Sportsnet Set to Relaunch SN NOW Streaming Service This Fall With New Features, Enhanced Stream Quality

Sportsnet unveiled plans to reimagine and relaunch its  SN NOW sports streaming service. Sportsnet has partnered with OTT technology providers Deltatre and Firstlight Media to redesign SN NOW with a suite of integrated next-generation OTT features and a refreshed user interface, on the Firstlight Media platform, powered by Microsoft Azure. Phased in enhancements will include greater stream quality and reliability, personalized content offerings, advanced stats overlays, and other innovative features. Sportsnet will unveil the first phase of the all-new SN NOW this Fall with additional development phases planned going forward.

 “Sportsnet was the first mainstream sports brand in North America to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service, offering our premium content and the most innovative distribution right from the start. Our new partnerships with Deltatre and Firstlight Media will help make Canada’s best sports streaming product even better,” says Bart Yabsley, President, Sportsnet. “The all-new SN NOW will engage our fans with more games, the latest technological innovations, more exclusive content, and a personalized experience on the most reliable platform available anywhere in the world.”

“The ability to build world-class consumer experiences will increasingly involve great partners from around the globe. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, building the future can’t be done alone. These partnerships are just some of many ways Sportsnet is continuing to foster innovation to lead sports and media into the future,” adds Alfredo Tan, SVP, Strategy, Data, & Products at Rogers Sports & Media, Sportsnet’s parent company.

Firstlight Media will build the technology foundation for the new SN NOW. Firstlight Media has created a cloud-native technology stack that powers an end-to-end platform – delivering step changes in performance, flexibility, agility, and scale, and offering high-quality user engagement and monetization.

Deltatre specializes in fan-first video and digital experiences, including large-scale, end-to-end OTT systems integration across live and on-demand video content. As it innovates the front-end user experience of SN NOW, Sportsnet will benefit from Deltatre’s streaming technology, experience integrating the world’s leading third-party partners and solutions, and its expertise in powering platforms such as WWE Network and NFL Game Pass.

In addition to enhancing the platform’s back-end technology and user-facing experience, the new and improved SN NOW cloud-native streaming platform runs on Firstlight Media’s microservices architecture, fully built on Microsoft Azure.

Kevin Peesker, president, Microsoft Canada adds: “With Microsoft Azure cloud capabilities, Sportsnet will have unparalleled access to high availability, scalability, agility, and disaster recovery to help ensure Canadian sports fans don’t miss any of the action.”