By Ohio Valley Conference
Click Here to Access the OVC Digital Network
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – After a successful first four years that saw over 3,000 events streamed for free and over 1,500,000 views, the OVC Digital Network Presented by Delta Dental of Tennessee (www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com) is gearing up for year number five.
The first regular season soccer matches of the year aired this past weekend with volleyball matches taking stage this weekend. The 2016 football season will kick off next week with four gridiron contests set to be streamed.
Last year the OVCDN launches two features that made viewing even more user-friendly for users. A DVR function was incorporated into the stream allowing the viewer to rewind and/or fast forward to any point of the contest while it is live; previously a fan could only rewind the stream 30 seconds. The other function was an "instant archiving" feature that allowed fans to watch a replay of the contest immediately after the event concludes.
Last year the OVC launched a channel for the OVC Digital Network on the Roku Streaming Player, giving viewers an easier option to watch the network directly on their television sets. Roku is a series of digital media player set-top boxes manufactured by Roku, Inc. that provide over-the-top content in the form of channels via a wired or Wi-Fi connection. In 2014, Roku streamed over 3 billion hours of content, up 72% from the prior year, and ended the year with about 7 million monthly active accounts. Roku currently offers a variety of streaming set-top boxes, streaming sticks and a co-branded Roku smart television. Last year nearly 4,000 Roku users subscribed (for free) to the OVC Digital Network channel.
"We are extremely excited about continuing our partnership with SIDEARM Sports for the upcoming year," said Brian Pulley, OVC Assistant Commissioner for External Affairs. "We are committed to giving our viewers the best possible streaming experience possible."
The OVCDN is a partnership with SIDEARM Sports, which also hosts OVCSports.com.
Prior to the 2012-13 season the OVC rebranded its Digital Network as it switched to a free model that provides high-definition video to fans on any computer, tablet or smart phone. The service also requires no registration as fans can simply log onto the site to access the streams.
The 2015-16 season featured over 800 total events with 500,000 viewers watching the sports of football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball. Schools also produced and aired coaches shows, graduation ceremonies and other ancillary events. The year marked the largest number of streamed events and viewers in the history of the digital network.
The 2016-17 season will feature the same commitment to high quality video productions and a consistent feel across the OVC. Schools will continue to air every home football and men's and women's basketball contest and also branch out in airing more volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball contests in addition to other ancillary events.
The league will also continue to stream OVC Championship (soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, opening rounds of the men's basketball tournament, baseball and softball) events during the season.
