Twitter Bulks Up Live-Streaming Content By Striking Deals With Various Networks
ESPN, NFL, Viacom, Univision, & WSJ will stream content on Twitter
Twitter hopes that new partnership deals with a variety of media networks will add value to its live-streaming content, using a targeted strategy to build deeper connections with audiences on the social platform.
Announcing a series of deals at its Digital Content NewFronts presentation today, Twitter outlined details of partnerships with brands such as the NFL, ESPN, Viacom, Major League Soccer, Live Nation, and Activision Blizzard, which had previously been announced, as well as offering new deals with Univision Communications to bring more premium sports, news and entertainment content to the social network’s U.S. Hispanic users. Twitter is also adding content from the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine.
“Together with our partners, we developed this new slate of programming specifically for our audiences, and designed the content to fuel even more robust conversation on Twitter,” said Kay Madati, Twitter’s global VP and head of content partnerships.
Here’s a rundown of Twitter’s announcements from today, broken down into various categories, per Twitter.
Entertainment
Viacom
MTV will launch the “VMA Stan Cam” for its tentpole Video Music Awards show this year, letting fans select which audience member they’d like to watch on a live reaction cam or follow backstage and behind-the-scenes during the show’s biggest moments. Viacom also will be bringing back red carpet coverage of BET, CMT and other MTV tentpole events.
Univision
New content for Twitter will include 2020 election analysis and reporting with “Vision 2020”; select soccer highlights from Liga MX and UEFA Champions League; Latin music award show coverage of Premios Juventud and Premio Lo Nuestro; and content from reality TV shows “Reina de La Canción” and “Mira Quién Baila.”
Live Nation
In the fall of 2019, Live Nation will launch a new concert and festival series exclusively on Twitter, featuring 10 concerts over in 10 weeks as well as moments from festivals including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, and Electric Daisy Carnival.
Sports and Gaming
ESPN
“ESPN Onsite” will be the brand extension of the sports broadcaster’s live shows, encompassing existing ESPN franchises on Twitter like “The College Football Show,” “Hoop Streams,” “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,” and “MLS Countdown Live.” In addition, ESPN will add Onsite branding on Twitter around other tentpole events when they are on location.
NFL
As part of a multiyear partnership extension, the league will continue to program video highlights, breaking news and analysis, and will also include new live shows anchored around NFL tentpole events including the NFL Draft.
The Players’ Tribune
Launching talk show called “Don’t @ Me,” an interactive live broadcast featuring two athletes debating every “greatest of all time” topic under the sun, featuring notable comments from Twitter users and fan voting to determine the winner of the debates.
MLS
Soccer league’s multiyear extension of its Twitter agreement will continue to provide highlights and a slate of live matches in English (via @UnivisionSports and @MLS). In addition, MLS will post every goal on Twitter.
WarnerMedia’s Bleacher Report: House of Highlights, the hoops brand that was born on Instagram, is coming back to Twitter for season 2 of its highlights show with athletes and celebs joining Omar Raja, founder of House of Highlights.
Blizzard Entertainment
For its BlizzCon 2019 gaming convention (Nov. 1–2), Blizzard will deliver a selection of content to Twitter for the first time, including the entirety of the opening ceremony, behind-the-scenes interviews and live broadcasts, and clips and highlights of game-developer panels and esports tournaments.
News
The Wall Street Journal
“WSJ What’s Now” on Twitter will be a new brand serving business analysis and markets insights daily; the content will include live-streaming premium conferences and events including the Future of Everything and WSJ Tech D.Live.
TicToc by Bloomberg
After launching two years ago, TicToc will expand coverage to include global events like the G20 Summit, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and World Economic Forum.
CBS Interactive’s CNET
In a new partnership with Twitter, CNET will sell sponsorship opportunities its coverage on Twitter of industry events such as CES and Mobile World Conference, along with buying guides and tech news.
Time
The magazine property (which Meredith sold last year Salesforce.com’s Marc Benioff) will develop content exclusively for Twitter around franchises like Person of the Year and Time 100, including live-streaming video.