Fox Sports to sell Bowl downloads, stream game live
Cory Bergman December 27th, 2006
Fox Sports will sell complete downloads of the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and the BCS Championship Game via FoxSports.com (Direct2Drive), iTunes, Amazon, AOL, CinemaNow and Instant Media. Plus, FoxSports.com will stream the Cotton Bowl live, for free. Not only that, but sports fans can download preview shows, highlight packages and “Short Cuts,” a condensed game version. Very impressive. Most full-length games will be available for download within 24 hours of a given game’s completion for $2.99, and game packages with the preview shows, etc., will go for $4.99. Several distribution partners will enable fans to pre-order any of the games starting December 28. “This content offering represents important first steps in digital delivery for both the BCS and FOX Sports, and we look forward to finding more ways to deliver sports content to fans via digital download in the future,” said Gary Ehrlich, EVP of FOX Sports Enterprises. Press release as well as a Direct2Drive screen grab below…
PRESS RELEASE — FOX Sports today announced that, for the first time ever, full-length games from the 2007 Tostitos™ Bowl Bash on FOX – which includes The AT&T™ Cotton Bowl Classic, The Tostitos™ Fiesta Bowl, The FedEx™ Orange Bowl, The Allstate™ Sugar Bowl and The Tostitos BCS National Championship Game – will be available on the Internet via several leading digital download sites beginning December 28. Developed in partnership with the Bowl Championship Series, the complete content offering, which includes full-length games, condensed games, preview shows and highlights, is one of the most comprehensive collections of digital downloads ever to be made available online in association with a major sporting event. It also marks the first time that FOX Sports has made downloadable content available for sports fans on the Web.
Fans can access the Tostitos Bowl Bash downloads by visiting FOX Sports on MSN (http://foxsports.com), Fox Interactive Media’s Direct2Drive (http://direct2drive.com), Apple’s iTunes, Amazon’s Unbox, AOL Video, CinemaNow and Instant Media. FOX Sports on MSN and Direct2Drive will also offer a comprehensive programming hub for the Tostitos Bowl Bash, including a free, live simulcast of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, which marks the first time a January 1st bowl game has been streamed live on the Internet.
Through this groundbreaking digital distribution program, college football fans will be able to purchase preview shows covering each of the BCS games airing on FOX Sports and also pre-order full-length games, highlight packages and “Short Cuts” – a condensed version that allows users to watch each game in approximately 20 minutes. Fans can purchase single-game highlights or a “Best of the Bowl Bash” highlight package that will feature the best plays from all five games in one program produced exclusively for digital distribution.
“Sports fans are consuming content on new and different platforms every day, and our goal is to expand the reach of FOX Sports and the BCS to as many of those media platforms as possible,” said Ed Goren, President of FOX Sports. “By working with great distribution partners both within the FOX family and externally, we have given college football fans an incredible amount of choice when looking for official BCS content online.”
“Our goal is to expand the reach of the Bowl Championship Series through as many platforms as possible, and digital rights have become a more important part of the media mix every year,” said Gary Ehrlich, Executive Vice President of FOX Sports Enterprises. “This content offering represents important first steps in digital delivery for both the BCS and FOX Sports, and we look forward to finding more ways to deliver sports content to fans via digital download in the future.”
Preview shows will be available through all distribution channels starting December 28, and will in many cases feature both game overviews and team-centric preview packages.
Though exact timing may vary, most full-length games will be available for download within 24 hours of a given game’s completion, and several distribution partners will enable fans to pre-order any of the games starting December 28.
Preview shows, “Short-Cuts” and the “Best of the Bowl Bash” highlight program will be priced at $1.99 each, while full-length games – which will typically include halftime shows, post-game interviews and trophy presentations – will cost $2.99. Fans will be able to purchase all of the preview shows, every Bowl Bash full-length game and the “Best of the Bowl Bash” highlight package for a discounted price of $19.99. In addition, select retail partners will allow fans of participating teams to purchase all products related to a specific BCS Bowl game – including previews shows, the full-length game, the “Short-Cut” and the “Best of the Bowl Bash” highlight package – for a discounted price of $6.99.
