Telstra last week announced a revamp of its NRL, AFL and netball apps with data-free streaming.

It’s a way for Telstra to fight back against data-free streaming deals from Optus and Vodafone for different types of content.

But it’s not only the major telcos that are doing deals and then offering deals to stream that content to end-users without chewing into their data download limits. You have MVNOs taking up the challenge too, with the latest to make an announcement being OVO Mobile. 

I first wrote about OVO Mobile back in November 2015 when the pre-paid MVNO announced it did a five-year pre-paid deal driving OVO’s V8 Supercars.

OVO Mobile then announced it had done a deal with Gymnastics Australia back in May 2016, as reported here.

This was then followed up in August 2016 where the company 'fanned the flame of ‘fans first’ with better pricing and a tripling of the data limits.'

What OVO Mobile has done now in 2017 is to sign exclusive agreements with World Superbikes and Gymnastics Australia for live streaming broadcast rights.

The company says it has done a "three-year exclusive agreement with Dorna WSBK Organisation (WorldSBK), OVO Mobile will live-stream live audio commentary for all WorldSBK, WorldSSP, WorldSSP300 and Superstock 1000 events on its OVOPlay platform". 

We are told that "this includes the opening Yamaha Finance Australian WorldSBK round which will be held at Phillip Island on 25 and 26 February".

OVO Mobile also says it will provide "access to a series of 50-minute highlights programmes for each event, to be made available within 48 hours of the final flag's fall", and that "these will be available for fans to view on OVOPlay after these events".

In addition, after the initial partnership in 2016, linked to above, Gymnastics Australia states it has "signed OVO Mobile for a two-year exclusive streaming broadcast deal for major local and international events, including international Gymnastics World Cup events such as the upcoming Australian tournament from 22-25 February in Melbourne".

Both organisations state this agreement "also includes live-streaming of the Gymnastics World Championships in October and November".

We’re told that this agreement "is the first streaming broadcast deal of any kind entered into by Gymnastics Australia, and makes local and international events readily available to the 190,000-plus participants and their families of the more than 520 registered gymnastics clubs currently operating across Australia".

OVO Mobile says its "agreements with WorldSBK and Gymnastics Australia build on similar existing partnerships with Virgin Australia Supercars and the 400 Thunder Professional Drag Racing Series, the latter of which was confirmed last month".

Fans can access the content via the OVOPlay app to gain free access to WorldSBK, Gymnastics Australia and other sports content, and "anyone with an OVO Mobile account will be able to stream the content data-free".

OVO Mobile chief executive Matt Jones said: “Signing Gymnastics Australia and WorldSBK demonstrates that these sports know where their fans are. We're thrilled that each has chosen us to help bring the competitions to their fans, wherever they are and whenever they choose to tune in.

"We're particularly excited that the agreement with Gymnastics Australia is based on a successful trial of something that until very recently, they'd never had the opportunity to offer to their community of hundreds of thousands of gymnastics fans across Australia.

"Live gymnastics is no longer something fans will have to wait to watch every four years during the Olympics.

"Securing this opportunity to provide to live WorldSBK commentary and highlight packages on OVOPlay is something I know fans of the sport will be revved-up about. When we start streaming during the Phillip Island round next week, we'll be the only Internet radio broadcaster offering free access to the content.

"It's a real privilege to be working with WorldSBK to bring their sport closer to the Australian audience, and potentially broaden their fan-base by making it much easier for Australia to tune in," concluded Jones.

OVO Mobile customers can access OVOPlay live streaming here.