Website Profile: Servecast and the Rugby Super League - July 2006  

The Rugby Super League is a UK rugby tournament now considered to be one of the top three sports in Great Britain under the Sport England assessment criteria, writes Kathrina Gallogly, marketing and communications manager of Servecast. Its website, www.engagesuperleague.com, has quickly established itself as a leading rugby league website with approximately 120,000 monthly unique users. The web TV service, Super League TV was developed and is managed by streaming solution provider Servecast, and it offers a comprehensive video-based archive for rugby league in the UK.

The Servecast solution for Super League TV includes delivery of live and on demand video and audio commentaries and the entire design and set up of the complete subscription and delivery platform for the broadband service. To ensure only legitimate subscribers can access the online content, Servecast provides the necessary tools to provide security for all broadband video content including digital rights management, geographic controls, prevention of password trading and support of multiple business models. Servecast also manages the billing and security for the Super League website including set up of an online payment interface, a tailored revenue tracking system and a subscriber database.
As part of the service, Servecast provides regular reporting at the end of each month including content usage, user analysis, geographic location, sales and revenue related to the pay-per-view and subscription sales.

Benefits to the Rugby Super League

With its broadband subscription service, the Rugby Super League can derive more revenue from its rugby content through online streaming of the club matches. Super League TV represents a type of electronic turnstile which, together with other forms of football consumption - increases the league’s commercial advantage. Super League TV also provides a high quality, online viewing experience and offers supporters a new stimulating experience that will engage UK fans and fans overseas.
The RFL has a large international following, particularly in the US where there are many UK expatriates. With an online video service, the Rugby Super League can expand and acquire a global dimension to broaden its spectator appeal together with its commercial and media value.
The implementation of Super League TV has different benefits for UK and overseas fans. It enables the UK fans to access exclusive online content to complement TV coverage and their experience at the Rugby League matches. Overseas fans can view live coverage online that they may otherwise be not able to view on TV due to rights restrictions in different geographic locations. Using the internet, the Super League is better able to tap into its global fan base which ultimately drives increased revenues and profits from its media assets.
By promoting free sample video clips of archive matches on the website, Super League TV can engage avid rugby league fans in the UK and throughout the world, and encourage them to sign up for live and archive rugby coverage.
A successful broadband subscription service also enables sports organisations to grow e-commerce revenues from online merchandise sales. The resultant increased traffic levels to the website due to Super League TV will invariably lead to increased merchandise income.
A crucial aspect of the development of Super League TV is to build a dynamic and industry-leading website. The ability to webcast the league puts the Rugby Super League right at the cutting edge in terms of sports broadcasting on the web. When the live video service launched in June 2006, the service was a first for British Rugby League.

Superleague.tv - Live Video and VOD

Two games per week are made available live over Super League TV for international viewers and are also available on demand immediately afterwards on the site.
The rugby matches are available live over broadband to all non-UK, French, Middle Eastern and Australasian territories. A total of 62 games, approximately, including the play off matches and Grand Final are streamed live over the Super League TV each season.
In the UK, France and the Middle East, the matches are available as archived, video-on-demand content with a 24 hour delay. Ten minute highlights are also available after a 24 hour delay from the end of each match.

Superleague.tv additional content

Live coverage of each of the seven Tri-Nations matches and the World Cup Challenge matches are set to be made available through Super League TV. These matches will be included in the pay-per-view and the subscription package.
The Tri Nations tournament captured public imagination, strong commercial investment and worldwide media attention. Therefore the ability to deliver online coverage of the Tri Nations is a major opportunity for the RFL to further promote its web TV service and grow subscribers.
The Tri Nations brings together the world’s three leading Rugby League playing nations - Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand - creating an opportunity to showcase the vibrancy and competitiveness of the sport at this elite level. With Servecast’s Media Studio, the RFL is very well positioned to use an effective online streaming platform for international Rugby League to attract increased levels of media exposure, spectator interest and sponsorship. The broadband subscription service is a format which will serve the sport well in future years, particularly in reaching a wider audience.

Reaching the US

Through Servecast’s connections with Setanta Sports, a partnership between the sports broadcaster and the RFL has been put in place so that the RFL can advertise, promote and deliver Superleague.tv over Setanta Sports’ US Broadband service. Setanta Broadband in the US is a highly successful service with rich content and growing subscribers. For the RFL, the UK expatriate community in the US is a huge market and reaching fans of the Rugby Super League in the US was a high priority. One of the key targets of Setanta Broadband is the expatriate community in the US so this provided a perfect fit between the two sports brands. Servecast facilitated the agreement between Setanta Sports US and the RFL to enable Superleague.tv become available over Setanta Broadband.

Conclusion

The Super League TV broadband service is a great example of how the rapid growth in broadband penetration is enabling leading sports content owners to reach a wider audience and generate new and profitable revenue streams through broadband video delivery.
Using Servecast’s Media Studio platform, the RFL can offer fans both in the UK and in key markets throughout the world a new and exciting way to view the Super League. The internet is an increasingly important channel for all sports to reach fans directly. Super League TV is a first for British Rugby League and will assist the RFL in reaching potential new supporters
Servecast’s unrivalled technical and commercial expertise delivering broadband subscription services for sports organisations enables it to deliver a complete business partnership that delivers on the potential of new media for sport. Not only can Servecast implement the most sophisticated and advanced streaming media platforms, Servecast can also offer commercial and marketing insight to assist in promoting broadband services to end users and also can help to build commercial partnerships with other sports organisations to grow the service.

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