David Farnor | On 15, Sep 2016

This Thursday night, Twitter kicks off its new live-streaming partnership with the NFL – and the social network has released a new app for people wanting to tune in.

The landmark deal was announced earlier this year and will see Twitter stream 10 NFL games on Thursday nights this season, with each live video accompanied by related tweets – an attempt to recreate the multi-screen experience of live-tweeting TV or sports within a single interface.

Twitter’s new apps are, naturally, geared towards the big screen in your living room – they are available for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Microsoft’s Xbox One, allowing anyone with these devices to tune in. Exclusively on Apple TV, viewers can watch live premium video and check out tweeted video clips through a side-by-side video experience.

Twitter has other streaming content in place too, including videos from MLB Advanced Media, NBA, Pac 12 Networks, Campus Insiders, Cheddar and Bloomberg News. And, of course, Vines and Periscope streams will also be featured and available to browse through.

“These devices will bring Twitter’s live streaming video experience to life on the TV screen,” says Anthony Noto, chief financial officer at Twitter. “Twitter has always been a great complement to TV, and now fans can enjoy even more premium video with live Tweets – and the best content on Twitter – right from their TVs. We’re excited to introduce this new experience to people, without requiring a paywall or having to log in to Twitter.”

Twitter for Apple TV is available globally via the App Store for Apple TV (4th generation). Twitter on Xbox One is available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and the USA. Twitter for Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick is only available in the USA and UK.

If you want to stream the game in your computer’s web browser, meanwhile, just go to tnf.twitter.com.

NFL follows Twitter streaming deal with archive releases on YouTube

13th May 2016

NFL has renewed its strategic partnership with YouTube, agreeing to release older games on the video site.

As part of the multi-year renewal, the official NFL channel on YouTube.com/NFL will now contain an expanded amount of content – specifically, some of the “most exciting games in NFL history”. Three of the most memorable games for each of the 32 clubs in the NFL will be posted to the NFL’s official channel on YouTube prior to the start of the 2016 season.

The deal follows a landmark agreement between NFL and Twitter to stream games on Thursday nights live around the world through the social network. YouTube, though, remains a key part of NFL’s experimental ventures into digital territory: since launching its channel in 2015, NFL content on YouTube has garnered almost 900 million views.

Today, the NFL’s official channel on YouTube carries game previews, in-game highlights, post-game recaps as well as clips featuring news, analysis, fantasy football advice, and other select content from NFL Media properties.

YouTube is also offering NFL some of its Google clout to boot: more NFL content, including game highlights uploaded to YouTube while games are in progress, will be available through Google Search, with a search for an NFL team displaying official NFL video, along with related news and information all delivered to the user in a distinct box at the top of the search results. Kickoff time and broadcast information for every NFL game will also be “prominently displayed” in Google results.

“Our fans continue to demonstrate an insatiable appetite for NFL digital video content online,” says Hans Schroeder, Senior Vice President, Media Strategy, Business Development, & Sales for the National Football League.

NFL teams up with Twitter to stream 10 games globally

6th April 2016
The NFL is teaming up with Twitter to stream games around the world for free.

The National Football League will use Twitter to stream 10 games on Thursday nights at the same time as they are broadcast by NBC and CBS.

Partners since 2013 through the Twitter Amplify program, the NFL and Twitter will provide free, live streaming video of Thursday Night Football without authentication to the 800 million registered and non-registered users worldwide on the Twitter platform. With games also simulcast on NFL Network, the Twitter deal means that the league will be operating a tri-cast distribution, using NBC/CBS, cable and digital media.

In addition to live video, the partnership with the social media platfirm includes in-game highlights from TNF as well as pre-game Periscope broadcasts from players and teams, giving fans an “immersive experience” before, during and after games.

The deal arrives as video platforms increasingly focus on live-streaming, as competition for eyeballs continues to climb. YouTube has long supported live-streaming, but the landscape is becoming more and more crowded, with Twitch and Facebook both growing in size. Twitter’s deal with the NFL, then, could prove decisive in the coming year, especially as Twitter faces falling share prices and slowing user growth.

For the NFL, meanwhile, it marks an ongoing embrace of digital platforms and a willingness to experiment with the opportunities they offer. Last season, the NFL streamed its first live game for free around the world using Yahoo!’s video service. When the Buffalo Bills faced off against the Jacksonville Jaguars from London’s Wembley Stadium on 25th October 2015, football fans streamed over 480 million minutes of the game, with 33 per cent of streams coming in internationally, across 185 countries worldwide.

While Yahoo! paid $17 million for their single game, though, Twitter’s deal is pegged at around $10 million for 10 games, according to Bloomberg, which suggests that Twitter’s USP still has some clout.

“We did not take the highest bidder on the table,” Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s executive vice president of media, told Bloomberg. “The platform is built around live events already. We want to see how they use the unique platform, and syndicated tweets all over the Internet is going to be interesting.”

“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,” commented NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an official statement. “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 partners.”

“This is about transforming the fan experience with football. People watch NFL games with Twitter today,” added Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO. “Now they’ll be able to watch right on Twitter Thursday nights.”

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