Stan CEO Mike Sneesby revealed last week at a media disruption lunch panel that the streaming video-on-demand service is examining the possibility of adding live sports to its growing list of content.
While there are no immediate plans to begin streaming sports on the service, Sneesby mentioned that the Nordic streaming service Viaplay already successfully streams live sports alongside film and television content.
Sneesby also stated that there’s “nothing technologically or legally that would prevent us from moving in that direction.”
Stan likes sports, and he don’t care who knows
With Stan being partly-owned Nine Entertainment Co., this could be a good opening for the service to win streaming rights to the sporting events Nine traditionally broadcasts, such as Rugby League, State of Origin, Test Cricket, KFC Twenty20, Australian Swimming Championships, Wimbledon and much more.
There’s also opportunity for the service to make itself the new home of several sports, with broadcast rights negotiations for NRL and AFL currently underway – there’s even word that SBS will be dropping soccer in the near future.
Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein did note however, that if Stan were to get into the live sports streaming business, the price model would most certainly have to rise from its current fee of $10 a month.
- Find out what else is streaming in Stan’s content line-up