European satellite company BSkyB continues to invest in American online video, announcing a $7 million series B investment in digital programming channel Whistle Sports.
Touting a collection of more than 28,000 sports videos distributed on Xbox and YouTube, Whistle Sports has collected $25 million in venture capital to date. Prior investors include Clear Channel chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and Gerry Laybourne, former chief of Oxygen Media and Nickelodeon. Sports stars including Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning have also put money into the company.
Whistle Sports bills itself as the 'millennial voice and destination for sports." It has 8.3 million subscribers across its 192 channels. It has garnered 1.25 million views to date for its programming, which is original content produced in partnership with sports stars and leagues, including the NFL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR.
The BSkyB funds are only a portion of a new funding round, which will be further unveiled later. Whistle says it will use the new capital to expand its sales force and YouTube position, as well as grow its presence in Europe.
For its part, BSkyB has made several investments in the American OTT market lately--it just put in another $700,000 into Roku, for example.
For more:
- read this Variety story
- read this Deadline Hollywood story
Related links:
Laybourne: The Whistle turns to Web, gaming consoles to build next generation network
BSkyB shareholders approve Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland sales
Roku revenue just $190M for 2013, gets more cash from BSkyB
BSkyB buys Murdoch's German and Italian stakes, creates Euro pay TV giant