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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz and the NBA have partnered with cloud video company Kiswe for the team's new streaming service.
In June, along with the return of KJZZ-TV (channel 14) as the team's broadcast partner, Smith Entertainment Group — the parent company of the Utah Jazz — announced it will begin SEG Media, a new production company. The big motivator for that move was to create a new subscription-based streaming service where fans could have access to games from all over the world through UtahJazz.com and the Utah Jazz app.
The Jazz will be using Kiswe to make the service possible.
"Partnering with Kiswe and the NBA is a significant step forward in our commitment to providing innovative, world-class fan experiences and maximizing our brand reach to the widest audience possible," Jazz president Jim Olson said. "Through this collaboration, we are bringing the excitement of Jazz basketball to fans through a new, flexible platform where they can experience our players, team, and organization in an unprecedented way."
The Jazz said fans can expect the service to have interactive features, such as a chat-and-cheer option, that the club hopes will enhance the broadcasts. Other details, though, including subscription options, pricing, programming and more specific interactive features won't be announced until next month.
What is Kiswe?
In a nutshell, Kiswe provides livestreaming options for companies. The tech startup based in New Jersey was founded in 2013, and its technology has been utilized more and more by sports franchises.
The Detroit Lions, for example, will use Kiswe for an alternate online broadcast for its preseason game Friday night. The broadcast will include live commentary and interviews from several guests and can be streamed on www.detroitlions.com or with the Detroit Lions Mobile App.
The Lions game could very well serve as a template for what Jazz fans can expect when the season begins, so it may be worth checking out for Jazz fans.
The Phoenix Suns will also be using Kiswe for their new streaming service starting this season.
What they are saying
"We are proud to work with SEG Media and the Utah Jazz, an organization known for their commitment to excellence and fan experience," Glenn Booth, CEO of Kiswe, said. "Through our cloud-based video solutions, we will empower the Jazz to connect with fans in new and exciting ways, bringing them closer to the game and team they love."
Chris Benyarko, NBA executive vice president over direct-to-consumer products, said: "We are excited to expand our partnership with Kiswe to power SEG Media's new direct-to-consumer offering for the Utah Jazz. Through the use of the NBA platform, Jazz fans will have multiple options while watching Jazz games, including the ability to personalize the scoreboard to follow particular stats or players and to interact with other fans."
