Lightbox Sport joint venture kicks off

Golfing sensation Lydia Ko tees off on the first hole at Takapuna Golf Club during the Charity Golf Day. 30 November 2014 New Zealand Herald photograph by Jason Oxenham

Kiwi sports fans can enjoy more premium sport content after a new joint venture partnership between online TV service Lightbox and Coliseum Sports Media was announced today.

The venture will be called Lightbox Sport and will include all of Coliseum Sports Media's New Zealand content including golf, Premier League football, French Top 14 rugby and all future New Zealand based projects.

Lightbox CEO Kym Niblock says the partnership aims to deliver more relevance and value to customers.

"This partnership looks to simplify the crowded online TV marketplace. By joining forces we will be giving customers a greater breadth and depth of choice and a more compelling viewing experience," Niblock explained.

"Both Lightbox and Coliseum Sports Media already give Kiwis greater choice over how they watch TV online, and both have proven the ability to secure top quality content - but together, our combined buying power will make us an even more formidable force in the market."

Coliseum Sports Media CEO Tim Martin says the partnership is about bringing sports to a wider audience.

"The reality is online sports viewing, and paying for the sport you want to watch, is rapidly becoming mainstream around the world," said Martin.

"By pooling resources with Lightbox we want to make sport more accessible and more affordable for all.

"Lightbox delivers great TV online, and sport is a huge part of that. This partnership will give Kiwis more freedom to watch the sports they want, when they want."

Both Lightbox and CSM's existing properties will continue to run as they do now.
Following today's announcement, the board and management team of Lightbox and Lightbox Sport intend on delivering premium packages with competitive price levels, delivering a mix of entertainment, including sport, that consumers will have control over.

"This is the start of an exciting journey for customers," said Niblock.

"From day one we said we were going to add to our insanely good TV line-up and we are making good on that promise by offering customers more choice over the shows, and soon the sport, they watch at compelling value. We look forward to revealing more details on our progress in the future."

The joint venture agreement is signed and comes into effect today, however it remains conditional on a number of legal matters.