Sky invests $6MN in fuboTV


Details

Gabriel Miramar-Garcia

| 11 March 2016




Pay-TV giant Sky has invested $6 million in fuboTV, a US-based video streaming service that provides subscribers with a premium, over-the-top (OTT) bundle of sports TV channels.



Launched in January 2015, fuboTV has quickly become the second largest aggregator and distributor of linear OTT sports content in the US, growing to more than 40,000 subscribers to date. The service provides access to video content in English, Spanish and Portuguese via a range of platforms, including on the Web as well as Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and via iOS and Android devices.

The company has secured US distribution deals with TV channels that hold rights to major worldwide sporting events, including live football matches from more than half of the leading international leagues and tournaments. This includes Univision Networks, beIN SPORTS, GolTV and Benfica TV.

This is part of fuboTV’s Series B round of funding and is the latest in a series of strategic Sky investments in start-up companies. The partnership follows Sky investments in sports marketing company InCrowd Sports, programmatic advertising company DataXu and OTT video company TV4 Entertainment. Sky has previously invested in a number of other US technology companies, including the online sports network Whistle Sports, IP streaming service provider Roku and cinematic virtual reality company Jaunt.

“We’re excited to be investing in fuboTV, at a time when our customers are looking to consume more and more content, whenever and wherever they are,” said Emma Lloyd, director of corporate development and strategic investments at Sky. “This investment will provide Sky with real insight, and we look forward to working with the fuboTV team as they continue to explore new opportunities for growth.”

David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of fuboTV, added: “The support from Europe’s leading entertainment company strongly positions fuboTV to meet the demands of the ever evolving sports rights ecosystem. The investment from Sky demonstrates our potential to become leaders among linear OTT services.”