Well, at least it’s not another subscription service. Turner today announced the forthcoming launch of its new live sports streaming service, Bleacher Report Live, which is expected to roll out in April. The service, which can also be referred to as B/R Live, takes its name from the popular online destination for sports fans that Turner acquired in 2012 as a means of courting a more millennial audience.
Most notably, the new service will offer a pay-per-game option for those who just want to tune into individual games, without having to commit to yet another subscription.
B/R Live will provide access to a range of sporting events, such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, NBA League Pass games, 65 NCAA Championships, PGA Championship, National Lacrosse League, The Spring League, Red Bull Global Rallycross, World Arm Wrestling League and others.
Specifically, the NBA League Pass will allow fans to purchase and watch live NBA games in progress at a reduced price, which isn’t something that’s been done before.
The NBA games will also be available in the NBA App and on NBA.com, in addition to B/R Live, starting with the 2018-2019 regular season.
B/R Live enters a market where streaming sports services already exist, and takes a knowing approach to differentiating its offering from the others. In terms of rivals, both fuboTV and Disney’s upcoming ESPN+ are subscription-based, while the new CBS Sports HQ is free.
But B/R Live instead will offer a variety of pricing options, including the ability to pay for games on an individual basis, as well as pay via subscription. At first, however, only pay-per-game will be available, with subscriptions to follow later in the year.
“As viewing habits continue to evolve, Turner is well positioned to provide fans with direct access to premium live sports content that is highly coveted by audiences of scale, including a high concentration of millennials,” said David Levy, President of Turner, in a statement.
“When we first acquired Bleacher Report in 2012, we knew the definition of a network was changing and we anticipated a time when B/R would become a virtual network. Today is a significant step in that direction and we will fully leverage the reach of B/R and its deep connection with passionate sports fans to provide compelling experiences for them across this new, exciting platform,” he added.
The service is being powered by Turner’s iStreamPlanet technology, which counts among its customers Fox, fuboTV, Hulu, CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network, NBC Sports, and others. It will also offer a feed of real-time sporting events to scroll through, and personalization feature that help connect fans with their favorite events and teams.
At launch, B/R Live will make all content free during the first few months, as part of an introductory preview period. This will begin with Johnny Manziel’s debut in The Spring League on Saturday, April 7, 2018.
B/R Live will launch on iOS, Android and the web.
