Hibs’ Women will make history this weekend when their end of season SBS SWPL clash with Forfar Farmington FC becomes the first ever football match to be streamed live on pioneering sports Over-The-Top (OTT) platform Recast.
Earlier this year Hibs became the first UK football club to join Recast, a direct to consumer video platform which connects fans directly to content featuring their favourite sports via a subscription-free app.
Hibernian Women normally stream live matches on Facebook – meaning the content doesn’t earn the club money despite surging interest. By streaming matches on Recast they’ll earn from the first view, with all revenue generated reinvested back into the team.
The live and exclusive stream on Sunday, June 6 is the latest development in forward-thinking Hibernian FC’s partnership with Recast, which enables the SWPL and SPFL club to maximise earning potential while ensuring fans are served with high-quality accessible content.
New fans can watch the match for free as they receive 100 Cast credits just by signing up, with others able to earn more credits by watching adverts and sharing content.
Joelle Murray, Hibernian Women’s Captain, said: “It’s exciting to be making a wee bit of history. The players know what Recast can become and to think we are the first to play live on the platform certainly gives that little bit of extra motivation.
“Interest in the women’s game in Scotland is growing all the time, and we know from the amount of people who watch our games online that Hibernian Women are at the sharp end of that. But we need investment to keep that going, and if we can earn it by playing matches, that can only be a good thing.”
Greg McEwan, Head of Marketing & Brand Partnerships, said: “The Recast partnership has made a big impact at Hibernian FC, and the feedback inside and outside the club has been massively encouraging.
“We have a reputation as trailblazers in the game, and for our women’s team to potentially pave the way for a new way to watch live football and sport in general is a major feather in the cap for our growing club.”
Andy Meikle, Recast’s CEO and Founder, said: “I’m delighted that Hibs have seen so much value in our partnership to date and that it will now extend to live streaming the final match of the season on their Recast channel. We’re a big advocate for unlocking value in women’s sport and there is much more to come to Recast; it’s great that Hibs are leading the way for future organisations.”
The Recast platform is provided to rights holders for free, allowing fans to earn in-app credits by simply signing up, watching adverts, sharing content and inviting friends which will allow fans to watch their favourite content for free, while credits earned can be ‘cashed out’ by Hibernian FC.
Other partners going direct-to-consumer on the multi-sport, subscription-free app which provides dynamic content including live sport, highlights and behind-the-scenes footage to supporters include golf’s The European Tour, Manchester City FC and the World Parkour Championship.
Recast – which last month raised almost £6 million in its first major investment round – ultimately aims to be a global platform. The platform is currently in open Beta in the UK and fans can become part of the community and support the growth of Hibernian FC by signing up here.
Hibernian Women FC v Forfar Farmington FC kicks off at 4.10pm on Sunday, June 6. The match will be streamed live in full on Recast. Cast price is 75 Casts (75p for the full match). Fans will be able to watch this for free as their given 100 Cast just for signing up to Recast!
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
