Twitter has walked away the new NFL champion for online streaming. Starting this fall you will be able to log in and stream full NFL Thursday Night Football games.
For months, there have been reports of these rights being up for grabs. Company’s like Verizon, Yahoo, Amazon, and Facebook were all said to be in the mix.
Sports broadcasting and highlights are nothing new for the 140-character social network, as they’ve partnered with leagues like the MLB since 2013 with Amplify. A full television broadcast, however, that’s new and exciting territory. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explains why the league feels Twitter is the place to be for this kind of broadcast:
Twitter is where live events unfold and is the right partner for the NFL as we take the latest step in serving fans around the world live NFL football…
There is a massive amount of NFL-related conversation happening on Twitter during our games and tapping into that audience, in addition to our viewers on broadcast and cable, will ensure Thursday night football is seen on an unprecedented number of platforms this season. This agreement also provides additional reach for those brands advertising with our broadcast partner.
Traditional NFL viewing will remain the same on television, with the NFL Network, CBS, and NBC all holding on to their rights. The difference now is clearly the online experience. In addition to the Twitter streaming capabilities, Periscope users will also be able to get exclusive footage of new live broadcasts from the league and their favorite teams. The extent of those streams haven’t been detailed, but it can be a really great idea to get fans closer to the players and teams they love.
Users will be able to stream 10 full games through Twitter, with the Periscope viewing added before and after the games. Is this something you’re looking forward to? Could this change the way we all view our favorite sports in the future?
