EXCLUSIVE: FAST channel provider WeDoTV has launched a sports channel in German-speaking countries ahead of the Royal Ascot horse races this week.
WeDo Sports debuts tomorrow on the Tattoo, Waipu.tv, LG Channels and Vidaa platforms in Germany, wit more announced soon. It will also roll out on the Wedo app and website.
The network will stream all major German and horse race meets live, including the UK’s Royal Ascot this week (June 20-24) and the Breeder’s Cup in the U.S. later this year.
Other live events secured for the net include the German Sailing Bundesliga, the Sailing Champions League and SailGP.
Weekly programs will provide highlights from football tournaments, Formula 1, e-sports, martial arts and others. There will be docs on sporting icons such as Tiger Woods, David Beckham and Michael Schumacher and teams such as Manchester United.
“The launch of WeDo Sports is another piece of our vision to create a complete viewer offering in the German-speaking market,” notes Philipp Rotermund, Co-CEO and Founder of WeDoTV. “We already had strong viewer and advertiser interest in the sports content on our flagship AVOD service WedoTV in Germany, Austria and Switzerland so creating a stand-alone FAST Channel for sports fans in this market was a logical next step. As part of our expansion strategy, we are looking at other markets for WeDo Sports as well.”
Last year, we reported WeDoTV’s parent Video Solutions had formed a joint venture with non-scripted studio Big Media to launch FAST channels globally.
FAST channels, which provide scheduled programming often focused on a genre or program brand, have been growing in popularity in the past few years.