SendtoNews is a 5 year old company that’s shaking up the way sports organizations, leagues and teams distribute and monetize their own content (and how top ad agencies are doing their digital media buying). The Canada-based company has been securing distribution agreements with premium professional sports leagues including the NFL, Premier League Soccer, PGA Tour and NASCAR, since 2013. Now, SendtoNews just announced an agreement for the global syndication of Major League Baseball short-form video content, including game highlights, interviews, top plays, home runs and other fan interest stories.
SendtoNews is also developing the industry’s only Premium Advertising Network, where it packages and connects new, exclusive inventories of sports video content with large-scale, creative advertising opportunities for major sponsors.
The deal is a multi-faceted, multi-year agreement with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) for the global syndication of Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) short-form digital video content. MLBAM is the interactive media and Internet marketing company of Major League Baseball.
Under the terms of the agreement, SendtoNews will have digital distribution rights to MLB game highlights, interviews, top plays and other MLB-related video to local news sites throughout the US and Canada. In addition, the agreement provides for expanded digital rights to distribute MLB video content globally, excluding certain territories where MLBAM has existing digital distribution partnerships. The agreement also includes archived content, long-form original programming and global rights for the distribution of MiLB short-form digital video content.
“MLBAM has long been one of the most prolific sports content creators in the world and its vast library of content generated throughout the 2500 game baseball season is the holy grail of sports video highlights,“ said Greg Bobolo, CEO. “MLBAM is one of the most successful technology companies in the world and to become a global syndication partner is another huge market validation for SendtoNews and a strong statement about the capabilities of our syndication platform, our business model and our people. We are excited and honored to enter this partnership.”
RBR-TVBR asked Bobolo: “How this will be offered to advertisers?”
“Unlike real time bidding (RTB) systems, we work directly with our content providers, publishers and advertisers (or their agencies). We offer them exclusive access to a portfolio of highly sought after sports video content as well as premium placements with our digital publishers across North America. Campaigns can be optimized to maximize the reach with our advertisers’ targeted audiences and we can provide them with access to national, regional and hyper-local audiences efficiently, cost-effectively and at scale.”
…and about the SendtoNews revenue model: “SendtoNews’ business model is reshaping the landscape for the distribution and monetization of sports video highlights. We are nurturing deep partnerships with broadcasters and publishers where, in return for top tier rights-enabled sports content and, perhaps more importantly, an equitable share of advertising revenues, these organizations are providing us with premium placement opportunities and deeper integration into their broadcasts and online properties.”
“This partnership is reflective of our long-standing commitment to bring baseball content directly to fans across a variety of platforms, specifically leveraging the SendtoNews syndication platform to reach our fans through their preferred news sites,” added Alexander Pigeon, VP, International, MLBAM.
HQ’d in Victoria, BC with affiliate offices in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and London (UK), SendtoNews is the fastest growing syndicator of sports video highlights in the world. The company currently monetizes and distributes game highlights, player interviews and other fan-interest content for more than 75 sports leagues on four continents. Its broadcast and publishing partners represent more than 1000 television, radio, print and online news outlets.
SendtoNews also operates the industry’s only Premium Advertising Network, where it packages and connects new, exclusive inventories of sports video content with large-scale, creative advertising opportunities for major sponsors.
