Chess.com taps Play.Works to deploy ChessTV AVOD app

Chess.com has partnered with CTV games and video provider, Play.Works, to launch a new ChessTV AVOD app across connected TV platforms.

The ChessTV AVOD App will include Chess.com owned content curated around prestigious tournaments like the Champions Chess Tour, original programmes, informative and instructional series and highlights of the world’s leading chess players.

Play.Works has a combined reach of more than 250 million homes, said the company. Its CTV games and video are available across platforms such as Comcast, Cox, SKY, Roku, Vizio, LG and Samsung.

According to the group, Chess.com is the world’s largest chess site, with over 160 million global members. The company organises and broadcasts prestigious chess events, including the Champions Chess Tour, the Speed Chess Championship, Bullet Chess Championship and PogChamps.

The new ChessTV app comes following the company’s global expansion in the FAST market. Chess.com partnered with Wurl last year to deliver a chess themed FAST channel. ChessTV also recently launched on sports-first streaming service Fubo.

“We continue to explore new distribution and monetization avenues for our vast library of content, always with the goal of reaching new audiences and promoting the game,” said Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com. “With their success in the gaming space and with their deep worldwide CTV connections, Play.Works is the ideal partner to help our success in AVOD.”

“Chess.com is helping fuel the growing Chess resurgence and Play.Works is thrilled to partner to utilize our leading video technology and distribution to deliver an on-demand experience to viewers worldwide,” said Jonathan Boltax, CEO of Play.Works. “We are thrilled to make this amazing library of content available on the big screen on demand for the first time.”