The Tennis Channel inked a multi-year deal with NeuLion so it can expand its Tennis Channel Everywhere and Tennis Channel Plus streaming offerings to more platforms and markets.
The agreement extends the existing deal between the two companies that was reached in May 2014 to support the launch of Tennis Channel Plus, which made its debut at the beginning of the 2014 French Open. Tennis Channel Plus is a subscription-based a la carte channel sold directly to consumers. The service launched at $59.99 per month, and today it costs $79.99 per year or $11.99 per month.
During this year's French Open, Tennis Channel delivered 260+ hours of coverage, 140+ live matches and encore replays, and 120+ hours of nightly primetime show French Open Tonight, all powered by the NeuLion Digital Platform.
According to the Tennis Channel, Tennis Channel Plus streaming subscriptions grew 400 percent year-over-year. And on average 25 percent of subscribers used the online service once daily, with 50 percent streaming video on their computers, 25 percent on tablets, 15 percent on media streamers Apple TV and Roku, and 10 percent on mobile phones.
In a recent interview with Light Reading, Adam Ware, SVP and head of digital for the network, said in only 14 months, Tennis Channel Plus has already achieved revenue totals the company wasn't expecting to reach until year four. That income is derived almost entirely from subscription fees, and it comes from a mix of annual contracts and month-to-month sign-ups.
"I was a little worried that one would cannibalize the other," said Ware in the interview, referring to the annual and monthly contract options. "That hasn't been the case. We're actually getting probably 55 percent of it, maybe a little bit higher, is driven by annual subscriptions."
For more:
- see this release
- see this Light Reading article
Related articles:
Tennis Channel's Ware pitches 'hybrid' a la carte model
Tennis Channel vs. Comcast - Worst programming disputes of all time
WWE's Barrios: We can't underestimate impact of shift to online video
Shifting consumer behavior driving personalization of pay-TV content