European entertainment company BSkyB continued its push into digital media in the United States with a $7 million investment in YouTube’s multichannel network Whistle Sports.
The partnership will help BSkyB target millennial sports fans, trading on Whistle’s existing partnerships with major U.S. organizations like the NFL, PGA Tour, NASCAR and MLB Advanced Media.
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With over 192 channels and 8.3 million subscribers, Whistle works with its partners to create viral video content to bring to its young audience.
At the same time, the partnership will broaden the scope of the sports Whistle covers through BSkyB’s European sports connections.
Sky Sports is the leading multi-platform sports broadcaster in Europe, and is the home of sports such as English Premier League Football, Formula 1, International Cricket, International Rugby and both U.S. and European Tour Golf.
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The companies touted that this new partnership will allow them to share talent across both networks and cross-promote their respective brands to one another’s audiences.
“This latest investment reflects our ambition to partner with pioneering startups that can help extend our leadership in content distribution, especially online and on mobile,” Emma Lloyd, Sky’s corporate business development director, said in a statement. “We are committed to developing partnerships right across our business that support and extend our leadership position in technology and innovation.”
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John West, Whistle Sports founder and CEO said of the deal, “This partnership is a tremendous fit for us, given our focus on international expansion. Sky is a recognized leader in sports entertainment and delivery and brings to the partnership some of the highest quality creative and production teams in sports. We look forward to connecting them with our rapidly growing audience and community of creators.”