Armchair Critics Get Global Broadcast

Armchair Critics Get Global Broadcast

31 January 2017

Auckland startup Spalk has just launched a platform to help armchair sports commentators broadcast their insights - and occasional rants - around the world.

“The idea started when we grew tired of the regular commentators on our favourite live sports, so we started commentating ourselves,” explains Spalk co-founder Ben Reynolds.

“We soon had thousands tuning in and had people around the world wanting to weigh in with their own commentary, so we went away and built Spalk.”

The startup has since received more than $150,000 in backing and will soon close a seed round.

Through Spalk, armchair sports fanatics can commentate on their favourite livestreams from the comfort of their own sofas and have anyone, anywhere listen in.

The platform has integrations with popular streaming sites YouTube and Livestream - meaning any live content on these sites is available to upload and commentate through Spalk.co.

Spalk has also developed a white-label version of its commentary tool to work with sports broadcasters like Maori Television.

Click here for a demonstration of Spalk working with Maori Television.

“For some parts of the match you might want to listen to the professional and more traditional commentators and for other parts you may want to change over to Jim down the road for a more comedic take on the commentary,” says Reynolds.

“And the non-pros who are weighing in aren’t just weekend warriors in slippers and pyjamas either,” adds co-founder Michael Prendergast.

“All of our commentators take it very seriously and the broadcasters we’re working with see it as a great way for them to crowdsource different commentaries on their games. A very useful application of Spalk is to have sports commentary available in multiple languages.”

Spalk has already demonstrated that application of its service locally in its partnership with Māori Television where professional Te Reo Māori and traditional English commentary are offered among other crowdsourced commentaries.

Multi-language commentary is exactly the value South East Asian broadcasters saw in Spalk when the founders took a recent trip to Singapore.

The startup is in talks with a range of broadcasters there about rolling out its service which would allow a much greater choice of languages for ethnically-diverse audiences in South East Asia. It’s also starting to field interest from colleges and broadcasters in the USA.

With the immense popularity of the Alternative Commentary Collective, there’s clear evidence sports fans are eager for a plurality of commentary voices.

“Only one thing can make watching the Black Caps beat Australia sweeter, and that’s banter-filled and super one-sided commentary from a Kiwi calling it like it is from their own couch,” says Prendergast.

Eventually, Reynolds says the goal is to turn Spalk into the source of all the world’s commentaries and have millions of people offering up their two cents: from sports fanatics in their living rooms to celebrities and comedians.

“Who knows; maybe one day we’ll get David Attenborough and Kanye West commentating on the cricket together!”

ENDS

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