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Twitter's out-of-market sports streaming, highlights series competes with network TV

Twitter is on track to become a significant competitor to major television networks with Major League Baseball and National Hockey League partnerships that bring weekly live-stream viewing for games to out-of-market fans and nightly sports highlights that tap trending data. 

Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League have furthered streaming capabilities on the social platform, which is likely to garner significant consumer adoption for live mobile video. Twitter will be airing weekly games on its mobile application and online platform for users that are unable to watch teams play out of their area on network television. 

"The partnership with MLB and NHL can help attract and reach more viewers who are sports fans," said Carrie McIlveen, U.S. Director of marketing at Metia. "This includes younger audiences who seek live-streaming and may never pay for cable. 

"This also allows for additional advertising revenue opportunities for Twitter," she said. "This provides an opportunity to create an aggregated global audience with millions of people watching simultaneously. 

"Twitter is already a platform that many fans are talking about the games on, so now they can actively engage and stay connected no matter where they are." 

Sports programming evolution 
Twitter is positioning itself as a major competitor with sports programming as it enters into yet another deal with major sports leagues. The new MLB and NHL deals mean that sports fans not at home or out of the playing team?s area will still be able to view the game on Twitter. 


Past NBA content on Twitter

Games will be streamed in their entirety in the same manner as sporting events are aired on network television, but users can view on their phones or on their desktops, no matter where they are. 

The partnership also brings a new nightly program to Twitter named The Rally, which taps into the social media network?s data to determine what topics are garnering the most attention. The series will stand out against other sports highlight shows by introducing an interactive element that allow users to participate in real-time conversions regarding up-to-date sports stories. 


Live streaming of Wimbledon

The show will discuss all sports-related topics, ranging from college to professional and Olympic sports. Twitter users will not need to log in to view the games or The Rally on the mobile or desktop platform.

Social media importance
Social media is no longer just a platform for entertainment and has become a serious news outlet ? sometimes even a part of the news itself ? creating strange bedfellows as traditional news organizations and new media are forced together (see more).

The National Basketball Association also previously made a big play to include at-home fans in the team experience with the launch of the NBA Fit app and 360-video on Twitter (see more). 

"With a shift in culture to real-time, consumer adoption most likely will take place," Ms. McIlveen said. "Many sports fans that are on the road or want to casually watch the events will see the benefit. 

"Especially if Twitter focuses on ensuring high-quality video streaming," she said. "The recent investment of Magic Pony?s technology to enhance videos should help expand reliable access and better quality viewing experiences."