Streaming platform "RED" from Ringier focuses on amateur sports

Red focuses on team sports such as soccer, ice hockey, floorball, handball, basketball and many more that do not yet have a media home today. In August 2022, the offering will start with First Division soccer matches. These include all matches of the Yapeal Promotion League and the 1st League Classic.

The vision of Project Red is to offer amateur sports, sports leagues and fans a high-reach platform with an extensive content offering and a high entertainment factor. In doing so, RED relies on new technologies, innovative production techniques and innovative features that offer a new sports streaming experience. Red offers everything from a single source: production, platform, programming, content, marketing and distribution. Thanks to the cooperation with the Blick Group, the Red offering will be directly available on one of the largest sports platforms in Switzerland and will substantially expand Blick Sport's existing streaming offering.

Starc Marketing & Sports gleiste the cooperation on

At the start in August 2022, the focus will be on soccer. Red has secured the media rights to the First League exclusively for the next five years, until the 2026/27 season. Starc Marketing & Sports GmbH set up the cooperation. With the kick-off of the 2022/2023 season of the First League, more than 1,000 championship matches of the 3rd and 4th highest division in Switzerland will be produced and offered exclusively on the Red platform as live stream or on demand. In doing so, Red is focusing on actively involving the players and the community and promoting both interaction and engagement among fans.

According to the First Division, a majority of the players on the current Swiss national soccer team were active in the First Division at the start of their careers. Yann Sommer and Granit Xhaka, for example, have each played over 35 games. In sporting terms, the First League offers a very attractive environment. For example, the U21 teams from FC Basel 1893, BSC Young Boys and FC Zurich also participate. Thanks to the "local heroes" and the nationwide coverage in all language regions, the best football entertainment and top-class matches are guaranteed.

RED relies on various broadcast standards - including automated camera systems and AI software that enables coverage of all First Division matches. That's why Ringier Sports is investing in permanently installed camera systems that will be permanently installed in all 66 stadiums of the participating First Division clubs. In addition to live streaming production, the camera systems can be used for training and analysis purposes, which strongly promotes the digitization and professionalization of the First League.

The business model of the streaming platform is based on financing through advertising revenues, sponsorship and subscription models. The Premier League benefits directly from the revenues generated by Red, which are returned to the league via a revenue model. The aim is to drive forward the digitization of the Premier League and support projects for young talent.

Alexander Grimm, CEO Ringier Sports: "With the RED project, we want to offer the First League a new media home and expand its presence. With our multi-sports platform and production technology, we are not only massively increasing the media reach of this league, but also creating emotions and strong, new content formats such as originals, shorts, highlights and game recaps. The medialization is thus strongly advanced in amateur football. Project RED represents a long-term and strategic commitment for us. The vision is to add more leagues and sports."

Steffi Buchli, Editor-in-Chief Sports at Blick: "The players of the First Division are well-known and close figureheads of their regions. We're looking forward to numerous emotional sports stories that we can follow as closely as possible thanks to this project and share with the whole of Switzerland."

For Samuel Scheidegger, President of the First Division, this fits perfectly into the future strategy: "The First Division wants to position itself even more professionally and help the clubs and players gain more attention and presence in all language regions of Switzerland. This project will further enhance the attractiveness of our leagues and strengthen our external image."