The NBA Finals are behind us, but LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is still on a mission to upend how games are delivered to fans.
According to the Orange County Register, the former Microsoft CEO and his team are commissioning a study for a new “digital video service” that would involve streaming the team’s games. The Register reports that the Clippers seek to “gather more information about how their fans watch games and what features they’d want in an over-the-top (OTT) service.”
Ballmer has previously expressed an interest in rethinking the way traditional digital rights are packaged in any media deal the Clippers put together. The team’s contract with Fox Sports Prime Ticket expired at the end of the regular season and negotiations have been ongoing.
Steve Ballmer wants the Clippers to launch their own streaming network (via @SportTechie) https://t.co/2l8OuAK8sS pic.twitter.com/KeLFlavm7t
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 20, 2016
SportsBusiness Journal previously reported that “this would mark the first time an NBA team has carved out a significant portion of digital rights from a regional sports network deal to develop a team-run OTT service.”
“It is a cutting-edge concept, and Steve Ballmer is a cutting-edge guy, and we are absolutely going down that road,” said Steve Greenberg, managing director of Allen & Co., which is representing the Clippers in the negotiations. “We have a lot of interest from nontraditional media companies.”
Editor’s Note: Ballmer will share more of his vision when it comes to the future of sports and technology when he takes part in the GeekWire Sports Tech Summit on July 12-13 in Seattle. Ballmer has been added as the main keynoter for the event.
