Sports broadcasting network Eleven Sports has unveiled a new feature that lets users watch live action with friends and family in one online space at the same time. The “Watch Together” feature will be released for a trial period across Eleven’s international streaming markets during the coming weeks.
Watch Together was designed by tech startup Reactoo and intends to make watching live sports a more social and engaging experience for fans. Eleven Sports subscribers are now able to create a “room” where they can invite up to four other people to watch a specific live event. While in the room, users can see, hear, and message with each other during the live broadcast of the game.
“Watch Together will help to drive engagement in the live event by encouraging active, as opposed to passive viewing habits,” said Tom Middleditch, Global Head of Digital at Eleven Sports, in a press release. “Currently fans debate talking points on text or social media while watching a match or fight passively, but our inventive new product will enable in-person interaction while remaining fully immersed in the action.”
Eleven Sports claims its new Skype-style viewing feature represents a first in the live sports broadcasting industry. A user can invite others to the room by sharing a link via text, WhatsApp, email, or social media. Users also have the option to join “open rooms” to meet new people while watching the same event. Watch Together is available through Chrome and Firefox during the trial period. The feature is free for Eleven Sports subscribers and will be added to other internet browsers and devices in the near future.
“Using the latest technology, we are making it easier for all sports fans to share those special moments and we are proud to be the first watch together tech platform to introduce this transformative product to the global sports market,” Reactoo CEO Marc Williams stated in the press release.
SportTechie Takeaway
This Watch Together feature will be added to all Eleven Sports’s international OTT streaming services, which are offered in the U.S., Italy, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Belgium, Singapore, and Taiwan. Earlier this year, Eleven Sports launched a free 24/7 sports channel on Twitch. The company has rights deals to stream content from leagues such as UEFA Champions League, UFC, Formula 1, LaLiga, NBA, and the NBA G-League.
This month, Facebook started testing a “Watch Videos Together” feature on the Messenger platform. That is the same idea as Eleven Sports and Reactoo’s new watch together feature, though Eleven was quicker bringing it to market and finding a way to implement the communal experience into live sports.