By now streaming aficionados are familiar with at least a few of the streaming platforms known in the industry as FASTS. For the uninitiated FAST stands for Free Ad-Supported Streaming. Many smart TVs come preloaded with free streaming channels using the FAST model. People may also be familiar with apps like Pluto TV, XUMO, The Roku Channel and others. Most of these apps feature multiple categories in order to appeal to a wide audience and will typically have a selection of sports content. But a new app from Allen Media Group, Sports.TV, is going all in on sports, at least when it comes to the traditional linear/live channels aspect of the free service.
The app features an interface powered by “dPRO FAST Engine, a product from dotstudioPRO that is used to set up the various feeds and content libraries into a familiar TV-styled grid with Meta Data (program info episode synopsis, event description etc), the time when it will stream, and all the other bells and whistles users expect from a modern TV interface.
Sports.TV has a vast selection of sports programming including linear channels like Pac-12 Insider and Outside TV along with curated content from companies with large content libraries like Impact Wrestling (yes I know pro wrestling is not a “real” sport) and even themed channels based on types of sports like a Skiing channel. Aside from the sports selections which represent 59 of the 93 channels, there is a list of mostly hyper-local news feeds from select markets with a few national streaming options like Bloomberg and OAN Plus sprinkled in.
There is more to the service than the live TV grid. The service also has an on-demand catalog. Unlike the live selections, the on-demand section is more of a general entertainment hub. Along with a selection of notable sports documentaries and even movies where the plot is built around athletes, there are a number of traditional genre-based plot-driven feature films unrelated to sports in any way.
Overall the service is quite unique in the space. It has far more free sports channels than anything we have seen on the market and it gives users a chance to dive into a number of sports and athletic activities that are often ignored by traditional TV stations. It is a haven for outdoor sports fans, active lifestyle viewers, poker and many other subjects. Its local news channels are placed at the bottom of the grid lineup vs being interspersed in the grid. This helps in two ways. It means users don’t have to rifle through them on their way to finding sports info yet are there to serve the needs of the viewer in a place they can find them quickly. Sports content is a major ratings driver for TV viewing netting much higher audiences than the average TV program. A platform essentially built around sports could have a big future going forward.
Can I get Sports.TV on my streaming device or smart TV?
Right now what it is missing is distribution on streaming platforms aside from apps for iOS and Android as well as its official website. This means that smart TV users and streaming device owners are unable to add the service to their platforms. But that does not mean that it can not be viewed on a television. Within its mobile platforms, the app is available to stream to devices that are equipped to use Chromecast and Airplay. Even the iOS app allows for native chromecast style streaming along with AirPlay mirroring. Keep an eye on this though. Being a newer app it would not be at all surprising to see it on a smart TV or streaming platform in the future especially considering the presence Allen Media Group has with its other apps, which include BNC, Now, which can be found on most streaming platforms
