Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman has soft-launched Lights Out Sports, a free ad-supported sports streaming service.

Lights Out Sports will offer content from a number of sports programmers including Glory Kickboxing, World Poker Tour, Swerve Combat, Chess.com, Streetbeefs, Outdoor America, Speedvision, Cineverse, the American 7s Football League (A7FL) and Merriman’s own mixed martial arts outfit, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. Several of those are already available through the app.

Since retiring from football, Merriman has done a lot of work in the media business, on air with several networks and behind the scenes, helping to launch the WWE’s network.

“This is a big undertaking,” Merriman told Broadcasting+Cable. “You’ve got to make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row and everybody's on the same page. We want to make sure that all the partners coming feel confident that they’re getting a full service.”

Merriman, whose nickname as player was “Lights Out,” says more sports content partners are waiting to climb into the ring with Lights Out Sports.

The service will feature a variety of sports-only content, including live games, highlights and interviews with top athletes. In the future, he’s hoping to add sports-themed movies and original series.

On May 18th, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting’s Lights Out 16 event will stream on Lights Out Sports, with 19 matches scheduled for what is expected to be a five-hour show.

Lights Out Sports will be available on the Roku, Apple iOS and Android TV connected-TV platforms, with more to come, Merriman said.

“The cool thing is that interest level and the excitement around this coming from all of the content partners,” he said. “It was really inspiring to me, because they got it.”

Merriman said he’s fortunate to have been able to work at places like NFL Network, Fox Sports, ESPN and WWE after his playing career.

“The experience that I’ve been able to gather over these 12-plus years has just been unprecedented,” he said. “It goes a long way when you're building out something of this magnitude.”

At Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, Merriman has been working to develop a system for generating real-time data about matches using five cameras and sensors in the combatants’ gloves.

A February test of the system during a card that appeared on Fubo went well, Merriman said.

The fighters weren’t bothered by the sensors, which delivered data about punch frequency, velocity and power. The company is developing an algorithm designed to make that data available to viewers.

“That was, for me, the most nerve-wracking thing — were the fighters going to be comfortable with the chip being there — and everybody said, ‘No, I didn’t even feel it,” he said.

Merriman hopes to have the algorithm working by the May 18 card that will stream on Lights Out Sports.

“The object is to have that data instantly available and we’re very close to doing it,” he said.

Chess.com said it made a deal with Play.Works, which will deliver a new ad supported ChessTV video-on-demand app across connected TV platforms.

The move follows Chess.com distributing its own free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels featuring prestigious tournaments, original programs and instructional series.

“We continue to explore new distribution and monetization avenues for our vast library of content, always with the goal of reaching new audiences and promoting the game," said Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com. “With their success in the gaming space and with their deep worldwide CTV connections, Play.Works is the ideal partner to help our success in AVOD.”

Also Read: Anthem’s Game Plus Checks Into Chess With Three-Hour Block

Play.Works’ CTV games and video are distributed by Comcast, Cox, Sky, Roku, Vizio, LG and Samsung, reaching 250 million homes worldwide.

“Chess.com is helping fuel the growing Chess resurgence and Play.Works is thrilled to partner to utilize our leading video technology and distribution to deliver an on-demand experience to viewers worldwide” said Jonathan Boltax, CEO of Play.Works. We are thrilled to make this amazing library of content available on the big screen on demand for the first time."

Game Plus, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment that focuses on live sports and wagering content, is moving into the chess business through a programming partnership with Chess.com.

Starting June 4, Game Plus will air a three-hour block starting with Chess.com Presents Chess Moves at 9 p.m. ET. The show will discuss playing tips for beginners, advanced strategies, features and speed games.

Following Chess.com Presents Chess Moves will be two hours of classic coverage from the Chess.com archives featuring championship matches and legendary players like Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri. 

Anthem says this is the first time chess-themed content has been featured prominently on a weekly basis on primetime television in North America.

“Chess has such a great history and continues to grow in popularity generation after generation,” said Chad Midgley, VP of content for Anthem. “Chess.com is the leading purveyor of chess in the online landscape, ushering the game into the digital age on a global scale and attracting new passionate players every single day. By adding chess to our lineup, we hope that it will encourage and inspire viewers to get on the board and discover all of the skills, strategies, and magic that makes the game so special.”

Game Plus is carried by operators including Altice USA’s Optimum and Suddenlink, RCN and Buckeye Cable. Chess content joins live sports wagering content, esports coverage, fantasy sports, gaming news and information, high stakes poker, live action sports, wrestling and fast-paced, action driven shows and lifestyle programming on the channel.

“I’m excited to see our chess media distribution continue to expand and our partnership with Game Plus is a huge new step forward for us,” said Chess.com CEO Erik Allebest. “The Chess Moves programming concept is amazing and I can’t wait to watch.”