 |  |
Spartan All Access to be free in fifth season of online broadcasts
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Spartan All Access, the videostreaming channel of UNCGSpartans.com, will open its fifth season of broadcasting on Saturday night when the Spartans take the soccer pitch to face nationally ranked North Carolina in men’s soccer action.
The fifth season, however, will have a new twist to it. Spartan All Access, which has been subscription-based the last four years, has had all subscription fees lifted from it this season. Fans can watch Spartan athletic contests – usually numbering close to 100 each year – for free from their computers on Spartan All Access through UNCGSpartans.com.
In its new Internet partnership with Presto Sports, the Spartans also began a new partnership for Spartan All Access. This year, Spartan All Access will be shown through PrestoSports’ partner, Stretch Internet. Stretch Internet’s platform will implement Flash 10 encoding, giving viewers what should be a clearer picture. Flash is what is used by ESPN3, YouTube and Hulu. Stretch Internet also uses H.264 encoding to ensure the highest quality possible for Spartan All Access. Plus, with Flash encoding, there shouldn’t be any more problems with PC vs. Mac, Internet Explorer vs. Firefox (or Safari, or whatever the browser preference).
Stretch Internet’s platform is also mobile friendly. Fans can watch games through their iPhones or iPod Touches, as well. In the coming months, more mobile units are expected to have compatibility with Stretch Internet’s platform.
Stretch Internet, based in Mesa, Ariz., provides streaming and other Internet services to nearly 200 high schools, colleges, universities, professional teams and radio stations while reaching an audience of more than 50,000 users per month. Founded in 2002 by a former college sports information director, Stretch Internet is devoted to customer service and providing a first-class, high-quality experience for its clients and their extended communities.
The complete list of Spartan All Access broadcasts for the fall will be available shortly.
- UNCG -
