Endeavor Streaming has launched Spursplay, a subscription streaming service built around Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League.

For £45 ($54) — or £35 ($42) for Season Ticket Holders and One Hotspur Members — subscribers get access to premium content including live preseason “friendly” matches, home under-18 and under 21 matches, select U21 away games and some women’s matches; full match replays of EPL games, documentaries and original series; and hundreds of hours of archive footage.

“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Tottenham Hotspur in delivering a brand new OTT experience,” Pete Bellamy, senior VP of Global Sports and International, Endeavor Streaming, said. 

“Spursplay is the first of many team-based direct-to-consumer services we will launch in sport across the U.S., EMEA [Europe, the Middle East and Africa] and APAC [Asia-Pacific],“ Bellamy said. “The direct-to-consumer ambitions of top-tier clubs and teams go well beyond the technical delivery of video. The leading sports organizations require a partner who can advise and execute the most direct path to growth in both consumer engagement and revenue. At Endeavor Streaming, it’s our job to ensure that Spursplay delivers for the club and its fans to the highest level.”

Endeavor said its platform enables payment processing, subscriber management, video streaming and analytics, and offers a performance insights tool to optimize user experience and engagement. 

The first original documentary on the services is Antonio Conte: 202 Days, which focuses on the manager taking charge of the team last season and leading them to a top-four finish in the league.

“We are excited to bring Spursplay to our fans,” Pierre-Olivier Bouche, media, programming and operations director for Tottenham Hotspur, said. “The club has been determined to create a platform that brings all its fantastic video content together in one place for fans to access at their fingertips — whether that’s watching live match action they can’t find anywhere else, reliving some of their favorite moments from down the years or watching new longer formats that provide a unique insight into the Club and its players. We believe Spursplay will revolutionize the way fans access Club content. We know that fans are itching for the return of live Spurs action and Spursplay will be the only place for that this summer.”

Spursplay is available on Web and iOS/Android mobile and tablet devices. ■

NBCUniversal will remain the home for the English Premier League soccer games as part of a new six-year television deal announced Thursday. 

The agreement calls for NBC Sports to remain the Premier League’s official broadcast partner through 2028. NBC Sports, which has aired Premier League games in the U.S. since 2012, will telecast all 380 matches each year across such networks as NBC, USA Network and Peacock, as well as Spanish-language rights for Telemundo Deportes, according to NBC Sports.  

“We are excited to come to this long-term extension with the Premier League,” said  NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua in a statement. “Our Premier League team, led by Jon Miller, has been incredibly dedicated to growing the Premier League in the United States over the last nine years. This new agreement is also a testament to the hard work of production, marketing and other areas of our company, as well as the tremendous partnership that has been established with the leadership and club owners of the Premier League.”

Added Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters: “We are delighted to announce our new US broadcast deal with NBC Sports, who have been brilliant partners for the Premier League over the last nine seasons. NBC Sports has significantly strengthened the popularity of the League in the United States in that time through its fantastic coverage and promotion.”

The deal comes as NBC Sports plans to shut down its NBCSN national sports network -- which has carried a significant amount of Premier Soccer games over the years -- at the end of 2021. Much of that inventory is expected to move to USA Network as well as NBCU streaming service Peacock. Miller and Bevacqua said in a Thursday afternoon press conference that Premier League games will maintain a strong presence on the linear platform as well as on the streaming service. ■ 

Also: NBCU Pushes More Sports Programming onto USA Network

Former Walt Disney Co. streaming chief Kevin Mayer and former chief operating officer Thomas Staggs have teamed up with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal on a special purpose acquisition company, set on raising $250 million to buy a company in the telecom, media and technology space. 

Forest Road Acquisition Corp. is led by CEO Keith Horn, a long-time financial executive and chief financial officer Salil Mehta, a former Disney EVP. Joining them are Staggs, who will serve as chairman of the SPAC’s strategic advisory committee, Mayer and O’Neal, who will serve as strategic advisers.

Mayer, who was in charge of Disney’s streaming efforts -- including Disney Plus -- left the company in May to become CEO of internet icon TikTok. He resigned from that position in August. Staggs left Disney in 2016 after serving as chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the entertainment giant.

Former Los Angeles Laker and NBA Hall of Famer O’Neal currently serves as an NBA commentator for cable network TNT and is a long-time investor. 

Related: SPACs: The New Final Frontier 

Forest Road is just the latest in what has been an impressive string of SPACs launched this year. According to SPACInsider, 138 SPACs were created in 2020, raising $53.8 billion. Recent SPAC deals include CuriosityStream, which merged with Software Acquisitions Group in August. SPACs led by former MGM chairman Harry Sloan and former CBS Entertainment president Jeff Sagansky have raised more than $3 billion and merged with companies like sports betting giant DraftKings. 

In its prospectus, Forest Road said its team is uniquely positioned to find opportunities in the TMT space.

