High School Sports Network Raises $11.7M To Stream Live Events
iHigh.com, the high school sports broadcasting platform run run by Jim Host, has received $11.7M in funding from Cox Media Group to build out a platform that distributes high school sports video content online. In the process, the company hopes to allow high schools to tap into marketing budgets while providing a scalable, one stop shop for advertisers to interact with students and parents.
This investment from Cox, which valued the company at $60M, will fuel the company's product development and corporate expansion as demand for iHigh's digital television platform and online network grows throughout U.S. markets.
iHigh provides free Web-based tools and live video streaming capabilities that enable organizations to connect to their audiences by broadcasting live content to PCs, smartphones, tablets, and any other Internet-connected device. For marketers, during breaks in the broadcast, local producers using the iHigh platform can play television-quality commercials with its AdTrigger technology, insert company logos to sponsor broadcast segments and run deals from local companies.
"This strategic investment in iHigh is a long-term opportunity for Cox Media Group, and aligns with our mission of creating scalable content and advertising services businesses," said Doug Franklin, president, Cox Media Group. "We believe iHigh's solutions giving audiences the ability to watch any event live over desktops, tablets or smartphones are uniquely designed to help organizations reach a devoted and distributed fan base, while giving advertisers a highly targeted and hyper-local approach to reaching their customers. We're looking forward to growing with iHigh, reaching new markets and expanding opportunities for dedicated fans and advertisers alike." iHigh says that 8,000 organizations are currently using the platform, which is operating in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and seven countries including Canada, and reaching more than 11 million annual unique visitors.
"High school and college sports and events bring families and communities together, and iHigh is the best way to make sure no one misses a game ever again," said Jim Host, chairman and CEO, iHigh. "While we developed iHigh to highlight high school sports, we believe this to be the best platform for any devoted affinity group to share in a live event. We're expanding iHigh's reach into new markets, and having Cox Media Group as a partner and investor will help bring iHigh to communities and all affinity groups across the country."
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