The week in over-the-topprovides a recap of recent news related to OTT initiatives from variousnetworks and platforms.

*Twitter Inc.entered into a new digitalmedia rights partnership with Campus Insiders to live stream more than 300college sports events, the company saidJuly 22. Campus Insiders will live stream college games on Twitter with a line­upof football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, volleyball, field hockey,water polo and swimming.

*Outerwall Inc.'sRedbox Automated Retail LLCis testing apotential new transactional digital video-on-demand and "EST"offering, Variety reportedJuly 21, citing an emailed statement by a company representative. According tothe report, the company introduced an app for 's iPad, called RedboxDigital, to let some customers test the new offering. The Redbox spokespersonreportedly said the test will determine how the company plans to proceed withthe streaming service.

*The National Basketball Association struck a deal to live stream USA Basketball exhibition games onFacebook Inc.'ssocial networking website, Recode reportedJuly 21. The deal covers nine games from the men's and women's teams, accordingto the report. Users will need to log in with their cable provider to accessthe NBA TV stream on Facebook, according to the report.

In other platformnews…

*Amazon.com Inc.added two originalseries to its Amazon Prime Video in Japan, VarietyreportedJuly 21. "Baby Steps," a 10-part tennis-focused drama based from apopular comic became available for streaming July 22, while the 13-part "CrayonShin-Chan: Alien vs. Shinnosuke," based on the long-running anime serieswill debut Aug. 3 in Japan, and will launch in the U.S., the U.K. and Germanyat yet unspecified dates.

*Gaming and streaming platform Machinima will bring its to China through an exclusivelicensing deal with Chinese Internet giant Sohu.com Inc., VarietyreportedJuly 21. Under the deal, Sohu will carry some of Machinima's shows on itsonline video platform. Ad-supported content will be made available through aMachinima-branded portal on Sohu TV and Sohu apps. Chinese viewers will gainaccess to original Machinima productions such as "Street Fighter:Resurrection," "Training Camp," "The Bacca Chronicles"and "Transformers: Combiner Wars."

*Amazon.com will debutthree new half-hour comedy pilots Aug. 19, including one starring martial artsfilm star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Also starring Kat Foster, Moises Arias andPhylicia Rashad, "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" sees Van Damme play "Johnson,"the most dangerous undercover private contractor in the world who is about toexit retirement after a chance encounter with a lost love. The other two pilotsinclude "I Love Dick," which is based on a feminist novel about acouple's marital struggles, and "The Tick," an offbeat and darksuperhero tale. Amazon customers in the U.S. the U.K., Germany, Austria andJapan will be able to stream and review the pilots and help the company selectits next original series, the company saidJuly 21.

*Sony Corp.'sPlayStation Vue service is offeringaccess to live local feeds of CBSCorp.'s CBS (US)in nine more markets, Multichannel NewsreportedJuly 20, citing a company executive. The stations added to PlayStation Vue'slineup are KEYE in Austin, Texas; WBTV in Charlotte, N.C.; WKRC in Cincinnati;CBS9 in Cleveland; Newschannel3 in Grand Rapids, Mich.; CBS21 in Harrisburg,Pa.; KUTV2 in Salt Lake City; CBS8 in San Diego; and CBS12 in West Palm Beach,Fla. The stations are present in SinclairBroadcast Group Inc., RaycomMedia Inc. and Midwest Television markets, according to the report.

*Amazon.com will premiereits original kids series, "The Kicks," on Aug. 26 on Prime Videoacross the U.S., U.K., Germany and Austria. Based on a book series by AlexMorgan, an Olympic gold medalist and current U.S. women's national team soccerplayer, the show is a live-action series targeted at children between the agesof 6 and 11, the company saidJuly 20.

* Inmore Amazon.com news, the company is planningto spend up to $300 million on original Indian content as it prepares to launchits over-the-top service Amazon Prime Video in India later this year, FactorDaily reported July18, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The company is reportedly intalks with local studios as well as independent directors and producers todevelop movies and series. Balaji Telefilms and Yash Raj Productions are amongthe Indian production houses currently taking part in the discussions, thesources said.

*Amazon.com is planning to launchits Prime Video service in France, Spain and Italy before the end of 2016, Multichannel News reportedJuly 18, citing Le Figaro. Amazon inApril launched its video as a stand-alone product for $8.99 a month.Previously, Amazon's video streaming service was only available as part of anannual subscription to the company's Prime membership program, which costs $99a year.

*Netflix Inc. inked alicensing deal withCBS Studios International to be the exclusive premiere home of the new "StarTrek" television series in 188 countries, excluding the U.S. and Canada,the company saidJuly 18. Subscription video-on-demand service CBS All Access will offerexclusive access to the series in the U.S. Each episode of the "Star Trek"series will be available globally within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere.Production of the show begins in September, with the premiere set for January2017.