Streaming services pick up four Albany State football games

ALBANY — Albany State fans near and far will now have the opportunity to watch their team, thanks to a pair of streaming deals the SIAC has lined up.

Thursday, the SIAC announced two Albany State games will be streamed on ESPN3.com as part of the conference’s five-game package.

The Golden Rams’ Sept. 8 game against Tuskegee in the White Water Classic in Phenix City, Alabama, will be streamed on the ESPN3 platform, as well as the Nov. 3 Fountain City Classic game in Columbus against Fort Valley State.

The SIAC Championship, scheduled for Nov. 10, also will stream on ESPN3. The streaming service is free to those who have service with a participating cable, satellite or streaming provider.

“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with ESPN,” SIAC commissioner Gregory Moore said in a news release. “That keen competitive landscape, coupled with our passionate fan following which last year resulted in the SIAC leading (NCAA Division II) in average football attendance for the 15th consecutive year, makes ESPN3 the perfect platform to provide SIAC member schools and student-athletes with additional exposure opportunities.”

Another streaming service, FloSports, will stream Albany State’s Oct. 20 Homecoming game against Clark Atlanta and the Rams’s Oct. 27 game at Benedict.

The FloSports games will be available on a subscription basis at FloFootball.com, as well as FloSports apps available on streaming devices.

According to a separate news release from the SIAC, FloSports will stream 20 SIAC football games. Also, FloSports will stream 10 regular-season SIAC basketball games, as well as 12 games each from the SIAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, on its basketball site, FloHoops.com.

“We are extremely pleased to embark on this new partnership with FloSports,” Moore said in the release announcing the FloSports deal. “Flo’s innovative approach to providing sports fans with convenient access to unique content is in direct alignment with our objective to provide broader exposure to SIAC member schools, athletic programs, and student-athletes.”

For the Rams, football head coach Gabe Giardina said streaming will certainly play a part in recruiting efforts.

“That’s the biggest thing, it helps with recruiting because you can say ‘Hey, our games are streamed on TV, you’re going to be seen by a national audience,” he said. “Then we’re going to put together a quality production.”

Giardina said the deal is beneficial to the families of out of state players, as well.

“I’m all for anything that can get us more exposure and help our parents watch our guys play,” he said. “But then also get our games out to an audience that maybe can’t show up every game.”