SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia—Okko Sport, a major Russian subscription-based sports broadcaster, has taped the AI sports video tech provider WSC Sports to include highlights of all English Premier League and La Liga games in stories format embedded directly in Google Search, where users can also find sports game scores, schedules, standings, stats and other key content.
The deployment is a first for Russia.
Agustin Pesciallo, product partnerships manager for Google Search noted that “we believe that Web Stories is an amazing new way for fans to discover and consume live sports highlights, and we are excited to see Okko adopting the format, making them the first Russian rights holders to feature Web Stories on Google Search.”
With the addition of Google Web Stories, Okko Sport will be able to provide a more immersive experience for sports fans in Russia, with real-time highlights that continuously update and populate Google Search as live games progress, making content easier to consume than ever before.
Google Web Stories will also provide a new way for fans to discover Okko Sport content outside of their usual channels such as social media pages, apps or websites, the companies said. Okko Sport will utilize Web Stories to drive traffic and subscriptions to its OTT platform and will take advantage of the new monetization opportunities that WSC Sports can help unlock via Web Stories.
The move builds on an existing relationship. Okko Sport began working with WSC Sports in November 2020 to create content and automate real-time highlights for their subscription services. The expansion to include Web Stories builds on that relationship.
Agustin Pesciallo, product partnerships manager for Google Search noted that “we believe that Web Stories is an amazing new way for fans to discover and consume live sports highlights, and we are excited to see Okko adopting the format, making them the first Russian rights holders to feature Web Stories on Google Search.”
WSC Sports’ artificial intelligent technology provides Okko Sport with an automated end-to-end highlights storytelling solution that automatically creates stories for use on Google Search and drives traffic back to Okko Sport.
“When we began working with Okko Sport, we set out to have a long-term relationship where we would build together new tools to innovate the way fans consume sports in Russia,” said Itai Epstein, director of business development, EMEA & China at WSC Sports. “I’m so pleased that Okko Sport will be using WSC Sports to create stories for Google Search to expose their content to more people.”
WSC Sports’ proprietary AI technology platform automates the creation and distribution of highlights for over 200 leagues and broadcast partners across the globe, including the NBA, NHL, ESPN, YouTubeTV, Bundesliga, FIBA and Tencent.
