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Sports TV broadcaster Premier Sports has invested in the owner of social publisher JOE Media Group in a deal that will see the two companies share their assets with each other.

JOE, which is owned by Greencastle Capital, will become the exclusive digital partner for Premier Sports’ rights portfolio, which includes the Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A football leagues, rugby union’s Guinness PRO14, NHL and Nascar – as well as, in the Republic of Ireland only, 53 Premier League games. 

Meanwhile Premier Sports’ channels, which are available via Sky, Virgin and the brand’s own streaming platform Premier Player, will provide a traditional broadcast outlet for JOE’s productions, which include House of Rugby and the Joe Cole-fronted football show All To Play For.

JOE and Premier are also planning to co-produce shows that can be simulcast across both platforms in what they described as a “pioneering approach”. 

Paul O’Donohoe, partner at Greencastle Capital, said: “We are excited to announce this strategic partnership with Premier Sports. It is a big step for us in achieving our vision for the JOE Media Group in bridging the gap between digital publisher and broadcaster.

“The access this partnership provides to sports rights and new TV audiences gives us a unique position and offering in the market and is a strong verification of the great work our teams have done to date.”

Mickey O'Rourke, owner of Premier Sports, said that JOE “has a vast digital footprint across the UK & Ireland with inclusive male and female audiences and an extensive knowledge of how these audiences consume content online".

He added: “We have long been admirers of their original content including their sports, lifestyle and entertainment programming and are looking forward to working with their team to reach a new demographic.”