B/R Live To Provide Fans With Free Preview Of Live NLL Coverage, Nov. 29-Dec. 7,
As 2019-20 Season Faces Off
(Philadelphia, Pa. and Atlanta, Ga. November xx, 2019) The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, and media partner B/R Live, Turner Sports’ live sports streaming service, today unveiled new live game coverage enhancements for the upcoming 2019-20 season, the second season of the fast-growing partnership. The expanded content offerings and technical innovations are designed to showcase NLL players, coaches, and fans to an engaged digital audience throughout the six-month season.
“We spent the offseason listening to our fans and working hard to refine and enhance the viewing experience for our second full season on B/R Live, and we think these additional best in class assets will make the engagement experience for consumers second to none on any device they choose,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “The stories of our athletes, the athleticism displayed during the game, the drama that will be portrayed will be on display more than ever before, thanks to the innovations we are adding to the live coverage each week. We believe that the viewing experience, and the engagement will be second to none as our partnership continues to grow.”
“The NLL has been a great partner, and we look forward to bringing fans another season of fast-paced pro lacrosse action exclusively on B/R Live,” said Hania Poole, GM of B/R Live. “These programming enhancements will add to the viewing experience for our audiences, and underscore the exceptional value fans can get from the B/R Live Pass.”
Last season, digital viewership rose significantly through the NLL’s partnership with B/R Live, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (up 151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent), and average minute audience (+14 percent).
With the NLL focused on expanding its engagement numbers, this year’s live game coverage will now include:
- NLL GameDay LIVE, a 10-minute pre-game show, and NLL PostGame LIVE prior to and after every game.
- SportLogiQ, integrated, real-time stats and data-tracking platform for use in all live event streams.
- NLL Wired, the popular feature introduced last year. After experimenting with allowing fans to listen to the referees when they are “under the hood” to adjudicate challenges, the league will make this standard for all replay challenges. This is believed to be the first in North American sports.
- Live coverage will include an upgraded graphics package with player interstitials to give fans a better understanding of the stories of the NLL athletes.
- NLL At the Half, featuring, Huddle Up, an up-close and personal story featuring an NLL player of the week.
NLL fans will be able to enjoy B/R Live’s enhanced platform experience this season. Elements include the B/R Live Pass, a new consolidated subscription which provides access to hundreds of live sporting events and premium content including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Youth League Soccer, All Elite Wrestling, ONE Championship and other events for U.S. subscribers. Additionally, B/R Live’s redesigned “Watch” page highlights the most topical real-time live sports coverage from across its broad portfolio of premium sporting events.
B/R Live is available at https://live.bleacherreport.com by downloading the B/R Live app through iTunes or Google Play; and/or via Xbox, Apple TV, Android TV, the Roku platform and Amazon Fire TV.
All of these innovations and enhancements will be on display Faceoff Weekend when the NLL’s 34th season starts the weekend of November 29 with three games, including the Calgary Roughnecks beginning their title defense against the Vancouver Warriors. B/R Live will continue to be the exclusive home in the U.S. and Canada for all 117 regular-season games, plus all three rounds of the playoffs. B/R Live will also offer fans free access to live coverage of all NLL games as part of a season-opening free preview, Nov. 29 – Dec. 7. The full season will then be available as part of the B/R Live Pass, in addition to a single-game pay-per-view option.
The NLL, the largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, continues its growth as the 2019-20 season starts, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL overall experienced substantial growth last season with nearly one million total ticket sales, a 28-percent increase from 2017-18, and 60 percent of ticket sales were from people who never played lacrosse. Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29-percent increase from 2018 to 2019.
About the National Lacrosse League:
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Turner Sports:
Turner Sports, a division of WarnerMedia, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, ELEAGUE and professional golf, along with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports recently launched B/R Live, a premium live streaming sports platform that serves as the central hub for both the discovery and consumption of live sports content. The new streaming service allows fans to find and watch their favorite sports content anywhere, anytime and on the screen of their choice.
NLL Contact:
Stephanie McGinley
Director, Digital Strategy and Marketing
National Lacrosse League
(267) 417-7951
[email protected]
Turner Sports Contact:
Jake Moskowitz
Turner Sports PR
(404) 575-6765
[email protected]
