The Dutch Ice Hockey League Enters New Era with Spring Media and Pixellot
Eredivisie Ice Hockey League Signs 5-year Deal to Stream on Spring Media OTT – Staylive – Using Pixellot AI Automated Technology.
September 11, 2024 – Pixellot, the world’s leading provider of AI-automated video and data solutions for sports, has signed a new partnership with Spring Media to broadcast the Eredivisie, the highest level of ice hockey in the Netherlands. This multi-year agreement will see Spring Media livestreaming the top-tier competition on its OTT platform powered by Staylive, bringing unprecedented coverage and accessibility to ice hockey fans in the Netherlands and beyond.
Under the deal, Spring Media has acquired the exclusive rights to produce and distribute all games from the top Men’s Dutch ice hockey league over the next five seasons using Pixellot’s award-winning AI-automated production technology. In addition, all league clubs will have access to the Pixellot system for their own purposes, enabling them to stream matches involving youth and other level teams, thus broadening their content offering and engagement with fans.
The Eredivisie was founded in 1963 and represents the highest level of ice hockey in the Netherlands. The league has helped grow ice hockey’s popularity immensely over the past several decades such that today there are thousands of registered hockey players throughout the Netherlands.
“The Eredivisie has been eagerly awaiting a broadcast partner that can take us to that next level in showcasing all the hard work and talent of our elite players, coaches and teams,” said Theo van Gerwen, CEO of the IJshockey Federation “Pixellot and Spring Media represent that ideal combination of innovative technology and an engaging fan-focused streaming platform that will finally give our supporters the wall-to-wall live coverage they crave.”
Spring Media is an international full-service sports agency specializing in rights management, production, streaming solutions, and growth marketing. The agency offers a “glass-to-glass” solution to rights holders across all sports tiers, ensuring a holistic media rights strategy and de-risking the process for long-term growth. The company has successfully advised several leagues across the Nordics and is applying its expertise in new territories.
“We are excited to be partnering with Pixellot on this long-term growth endeavor, showcasing a league that we deem undervalued and with great potential,” said Maxime Devillaz, Head of Marketing & Communications Spring Media. “We pride ourselves in being production agnostic, always working with the most fitting solution on the market for our clients’ needs, and we’re confident that this partnership with Pixellot will be a key component to the growth of Dutch ice hockey.”
The Eredivisie is the latest high-profile sports property to join Pixellot’s rapidly expanding global portfolio of media and sports clients leveraging the company’s industry-leading AI-automated production solutions. The multi-camera system delivers a level of affordable broadcast production value previously unavailable through any other means.
“This is a landmark deal that combines the power of Pixellot’s best-in-class automated production solution with the reach and expertise of Spring Media to boost the visibility of the Eredivisie Ice Hockey League and to acquire new fans,” said Alon Werber, CEO of Pixellot. “We’re thrilled to partner with such forward-thinking organizations to deliver a unique viewing experience to devoted ice hockey fans across the Netherlands and beyond.”
