deltatre delivers Intigral online interactive video player for Saudi League coverage

deltatre delivers Intigral online interactive video player for Saudi League coverage. deltatre has been selected to deliver Intigral’s online interactive video player for their Saudi League coverage. Diva’s technology is available for multiple sports and in recent years, has powered the online coverage for some of the world’s largest sporting events for major broadcasters such as the 2012 London Olympic Games. I have blogged about deltatre technology, products and services here at the Sports Techie blog but the same cannot be said for the Saudi League or Intigral.

Diva

Based on deltatre’s cutting edge technology, Diva, Intigral’s broadband coverage will provide a compelling and immersive user experience for Saudi football fans across PCs, smartphones and tablets. Users will have access to live and on-demand video of the matches, synchronized statistics and powerful social media features with smooth navigation specifically designed for football.

Saudi League

There are fourteen Zain Saudi Professional League teams, two of which are in the relegation zone. AlFateh FC is in first place right now. This link goes to the FIFA.com Saudi League standings:  http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=ksa/nationalleague/standings.html.

About Intigral

Established in 2009, Intigral is an end-to-end solution provider focused on delivering digital media content services to regional telecommunication operators, offering a one-stop shop for the region’s operators, easing their transition into the digital media space. Intigral recently reported year-on-year revenue growth of 40 percent. Intigral counts a number of leading regional telecom operators as its customers, giving it access to a combined customer base of 34.25 million users regionally. The company operates out of its offices in Dubai and Riyadh with a current workforce of 270 professionals.

For more information, please visit the website: www.intigral.net.

Ismaeel Makdisi, Intigral Acting CEO, said “We were looking for a company able to maximise our digital media assets and help us provide our fans with a unique sporting experience. We have appointed deltatre because of their strong know-how and significant experience in online sports and cutting-edge digital solutions”. Makdisi added, “We will work closely to offer our users a complete video and data service in English and Arabic. Intigral is spearheading a new digital era for sports fans with this unique service and we are proud to pave the way for the first convergent offering in KSA”.

A new digital sports era is happening throughout the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. Saudi League fans have access to the kind of football video and data content they care about via deltatre’s Diva.

About deltatre

There is a way to make sport events come to life for audiences everywhere. Using innovative technology, creativity and total commitment, the people at deltatre do exactly that. With staff in Torino, London, Manchester, Lausanne, Paris, Munich, New York and Portland, deltatre has over 25 years’ experience at the highest level of international sport. Always striving for the next level of interaction, we consider the future of global sport engagement to be multi-platform and social. Today, the greatest sport events on earth are more immersive, collaborative, and inclusive thanks to our cutting edge technologies. Sport fans become an active part of the event, connecting socially and sharing their passion, wherever they are. By harnessing our experience, technical skills and passion for sport, we are always one step ahead.

For more information, please visit www.deltatre.com or contact [email protected].

Carlo Lisa, deltatre Director of Sales and Business Development, said “Middle East is one of the faster growing areas in digital consumption. In particular, sport fans are more and more demanding for detailed online coverage of the major sport events. Intigral recognizes this, and we are pleased to support them with their users”.

Saudi Arabia Football

After researching Saudi Arabian Football for the first time I discovered the official name of the country is Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Sa’udiyah. In the world of FIFA, Saudi Arabia is known as KSA. The national team has played in the World Cup in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006.

In the FIFA/COCA-COLA World Ranking, Saudi Arabia is tied at 118 with Azerbaijan. The lowest the country’s been ranked was 126 on Dec, 2012. A FIFA.com ranking evolution graphic shows the all-time high ranking of 21 was established in July, 2004. The current Saudi Arabian Zonal Ranking is at 14.

Saudi Arabia is entered in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup that factors into World Cup 2018 qualifying. They just defeated China 2-1 at home. The team’s new coach, Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, is a former Real Madrid boss who recently replaced Frank Rijkaard.

According to FIFA.com, Saudi Arabia successfully raised funds for IT Projects related to a Data Management System. The DMS Objectives are to enhance SAFF IT network to meet the DMS requirements. Money also went towards Football Pitch projects in Riyadh. We love to see that kind of dedication by Saudi Arabia to upgrade SAFF technology in order to comply with FIFA tech standards.

The SAFF is the Saudi Arabian Football Federation which was founded in 1956. http://www.thesaff.com.sa/.

Saudi Arabia has 438, 644 football players, 15, 144 are registered; there have 153 clubs and 1,292 officials.

Soccer referees in Saudi Arabia are publically listed at FIFA.com which is odd to me with the amount of match fixing happening.

I am thankful for the Sports Techie opportunity to ask the following questions to deltatre. (answers in bold)

–          Are regional telecommunication operators demanding more sports tools and data because of a new kind of Middle Eastern fan that is connected via PC, smartphone and tablet?  PC’s, smartphones and tablets users are growing quickly. Intigral want to push on cutting-edge digital services.

–          Does the convergent offering in KSA mean localization of Diva video and data in both English and Arabic? Is this unprecedented if so? Yes they will start with English and soon also in Arabic.

–          Does the Qatar 2022 World Cup factor into this? It’s has not been defined.

–          Does the Saudi Arabian Football Federation play a part in this digital partnership? Not, as far as we know.

–          How does IPTV factor into this deal? To be defined. It could be a next step.

Analysis

The reason I shared the background information about football in Saudi Arabia is because for me, having the Saudi League available on Diva is a fantastic step back towards a National team ranking of 21 or higher. If there was ever a time for Saudi Arabia to strategize and make it so it would be for the 2022 World Cup being held in the nearby country of Qatar.

Kids and the younger generation of football fans worldwide now have access to smartphones, tablets, PC’s or Mac’s, in record breaking numbers, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Rather, as Caro Lisa at deltatre pointed out, the Middle East is getting techie at Internet speed and sports content is in demand, 24/7. Intigral has a reach of 32.4 million regional viewers. With the addition of deltatre’s digital assets, no doubt those numbers will increase once viral and targeted word gets out about the Saudi League being delivered through Diva.

The ability by deltatre to localize their Solution with the Arabic language is worth noting and cannot be easy to code, test and deploy. I like the flexibility to be able to customize deltatre technology in order to meet challenging requirements and specs.

Finally, watch for the possibility of deltatre IPTV functionality in the near future for Intigral customers.

Sports Techie, This sports technology centric deal between deltatre and Intigral offers unprecedented online coverage for fans to engage with Saudi League video and data. I like this because it helps their National team, the SAFF, and the Saudi League, all gain more exposure. This new International business relationship should help to generate additional revenue streams, sponsorships, and increased marketing and branding opportunities.

Cutting edge digital tools such as Diva give Intigral viewers video streams rich with Saudi League data. It is a good time to be a Sports Techie in Saudi Arabia.

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