As the broadcasting industry continues to evolve to adapt to changing consumer preferences, many traditional sports broadcasters now realise the power of offering a range of streaming services to complement their linear TV channels. TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport), a network offering a wide range of live sports coverage in the United Kingdom, was ahead of the game. While they offer football, rugby and motorsport content, as well as exclusive coverage of select major sports events​ on a subscription basis​, they need​ed​ a platform dedicated to their premium live ​​PPV events in tandem with their OTT app for ​subscription ​content streaming. In 2018, the company partnered with Endeavor Streaming to launch BT Sport Box Office (now TNT Sports Box Office), a direct-to-consumer service that offers premium UFC and boxing content on a pay-per-view basis.

Why did BT Sport go direct-to-consumer with Endeavor Streaming for ​PPV​ events? 

Direct-to-consumer apps provide broadcasters with greater flexibility of content delivery and distribution, offering viewers another way to access content outside of ​subscription ​fixed-schedule linear programming. Available across web, iOS, and Android devices with the ability to cast to big screens via Chromecast and Airplay, the service maximises reach for BT Sport’s premium pay-per-view content, enabling users to stream content using their preferred device and platform. The flexible accessibility is especially valuable for highly anticipated live events.

Serving as a complementary offering to ​a traditional TV offering​, direct-to-consumer apps enable broadcasters to directly access a wider audience base, whereas traditional broadcast reach is limited by a viewer’s geographic location, time of day watching, and specific channel preferences. ​While BT Sport Box Office was originally offered to BT Sport’s direct-to-home TV customers only,​ the company pivoted its strategy in 2018 and extended access to its pay-per-view events to anyone in the United Kingdom, unlocking a new, digitally savvy audience who may have foregone traditional cable subscriptions altogether. As the service evolved, BT Sport began experimenting with new types of content beyond their core offering of traditional combat sports events, further growing audiences and attracting a new demographic of users to the service.

Direct-to-consumer apps provide broadcasters with valuable data and insights into viewer behaviour and preferences compared to what can be measured from linear channel viewership. Additionally, by enabling one-off access to premium events without the need for a direct-to-home TV subscription, streaming services can generate new revenue streams for broadcasters​ ​​on a​ platform​ which also offers rich insights into ​the audience​.​

As a partner of BT Sport for over five years, Endeavor Streaming offers a full suite of payment processing, subscriber management, and video streaming capabilities for the BT Sport Box Office service. Viewers can purchase via direct-carrier-billing payments and traditional credit/debit cards for quick and easy access to premium boxing and UFC pay-per-view content. The service also leverages Endeavor Streaming’s highly secure content protection capabilities such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) and unique identifier (UID) watermarking to ensure secure and scalable delivery of the premium content. By partnering with Endeavor Streaming, BT Sport is able to engage younger audiences, gain valuable customer insights into user preferences, and unlock new revenue streams with their dedicated pay-per-view event platform.