting System Inc". RTT News. 2009-11-02.
  12. "NeuLion Announces the Closing of Its Previously Announced Acquisition of Transvideo". MarketWire NeuLion. 2010-10-01.
  13. "NeuLion Feeds Need for Football With NFL Preseason Live". Sports Video. 2012-08-21.
  14. "EFL Digital Taps Streaming Partners | Multichannel". www.multichannel.com. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  15. Tom Allen (2015-04-12). "LGE Renews License Agreement with NeuLion to Integrate DivX(R) HEVC 4K for Its Ultra HD TVs". Display Daily.
  16. James K. Willcox (2016-01-07). "Samsung Launches Brighter SUHD TVs, and a 4K Blu-ray Player". Consumer Reports.
  17. "Sony taps NeuLion for 4K live streaming". Digital TV Europe. 2016-01-07.
  18. Mike Reynolds (2016-01-16). "NBA's 4K Telecast: Spectacular Views from London". Next TV.
  19. Jonathan Vanian (2015-06-16). "How the NBA Finals are beamed across the globe without hiccups". Fortune.
  20. Jeff Baumgartner (2015-09-03). "NeuLion, UFC Punch Up New Digital Deal". Multichannel News.
  21. Juan Fernandez Gonzalez (2016-01-08). "NeuLion powers Univision's new OTT service". Rapid TV News.
  22. "First North American Live Soccer Broadcast in 4K". LiveProduction.tv. 2016-02-15.
  23. Costa, Brandon. "UFC.TV Makes History With UFC 205 Streamed Globally in 4K at 60 fps". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  24. "Update - NeuLion Positioned for Next Stage of Growth". Market Wired - NeuLion. 2016-06-06.
  25. David Winzelberg (October 13, 2016), "NeuLion buys Melville office building", Long Island Business News, retrieved August 27, 2023
  26. "NeuLion Announces Closing of Acquisition by Endeavor". GlobeNewswire News Room. NeuLion. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  27. Endeavor Streaming formed with Neulion, CNBC, January 15, 2019, retrieved August 27, 2023
  28. Claire Atkinson (November 13, 2020), "Ari Emanuel's Endeavor nabs a Condé Nast alum to expand its streaming company globally", Business Insider, AP, retrieved August 27, 2023
  29. Tariq Saleh (November 2, 2021), "Sky PerfecTV teams up with Endeavor Streaming to create soccer OTT platform", Sportcal, retrieved August 26, 2023
  30. Joseph Perry (September 16, 2022), Filipino platform Tap DMV launches expanded service following Endeavor Streaming tie-up, SportBusiness, retrieved August 26, 2023
  31. Ed Dixon (April 22, 2022), "Endeavor Streaming partners with Frequency to combine DTC and FAST streaming distribution", Sports Pro Media, retrieved August 21, 2023
  32. Masha Abarinova (April 22, 2022), "Endeavor Streaming and Frequency launch a FAST one-stop shop", Fierce Video, retrieved August 27, 2023
  33. "Endeavor Streaming, NHRA Team Up to Host New Global Service", Drag Illustrated, February 15, 2023, retrieved August 27, 2023
  34. Our Platform, Endeavor Streaming, retrieved August 21, 2023
  35. Susan Lingeswaran (July 20, 2022), PTO teams up with Endeavor Streaming to launch free OTT platform, Sportcal, retrieved August 27, 2023
  36. J. Clara Chan (August 3, 2022), "Endeavor Streaming to Offer Live Shopping Capabilities to Clients", The Hollywood Reporter, retrieved August 27, 2023
  37. March 1, 2023, "Endeavor Streaming X SportsPro: The future of streaming is fan first", SportsPro Media
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