Other advisers include civil rights activist and Bounce TV co-founder Martin Luther King III; TV and film producer Mark Burg (the Saw franchise and Two and a Half Men); and former entertainment executive and TV and film producer Peter Schlessel. 

“We believe that our team’s distinguished and long-term track record of sourcing, acquiring, and building next-generation media and entertainment platforms, along with other investments and operational experience in consumer-facing industries, will provide us with differentiated consumer insights and sourcing opportunities,” Forest Road said in its prospectus.   

Forest Road added that it sees opportunities in the media space as the industry continues to shaft toward streaming distribution. The rising number of streaming video service providers  and demand for premium content also presents opportunities.

“We believe that media and entertainment is undergoing rapid and aggressive technology-induced change, resulting in new monetization opportunities and secular growth as opportunities to reach consumers expand, new entrants seek to gain market share, and the “old guard” adapts to the evolving needs of today’s consumers,” Forest Road said. “We believe that our team’s experience in building and executing strategies that combine capabilities and expertise in consumer preferences and technology/product development will differentiate our ability to source a successful partner.”

While Forest Road will focus on entertainment targets, another SPAC launched Friday by Atlanta Falcons minority owner Alan Kestenbaum will hone in opportunities in the sports arena including teams and regional sports networks.

Kestenbaum has joined forces with two top sports investors to form Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. (SVAC) and raise about $200 million.

Among the possible targets listed in the SVAC prospectus, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 8, are U.S. sports teams, European soccer clubs, rugby, esports and cricket teams. The SPAC also listed regional sports networks, sports media rights and  as possible interests.

In the media and entertainment fields, SVAC will eye film and television production companies,  in the U.S. and private companies in the sports media and entertainment field, including television and film production and be headed by Kestenbaum as CEO. He holds a minority interest in the NFL Atlanta Falcons, and is currently CEO of StelCo Holdings, one of the largest steel companies in Canada. His partners include Inner Circle Sports founder Rob Tilliss and GlassBridge Enterprises CEO Daniel Strauss. 

The sports SPAC field also is getting increasingly crowded. Earlier this year former Goldman Sachs executive and YES Network investor Gerry Cardinale launched RedBall Acquisitions with Oakland A’s EVP of baseball operations Billy Beane, raising about $575 million.  RedBall is reportedly looking to buy an English Premier League team.   Earlier this month, Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corp., created by several former NFL executives, raised about $400 million and are seeking potential targets in the sports, entertainment and technology industries.  

Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts told analysts Thursday that the media giant is talking with sports leagues about possible rate relief during the suspension of play during the COVID-19 pandemic, but said it will mostly depend on when the games resume.

Comcast owns programmer NBCUniversal, which along with the NBC broadcast network and NBC Sports, has a large sports programming lineup.

“Our focus at the moment is trying to work with each of the various leagues where I think ultimately the answers to some of these questions reside,” Roberts said. “The leagues have to decide where they are going to be playing, what happens to the future, if they’re just starting the season or the current one that has been disrupted. I think we’re seeing encouraging movement all over the world including in the U.S. It’s very much top of mind. If we are able to get clarification, then we can give that to our customers. It works differently in Europe than it does in the U.S. ...There’s an awful lot of effort being spent to get back quickly and safely and I’m hopeful that that’s going to happen.”

As the lockdowns associated with the coronavirus pandemic enter their second month, reports have surfaced that some distributors have demanded relief from sports-centric channels because no games have been played. The National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League suspended their regular seasons on March 12 and Major League Baseball suspended its opening day on March 26. While there have been several scenarios put forth -- the latest is that baseball could return as soon as late June or early July --  with the NBA and NHL playoffs around the same time frame, no decisions have been made. 

Comcast cable and other distributors have said in the past if they receive rate relief from programmers, they will pass that savings on to consumers. 

A report in the New York Post claimed that Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen has told sports network ESPN that it would not pay its affiliate fees in April because no games were played. Dish and ESPN declined to comment. In a blog post, LightShed Partners partner and media & technology analyst Rich Greenfield said he believes that multiple distributors have approached ESPN for a rate break. 

While sources familiar with ESPN dispute that there has been a deluge of requests from distributors, the lack of games has been frustrating for consumers who chafe at paying monthly sports surcharges when there are no sports. But the question of whether distributors and networks will get relief depends on the deals they have signed. Most U.S. sports rights deals hinge on a minimum number of games delivered, and so far that hasn’t been breached.

At the same time, in the United Kingdom, the English Premier League suspended its season in March and Comcast’s U.K. distribution arm -- satellite TV service Sky -- has stopped charging some customers for unbundled sports programming. According to some reports, EPL teams are beginning to return to practice -- adhering to social distancing protocols - and the league could resume play as soon as June.

Sky chief Jeremey Darroch said that the satellite service has paused many of its customers unbundled sports subscriptions during the pandemic. 

