The Canadian Football League competition will stream live coverage of its end-of-season playoffs and Grey Cup finale via video-sharing platform YouTube.
The Grey Cup playoff games and final will be available to view free-of-charge on YouTube in 150 countries around the world. Streaming will not be available in China.
Coverage will include the Eastern and Western Semi-Finals on November 15, as well as the Eastern and Western Finals on November 22 and the Grey Cup game on November 29.
The CFL said the move marks the first occasion a major professional sports league in North America will live stream its playoff games and championship match for free on YouTube.
“This is an important step forward as we look to expand our global reach,” CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge said. “This makes our biggest game and one of our country’s cultural milestones available to Canadian expatriates and sports fans in general in almost every corner of the globe.”
Meanwhile, the league has struck a deal with Canadian technology event SportsHack 2015 to create new digital products using CFL to coincide with the Grey Cup.
Developers in Vancouver, Halifax and Toronto will gain access to the CFL’s stats database, game footage and website analytics to prototype developments in the areas of fan engagement, promoting ticket sales and social media.
The CFL also announced it is developing a new digital platform ahead of the offseason. The platform will feature mobile-friendly websites and a new statistics application.