Norwegian horse racing operator Norsk Rikstoto has expanded its long-running partnership with NEP Europe as it launches a new direct-to-consumer streaming service, bringing broadcast, digital and OTT operations onto a single media platform.
The move sees Rikstoto extend the use of NEP Mediabank – already used for its linear operation and branded channel Rikstoto Direkte – to support the launch of the new OTT service, Play.
NEP Mediabank will now act as the central media asset management platform across Rikstoto’s entire media operation, handling content management and distribution across broadcast, TV, digital and streaming.
The partnership dates back to 2008 when Rikstoto first adopted the platform for its television channel. Since then, the system has handled live ingest, archiving and distribution of thousands of horse races annually.
With Play, Rikstoto has consolidated all distribution workflows into a single environment, allowing live race coverage to be distributed simultaneously across linear television, digital services and OTT without duplicated workflows or separate content repositories.
“Launching our OTT platform is about more than adding a new channel. It is about building a direct, lasting relationship with our audience on their terms,” said Frode Martnes, Executive Producer at Norsk Rikstoto.
“Having NEP Mediabank as the single foundation across all our distribution means we can move faster, operate more efficiently, and deliver a seamless experience to our fans, whether they are watching on television or on their phone.”
The deployment reflects a wider industry move as rights holders increasingly seek unified infrastructures capable of supporting multiple distribution models from a single operational environment.
“Rikstoto’s decision to extend NEP Mediabank to their OTT platform reflects a broader shift in the industry,” said Marius Borge, Key Account Manager at NEP.
“Rightsholders are moving towards a single, trusted media infrastructure that supports every distribution channel from one environment.”
The expanded deployment includes automated ingest and simultaneous publishing workflows, metadata enrichment using racing results and betting data, integrated subtitling and access to Rikstoto’s archive of tens of thousands of races built over almost two decades.
NEP said the archive will become an active content resource for the OTT platform, supporting replay services, editorial content and audience engagement.
The system is delivered as a fully managed service with 24-hour operational support.
The move comes as sports rights holders increasingly seek direct relationships with audiences through OTT while maintaining existing broadcast operations, creating demand for platforms able to support hybrid distribution models.