“We thought that was a very sensible way to manage in an environment where the sports have gone away,” Darroch said. “That means the level of consolation regarding sport is de minimis. We think that positions us well to bring customers back when the sports season resumes.”

He added that Sky also is talking to the leagues about rights fees.

“We are talking pretty much to everybody at the moment,” Darroch said. “That covers a range of things. First we have to get sport back, which I think is in everybody’s interest. We’re working with rights holders, with government around what we can do to create a safe environment where sports can come back. The assumption is that sports will start to come back over the summer.

“In terms of the future and sports renegotiation's and new contracts, in principle my approach hasn’t really changed,” he continued. “We start with volume and the volume we see, we bid against that volume in a disciplined way. One of the advantages I think about the way sports are sold in Europe, is that typically we’re on shorter cycles, the average cycle would be three, perhaps four years. So that does give us the opportunity when we think there is some form of reset that’s required...Obviously we are thinking of that all the time and particularly at the moment and we’ll reflect that in due course.” 

Susanna Dinnage, the British Animal Planet executive who was poised to take a seat as one of the most powerful women in international sports as head of the English Premier League, declined that post on Sunday night, with no explanation.

Her decision, reported first by the British press, has sent the soccer body into a scramble for a new leader. Dinnage, who is expected to return to her post at Animal Planet or another job with parent Discovery Inc., apparently surprised league executives with her decision.

“Despite her commitment to the Premier League in early November, Susanna Dinnage has now advised the Nominations Committee that she will not be taking up the position of chief executive,” the EPL said in a statement. “The Committee has reconvened its search and is talking to candidates. There will be no further comment until an appointment is made.”

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The EPL, one of the more powerful organizations in international sport, named Dinnage as its new CEO in November, and she was set to replace the retiring Richard Scudamore in January. The league said in a statement that it has restarted its search and is talking to potential candidates.

A Discovery spokesperson confirmed that Dinnage will return to her former job at Animal Planet, but had no further comment.

As global president of Animal Planet, Dinnage oversaw teams in both the U.K. and the U.S. Known as a savvy negotiator – she has played a key role in reaching distribution deals for the channel with British satellite TV giant Sky – that skill was expected to be especially helpful to the EPL, whose television deal expires at the end of the current season. 

Discovery Inc.’s Animal Planet global president Susanna Dinnage has been named to head the English Premier League, taking the reins from former chief Richard Scudamore and becoming one of the most powerful women in international sports.

Related: Discovery Puts Dinnage in Charge of Animal Planet

Dinnage is expected to assume her role sometime in early 2019. Scudamore, who has served as executive chairman of the British soccer league for more than 20 years, will step down at the end of 2018. The Premier League clubs had earlier agreed to split Scudamore’s role, with Dinnage becoming chief executive. A search is underway for a non-executive chair.

"We are very pleased to appoint such a capable leader to this important role," said chairman of the Chelsea club and the Premier League’s nominations committee Bruce Buck in a statement. "We had a very strong field, but Susanna was the outstanding choice given her track record in managing complex businesses through transformation and digital disruption.

"She is a leading figure in the broadcasting industry, a proven business executive and a great developer of people. She is ideally suited to the role and we are confident she will be able to take the Premier League on to new heights.

"Richard Scudamore, having provided exceptional stewardship for almost 20 years, will leave us at the end of the year in great shape and with an excellent Executive Team and Board able to fully support Susanna."

The English Premier League is the top soccer league in the U.K. and is popular around the world. One of Dinnage’s tasks after assuming her new role will be to keep the League’s lucrative TV rights on an upward trajectory, while navigating new deals with digital distributors.

Earlier Monday the EPL reached a deal with digital distributor DAZN for rights to show matches in Spain. And earlier this year online retail giant Amazon inked a three-year deal for U.K. rights to show two EPL matchdays on its Amazon Prime Video service. 

[embed]https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1062384152341831681[/embed]

"I am excited at the prospect of taking on this fantastic role,” Dinnage said in a statement. "The Premier League means so much to so many people. It represents the pinnacle of professional sport and the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and inspirational organisation is a great privilege. With the support of clubs and the team, I look forward to extending the success of the League for many years to come."

Dinnage has experience in negotiating deals. According to The Guardian, she has negotiated deals with the U.K.’s largest satellite distributor Sky plc -- now owned by Comcast and the EPL’s top distributor -- over carriage of Animal Planet in the past.

"Susanna has been a terrific leader for Discovery over the last 10 years,” said Discovery International president J.B. Perrette in a statement. “She has a strong understanding of brands and running diverse media businesses both in the U.K. and more recently with Animal Planet globally. She has been a fantastic teammate for all of us at Discovery and we are delighted that she has been given this unique and groundbreaking opportunity to lead one of the world’s pre-eminent sports organizations."

As global president of Animal Planet, Dinnage had oversight of teams in both the U.S. and the U.K. Discovery said a replacement is still to be determined.