SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ustream Inc., the largest live online broadcast network, today announced a strategic alliance with IMG Media, the world's largest independent producer and distributer of sports programming, to be the online broadcast platform for IMG Media to distribute live games and events online to a worldwide audience.  The agreement covers select sports content from around the world ensuring global audiences will see these amazing events regardless of platform.

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Ustream's social, live video platform has upended audience size expectations for online video. With 60 million monthly unique viewers enabling over 9 million total views during recent mega streams such as the Mars Rover Landing and Apple's iPhone 5 announcement. Ustream has demonstrated it is the only live video platform capable of scaling to the size of global audiences for large events.  As part of the agreement with IMG Media, Ustream will access and encode live feeds via satellite and distribute the content on the Ustream platform as well as to partner sites so fans can choose where to watch their favorite sporting events across a selection of top tier sites.

"We're delighted to be partnering with IMG Media as part of Ustream's overall strategy of expanding our programming to offer our viewers the best live online content in the world," noted Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable.  "The combination of IMG Media's global sports content and Ustreams' powerful social platform for online broadcast offers viewers unprecedented ways to engage with fellow fans and access live programming."

IMG Media and Ustream kicked off their alliance on October 12th with various 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

"IMG Media is among the top sports production and distribution agencies in the world and we're thrilled to initiate this relationship to distribute the breadth of their sports content worldwide," said Wayne Sieve, vice president and head of sports for Ustream.  

To learn more about IMG Media on Ustream and other Ustream sports, and upcoming events, please visit www.ustream.tv/sports.

About Ustream
Ustream is the leader in live and interactive video streaming. Our interactive platform connects broadcasters and viewers through technology that includes co-hosting video features, IRC chat, Facebook, and Twitter. Ustream's free and premium solutions allow all broadcasters to create customizable channels with social and notification features to enhance visibility and virality across platforms. In addition to embedding these features on external websites, users can broadcast and view content while interacting directly from mobile phones, tablets, streaming players, smart TVs, and more. We have millions of broadcasters ranging from musicians, celebrities, politicians, and athletes to corporate executives, animal enthusiasts, and gamers.  The Ustream platform has more than 4 days worth of video broadcast every minute, and is the current Guinness Book of World Records title holder.  For more information, visit www.ustream.com and follow Ustream's socials: Twitter (@Ustream); Facebook (facebook.com/Ustream).

SOURCE Ustream Inc.