YouTube is making a major step into the live sports market,
inking a deal with the India
Premier League to televise its cricket matches live across the globe in every
country except the U.S. Willow TV holds the North American internet rights to
the IPL matches.
Google and the IPL will split the revenue from sponsors and
advertising.
YouTube has experimented with live events before, mostly in
the form of concerts, but to have a full season of sports would be a massive
step forward for the Google-owned company. It also opens the door to agreements
with other sporting leagues and live events companies.
Fans logging onto the dedicated site at YouTube.com/IPL will
be able to select which camera feed they want to watch the match from, and will
also be able to pause and rewind the matches, much like using a digital video
recorder.
