NBC Sports jumps into the livestream game just in time for the Olympics

NBC Sports has announced a new video livestreaming service called Playmaker Media, which will look to compete with companies like MLB Advanced Media to air live sports online.

The move underscores the importance of being able to solve the technical challenges of streaming live events over the Internet to large audiences.

"The growing demand for live streaming support in the marketplace combined with our experience and expertise make this the perfect time to launch Playmaker," said Rick Cordella, general manager of digital media for NBC Sports Group, in a press release.

Playmaker's main competition will be MLB Advanced Media, which has emerged as a leader in the livestreaming market. Colloquially known as "Bam," the company was started by Major League Baseball as a way to stream live games around the country. 

Bam now works with a variety of partners, including powering HBO's streaming offerings. Most recently, Disney was reported to be considering a major investment in Bam, a move that could benefit ESPN. 

Developing a Bam competitor would provide NBC — and its parent company, Comcast — with useful technology that could also be sold as a service to other partners and help with negotiations for future sports rights.

NBC noted as part of its announcement for Playmaker that it has been streaming live sports event since 2006, when it broadcast the Olympic men's hockey final. 

International Olympic Committee is Playmaker's first client, according to NBC, which owns the U.S. broadcast and digital rights to the upcoming Summer Olympics.

Playmaker is rolling out with a variety of tech partners including Adobe, Microsoft and content delivery network Akami. 

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