Finnish Basketball League builds off of startups for game broadcasting


    Finland’s national basketball team had an emotional up-and-down this world cup, winning the wildcard for their first ever entry to the tournament and then battling through some close games before losing to New Zealand, missing a chance to go forward in the second round. Their loss killed any chance for a made-for-TV movie, but it captured a nation and recently turned Finns into basketball fans.

    The Finnish professional league, which adds players to the Finnish national team, has also had their ups and downs when it comes to fans catching the games at home. Previously Korisliiga fans could catch a game or two at Urhotv.fi (to which they’ve had issues) or occasionally on Finland’s national broadcaster, YLE. But now without a contract out there for their fans to watch games, Korisliiga was on their own.

    Without many options on their plate, Korisliiga decided to build their own brodcasting solution, much like what the major league sports have been doing in the states – using Finnish startup Jenkatehdas Oy, creators of Live Music Stage and SportTV.fi for a whitelabeled solution to broadcast the league’s 200+ games per year at Korisliigatv.fi. It’s a big step for the league.

    They’re investing also into some heavy tech for the actual filming as well, using a high tech automated camera solution to follow the basketball (not specifically named) which will also create highlight clips. Some of these matchups will also include live commentary, and will feature a shot clock and scores.

    “We are excited to be working on a service that’s really setting an example for others. The fact that Korisliiga is producing all the broadcasts themselves is quite unique. It offers the teams a real new revenue stream and the fans unprecedented coverage of the sport. Not many leagues are achieving streaming on this scale yet,” comments Jenkatehdas CEO Antti Eronen.

    The solution is kicking off officially in October, and for pricing it sounds like the league is thinking around €90 for season ticket to follow all games, or €60 to follow your team at home and away games.

    Small leagues around Europe have long been looking for a solution to help monetize and engage their fanbase. Is Korisliiga setting the example for others to follow?