YES Network launching new app efforts around Nets broadcasts

Our customer YES Network is in the news. Here are some of the highlights from the story published on the Sportsbusiness journal:

YES Live Stats and Watch Party

YES Network on Friday night for the Nets’ home opener is launching two new elements in its app that the RSN believes puts it ahead of competition locally and nationally. Users who stream Nets games on mobile, tablet or on the web will have access to th YES Edge feature called “Live Stats” that allows fans to follow along with real-time stats synched with gameplay. Users can click on any player to see an assortment of stats and bio information. There are also expanded game and season stats as well as team leaders in key categories updated in real time. “Live Stats” also provides expanded team leaders in select stats, polls, factoids and the last scoring play. The second addition, “Watch Party,” is also set to debut tonight. YES Head of Digital Kevin Sullivan called the additions “incredibly ambitious.” He added, “The win is what drives us. I think we genuinely have the most advanced product in the RSN space. In fact, probably, maybe even any sports programmer because nobody's doing this, nobody.”

STICK & BALL: YES had launched “Live Stats” during Yankees broadcasts in late June, but because of the differences between baseball and basketball, the interactive graphics appear differently on the screen. For Yankees games, stats popped out from the right side of the screen in a vertical presentation. During Nets games, the stats will drop down from the top of the screen. Pressing anywhere on the screen will allow the user to exit the stats overlay. YES Network worked with Ease Live on the graphic overlays. YES Senior Dir for Strategy & Business Development Matt Duarte said YES will continue to add more aspects, features and functionality. Sullivan: “We had a few more seconds to relax in between pitches. When there's a fast break and somebody scores, and then another fast break, somebody scores, the time codes and getting those implemented and getting them to match the linear stream that's on the app was incredibly important.”

CUSTOM CONTENT: Duarte: “A lot of what we're trying to do is allow people to, once they're in our ecosystem, to create their own experience in order to watch and consume the content from our sports partners in our live games, especially so that they’re increasing the interactivity and how they want to consume the game.” He added, “We've noticed ... consumer sports viewing as a habit, it's kind of changing and evolving. So we want to make sure to provide the different content that these viewers would expect to improve their experience.” When accessing “Watch Party,” viewers will be provided a link they can share to connect up to three other people who will watch the game with a picture-in-picture function. The app will sync the streams of the viewers so they are watching the same moments simultaneously. Members can also adjust their audio as well as that of the stream. It also does not matter whether users are on IOS, Android or web-based platforms. However, participants need to be in-market and authenticated YES subscribers.

Read the full story published 23.10.2021:

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/10/22/Media/YES-app.aspx?hl=yes+network&sc=0