MSG Networks Taps Quickplay for Streaming Service MSG+
Cloud-Native Platform to Power Fast, Flexible, Feature-Rich TVE and Direct-to-Consumer OTT Service
New York, NY and Toronto, ON(11 Apr 2023)
MSG+, MSG Networks’ new streaming service set to launch this summer, will use an industry-first cloud native OTT platform from Quickplay to optimize sports viewing experiences for consumers, MSG Networks and Quickplay announced today.
In a platform innovation that will give MSG+ the significantly greater flexibility, agility and control needed to drive engagement and monetization, MSG+ will use Quickplay’s award-winning CMS, edge services, and player – all running on Google Cloud – to support the data-driven delivery of content based on viewers’ specific interests.
MSG+ is being developed as a state-of-the-art streaming platform to provide fans in the region with the ability to access MSG Networks’ exclusive coverage of their favorite teams wherever they are and on their favorite devices. Fans can subscribe to MSG+ on a direct-to-consumer basis by purchasing monthly and annual subscriptions, which will include MSG channels and all MSG-produced Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Sabres games as well as other live sports, events and programming. Additionally, fans will be able to purchase single games of their favorite local teams, an innovative offering not made available by any other regional sports network. MSG+ will be available at no additional charge to subscribers of participating pay television service providers of MSG Networks, replacing MSG GO as the company’s authenticated streaming service.
“In the same way MSG Networks was a pioneer in sports broadcasting, the launch of MSG+ and our migration to the cloud are pivotal for our passionate sports fans,” said David Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product, Technology and Operations, for MSG Networks. “Using the Quickplay platform, we are creating an industry-leading direct-to-consumer streaming sports service that offers fans a feature rich experience with the choice to subscribe directly or through their TV provider.”
The Quickplay platform combines the flexibility and scalability of the cloud with the quality and reliability of traditional broadcast and cable environments. The platform is the foundation of an enriched environment in which MSG+ can quickly and efficiently create new features that uniquely cater to diverse subscriber interests and enhance the viewing experience of MSG+’s marquee live sporting events and complementary content.
“Maximizing viewership today requires the flexibility to meet sports viewers on their terms: live or archived game coverage, real-time highlights, gamification and more” said Paul Pastor, CBO and Co-Founder of Quickplay. “MSG Networks’ shift to the cloud is paving the way for truly personalized experiences that will enhance the ability of viewers and sponsors to connect with many of the world’s most important sports brands.”
About MSG Networks
MSG Networks, a pioneer in sports media, owns and operates two award-winning regional sports and entertainment networks and a streaming service that serve the nation’s number one media market, the New York DMA, as well as other portions of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The networks feature a wide range of compelling sports content, including exclusive live local games and other programming of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, as well as significant coverage of the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills. This content, in addition to a diverse array of other sporting events and critically acclaimed original programming, has established MSG Networks as the gold standard in regional sports. MSG Networks is a subsidiary of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: MSGE).
About Quickplay
Quickplay is leading cloud transformations of OTT and in-home experiences for pay-TV, telcos, and MVPDs. The company’s cloud-native platform leverages a transformative, modular architecture for unparalleled performance in delivering premium video, handling complex use cases, and scaling to millions of viewers. Founded by a team that has built and operated dozens of Tier 1 OTT services worldwide, Quickplay is powering immersive sports, live experiences and personalized entertainment on any screen. The company is headquartered in Toronto and has additional locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chennai, India. Quickplay is the winner of the 2021 Google Cloud Industry Solution Partner of the Year Award for Media & Entertainment and a Microsoft Media & Communications 2022 Partner of the Year Award finalist. For more information, visit quickplay.com.