Roku is expanding further into live sports.
The streaming platform is adding a number of Bassmaster events to its programming lineup, reps for both sides confirmed to Front Office Sports.
Bassmaster’s linear TV rights are still held by Fox. Roku will stream different days of the same tournaments, as well as tournaments that are different from what Fox airs. Events that Roku will air include:
• The Elite Qualifier Series, plus five Bassmaster Open Series events where anglers qualify for the former
• The Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am in prime time
• Coverage encompassing part of all nine events from the Bassmaster Elite Series
• The Friday portion of the Bassmaster Classic
The events will be free on Roku for anyone who has the necessary device.
The tournaments have a cult audience; the winner of the Bassmaster Classic receives $300,000.
“It’s an honor to call Roku the streaming home of Bassmaster, an iconic brand with a decades-spanning history of producing best-in-class professional fishing tournaments,” Joe Franzetta, Roku Media’s head of sports, said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing these events for free to the passionate fanbase of this top outdoor sport, as well as introducing Bassmaster to new audiences, expanding the tournaments’ reach to millions of streaming households in the U.S.”
B.A.S.S. COO Phillip Johnson said the fishing league is “very excited about the creation of a new outlet for posted video content, on a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel on Roku.”
Roku’s other live sports rights include an exclusive Sunday morning MLB game, the X Games, the NBA G League, and Formula E. It also airs The Rich Eisen Show and GMFB: Overtime.
