AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Signs Two-Year Agreement to Deliver High-Definition Online Video With Microsoft Silverlight

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- AVP Pro Beach Volleyball announced today they signed a two-year agreement with Microsoft Corp. to use Microsoft Silverlight 3 to deliver high definition (HD) live streaming video of professional beach volleyball matches to fans around the world. AVP will utilize its new AVP.com HD Video Player application powered by Silverlight 3 and Internet Information Services (IIS) Live Smooth Streaming to bring worldwide professional beach volleyball fans a new and unique option for watching their favorite sport.

"Silverlight is the premium platform for online streaming in the market today," said Jason Hodell, CEO, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball. "We are eager to enhance our streaming video capabilities to bring our beautiful sport to a larger audience online. We intend to cover both outer court and stadium action to bring fans an authentic game day experience."

Microsoft worked with the AVP to develop the Silverlight AVP HD Video Player and will license AVP adequate license right to deploy it on AVP and any AVP partner websites. Additionally, AVP and Microsoft will share web presence on each company's respective website.

"The AVP's use of Silverlight and IIS Live Smooth Streaming is a great example of how our customers can deliver high-definition, engaging online video experiences to their viewers," said Brian Goldfarb, director of the Developer Platform Group at Microsoft. "Microsoft is excited to work with customers like the AVP to dramatically change the way sports fans engage with events online."

Utilizing Silverlight 3 and IIS Live Smooth Streaming, the AVP began HD streaming from its most prestigious and historic event, the AVP Crocs Slam Bud Light Manhattan Beach Open, July 17-19 live from the sands of Manhattan Beach, Calif. Now users can watch archived preliminary round matches, semifinals and finals in the AVPTV area of AVP.com.

For more information on AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, please visit www.avp.com.

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About AVP, Inc.:

AVP, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. One of the fastest growing entities in the sports world, the AVP operates two of the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (1983) and the AVP Hot Winter Nights Indoor Tour (launched in 2008). The AVP is set to stage more than 35 events throughout the United States in 2009 and features more than 150 of the top male and female competitors in the sport. AVP athletes won both the women's and men's gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, marking the first gold medal sweep by a single country in the history of Olympic Beach Volleyball. AVP is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.

Source: AVP Pro Beach Volleyball

Posted by Shane Sturgeon, September 15, 2009 7:00 PM