Fz Sports, the parent company of marketing agency 1190 Sports and soccer-focused streaming platform Fanatiz, has announced a strategic partnership with media and entertainment company CosmoBlue Media for OTT and global sports media rights distribution.
Through the tie-up, the two parties want to “enhance global streaming services and expand the reach of media rights across the world.”
The OTT element of the partnership will see Switzerland-based CosmoBlue Media and Fz Sports collaborate to develop and deploy a “next-generation” streaming platform.
The platform, set to operate globally, will serve as a marketplace for various streaming services.
It will utilise the technology of Fanatiz and the content relationships and distribution channels of CosmoBlue Media in Canada.
On the sports media side, CosmoBlue Media and Fz Sports’ 1190 Sports business vertical will collaborate on the global distribution and sale of media rights.
1190 Sports manages the international broadcast distribution rights for the top-tier soccer leagues in Argentina and Peru, Brazil’s Campeonato Paulista state championship, and the World Cup qualifiers media rights for most Conmebol teams.
In addition, it is part of a consortium that handles the commercial rights overall for the various Chilean national teams.
1190 Sports’ work in Peru entails Fanatiz working with the country’s soccer federation to “centralize and develop its Liga1 rights via the launch of proprietary distribution channels.”
Fanatiz, meanwhile, has a slate of sporting rights spread across South America, including soccer, basketball, and handball.
Cosmo Blue will work with Fz Sports to distribute and commercialize these sports properties worldwide, while Fz Sports will assist in maximizing the reach and value of CosmoBlue’s global media assets.
Loni Farhi, co-Founder of CosmoBlue Media, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Fz Sports, a company that shares our vision of transforming the sports media landscape through innovation and collaboration.
“By combining our strengths in OTT and sports media distribution, we are creating a powerful ecosystem that will bring exceptional sports content to global audiences across multiple platforms."
Matias Rivera, co-founder and CEO of Fz Sports, added: “This strategic alliance with CosmoBlue is an exciting opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths.
“With CosmoBlue’s vast experience in media rights and global distribution, combined with our expertise in sports streaming and content relationships, we are confident this partnership will bring new opportunities for fans and media rights holders alike.”
Fz Sports claims to be the world’s leading sports streaming service for Hispanic audiences, with paying subscribers in over 140 countries.
In June 2023, Fz Sports secured $74 million through a financing round.
