Local Station Affiliate Sees Surge in OTT Viewership Streaming Iditarod Race Nationwide on SBTV

Syncbak, the streaming platform that powers internet delivery of local TV programming for all major station groups across the US, today released data that shines a bright light on the OTT opportunity ahead for broadcasters. Earlier this month, Gray Television’s Anchorage affiliate KTUU expanded its OTT coverage of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, offering a mix of hyper-local live streaming, on-demand clips and features for both in-and out-of-market audiences across the nation on SBTV, Syncbak’s direct-to-consumer OTT platform. This marked the second consecutive year KTUU offered OTT viewers the opportunity to view the historic event anytime, anywhere, on any device.

The annual long-distance race commenced with a live stream of the opening ceremonies made available nationwide on SBTV utilizing Syncbak’s market leading OTT platform, SimpleSync, and dynamic ad insertion technology called adSync. Viewers came back for daily updates made available via the station’s Iditarod event page. The mix of live and on-demand race content, as well as historic and educational features, drove a substantial twenty percent lift in viewership of the station’s OTT coverage of the race. KTUU’s first year streaming the event offered a single live-stream of the opening ceremonies.

“The results KTUU experienced with the Iditarod are exactly what we know happens when engaging hyper-local content is made available to viewers nationwide on SBTV,” said Jack Perry, founder & CEO of Syncbak. “We’ve streamed a record number of hyper-local live events for our stations this year, and they’re seeing great results. Advertisers are getting in on the opportunity too, making it a win for viewers, stations and brands,” added Perry.