NBC Sports's Playmaker Selected for F1 OTT Service

Formula 1 racing has selected NBC Sports Digital’s Playmaker Media as the streaming technology provider for F1 TV, a subscription video on demand service set to launch in May.

F1 TV will join a growing number of subscription services. ESPN+ launched this week, Turner recently announced plans to start a Bleacher Report streaming service this spring and CBS Sports HQ launched earlier this year.

Each service requires a technology provider. ESPN’s parent Disneyacquired Major League Baseball’s BAM Tech to power its expansion into the direct-to-consumer businesses.

NBC Sports Digital’s Playmaker launched in 2016 and has streamed events including the Super Bowl and Olympics.

“Playmaker Media takes great pride in delivering the world’s biggest sporting events to large-scale audiences, and every F1 race is a global event,” said Eric Black, senior VP & chief technical officer, Playmaker Media.

In developing the platform, NBC Sports’ Playmaker Media, and Turner’s iStreamPlanet will act as systems integrator and video streaming partner. They provide high-quality, turn-key, end-to-end video streaming solutions for media companies offering their customers the best experience in live video and on-demand content across all platforms.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.