While serving as one of the distribution channels for downloadable BCS content, FOX Sports on MSN will also offer its users a wealth of free video and audio content related to college football’s biggest week. The site will deliver free live audio streaming of four BCS games, provide pre- and post-game video reports from several bowl locations, and serve as the home for FOX College Bowl Pick ‘em – the official fantasy game of the Bowl Championship Series.
“With more than a month of hype leading up to the games, college football fans are hungry for any and all BCS content in advance of the broadcasts,” said Brian Grey, Senior Vice President of FOX Sports Interactive. “From pre-game shows to live game streaming, we are delivering the same great FOX Sports content to fans, whether they’re tuning into the games on television or visiting us on the Web.”
17 Comments Add your own
1. RegCrandall | December 28th, 2006 at 6:20 am
Great news for the Digital Media Content Industry — The only missing component is residual revenue. The 9thxchange - http://www.9thx.com offers that missing component.
The 9thXchange marketplace is the newest way to bring together buyers and sellers of digital content. The service dramatically reduces content piracy by offering the seller lifetime royalties — even on exchanges between consumers. Moreover, the service accommodates all technology platforms, file types and creators. I read about The 9thxchange in Crains Detroit recently.
2. Brian Parker | January 3rd, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I would love to see the last half of overtime of the Tostito Bowl. That must have been some comeback.
3. T Baughman | January 8th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Stream the BCS Title Game for the Europeans!!
4. J Vegas | January 8th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Fcuk!! Ther must be someone somewhere streaming the BSC title game “LIVE”!! I caught every OSU game and now I have to be in the Czech Republic on buisness.. Help someone!!
5. J Buck | January 8th, 2007 at 9:56 am
J Vegas, I can relate. This sucks. I’m stuck here in Athens Greece and can’t find the game streaming anywhere.
6. J Buck | January 8th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Buckeye fans, try the attached link to at least listen via audio from Columbus
7. J Vegas | January 8th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
J Buck thanks… That may be the option I go with.. Although I have given some thought to shutting myself in from the outside world and resurfacing to download the game via direct2drive.com 24 hours later.. I find it odd that ESPN Gameplan can show every bowl game under the sun and not the title game.. If nothing else, black out the US and show it at least to overseas fans.
8. OK | January 8th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Help! I’m in Barcelona and I can’t find the game anywhere!
9. J Vegas | January 8th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
OK last ditch effort… Anyone know where I can listen to the game live via the Net?
10. helper | January 8th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
J Vegas, go to fox sports . you can listen to it there
11. J Vegas | January 8th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
YEP GOT IT!! THANKS!!!
12. GM | January 8th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Greetings! I’m listening to the game from Wellington, New Zealand online. Totally not cool that those of us outside the US can’t watch the game!!! I even called the embassy and they had no plans to show the game. The local sports bars were willing to show the game but, they only get ESPN, which is showing Georgetown vs Villanova basketball!!
13. J Vegas | January 8th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Yeah it kinda sucks that its not an “official” or rather true audio broadcast.. If your listening on the fox site your hearing the television broadcast, and the play calling is really limited as far as giving details… But… Beggars can’t be choosers. Tho in 2007 we should be much further than we are!!
14. gators | January 8th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
go gators
15. co. duke | December 25th, 2007 at 5:11 am
I can’t believe that apparently fox will not offer the championship game streaming to at least the rest of the world!
I have watched college games all year, LSU, on both espn and CBS in Europe where I teach.
Now I discover that there are no provisions for live streaming of the Championship game overseas and the pre order says the download is only for the U.S.
There are millions of Americans overseas, Fox should make it available for streaming at european and other non U.S. Ip’s. It is an easy techincal job.
They are letting down a lot of fans, and losing a lot of customers.
Anyone know an address where we can email or call to management to get this insane policy changed?
Together, maybe we can do something!
16. Liey | January 18th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Wow, thanks for the excellent information!
17. ahmed | February 17th, 2008 at 2:33 am
hiiiiiiiiiiii
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