The Dubai-based sports system integrator Augustus Media has acquired Cam Plus Sports startup aiming to make local sports more accessible by broadcasting live matches and on-demand recordings.
Founded in 2021 by Ismail Al Manzni, Cam Plus Sports perform broadcasting for various sports clubs and schools. It can be watched from anywhere, live, or later on-demand with their unique App availability.
CamPlus Sports will be attributed to Smashi TV, the Augustus Media-owned business tech and live streaming service in the Middle East, with this acquisition. Therefore, The content will be incorporated into Smashi’s OTT programming under the Smashi Sports brand.
Smashi Sports will build on its business of sports content by entering the live sports space by rebranding Cam Plus Sports.
As part of the acquisition, Augustus Media will have rights to CAM Plus Sport’s content and technology to bring live sports to its business tech and live streaming service Smashi TV. CAM.
“This acquisition will provide many additions to the sports and federations such as interviews with officials in clubs and federations, players and coaches, and commentary and match highlights.” Ismail Al Mazmi, Founder, CamPlus Sports, commented.
Augustus Media has also gained broadcasting rights from the UAE Federations for volleyball, handball, and futsal with the acquisition. In addition to live sports, Augustus also now owns CAM Plus Sport’s sixteen AI cameras from sports video and analytics solutions provider Pixellot.
Smashi Sports will explore opportunities for UAE football and basketball federations to enhance its streaming offerings – as plans include expansion into popular sports across the region in the future with its project, production, and commercial team members.
Richard Fitzgerald, the CEO of Augustus Media, shared his thoughts about the acquisition: “The vision Ismail Manzni has shown in creating CAM Plus Sport has been impressive. He rightly identified that the future of live sports is through digital and streaming. This strategy aligns with what we are doing for Smashi, and it’s the perfect fit to incorporate what is already in place as part of Smashi Sports.
“Our vision for Smashi is to create the defining media brand for the youth of the reign, one that captures the mindset of an ambitious cohort, and sport is perfect for us to be able to document the rise of the next stars across the Middle East.”
