SI is "once again trying to get into the video business, this time launching a streaming version of Sports Illustrated TV on Amazon Channels," according to Jon Lafayette of BROADCASTING & CABLE. Amazon Prime members "can subscribe to SI TV for $4.99 a month." The channel, which launches tomorrow, will be "accessible through the Prime Video app on TVs, streaming media players, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick and Fire tablets or online at Amazon.com/amazonchannels." The new offering will "face formidable digital competition from ESPN, Fox as well as online outfits like Bleacher Report (owned by Time Warner) and Barstool Sports." SI TV will "feature SI Now, a daily show." The net has "greenlit five original shows," including weekly studio series "The Crossover," "Planet Futbol" and "The Line," plus documentary series "The Vault" and "SI: Under the Cover" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 11/15). CNET.com's Richard Trenholm notes SI TV will "kick off with documentaries series, studio shows and other sports content, but it won't show any live matches." New documentary series "The Vault" will "begin by interviewing" Shaquille O'Neal about his rookie days. Sports movies on the channel include the "Rock," the "Kickboxer" films, "Bad News Bears," "Rollerball," and "North Dallas Forty" (CNET.com, 11/15). The print edition of SI this week is promoting the new service on the cover of the magazine (THE DAILY).
BET ON YOURSELF? VARIETY's Todd Spangler writes this is "another big bet" by Time Inc. on "pivoting its business toward video." The company also has "cut deals" with sports filmmakers Mandalay Sports Media co-Chair Mike Tollin and Jonathan Hock for "two different sports documentary projects slated to debut in the first and second halves" of '18, respectively. The focus for SI TV "will be on storytelling, with the tagline 'Because you love sports.' Time President & CEO Rich Battista "positioned the SVOD channel’s focus on programming about the culture of sports as differentiating it in the field." There is "obviously the looming question about whether sports fans will find enough stuff that’s compelling." SVOD has "proven to be a tough business to crack." In addition, the channel "includes exclusive new SI Swimsuit content with a series on the first-ever open casting call model search" for the '18 SI Swimsuit issue in February, as well as a "library of SI Swimsuit shows" dating back to '94. SI TV also "plans to include a two-week episode archive of “SI Now" (VARIETY.com, 11/15).
FOLLOW THE MONEY: REUTERS' Toonkel & Richwine cite sources as saying that Amazon has "scrapped plans to launch an online streaming service bundling popular U.S. broadcast and cable networks because it believes it cannot make enough money on such a service." Sources added that the company has "also been unable to convince key broadcast and basic cable networks to break with decades-old business models and join its a la carte Amazon Channels service." They said that Amazon has "backed away from talks" with those nets (REUTERS, 11/15).
