The NFL is taking its presence on social media to a whole different level.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday the league has reached a deal with Twitter to stream 10 “Thursday Night Football” games live on the social media platform this season.
Twitter won a bidding war between several large companies, including Facebook, Amazon and Verizon, to earn live streaming rights, per ESPN’s Darren Rovell. CBS and NFL Network still will broadcast every “TNF” game on television, but Twitter will offer a free “simulcast” for 10 of those games that also will include in-game highlights and pre-game Periscopes from broadcasters and players.
“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,” Goodell said in a statement, via NFL.com. “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.”
The NFL’s partnership with Twitter is part of the league’s increased effort to expand its online presence, as Yahoo! paid $17 million for exclusive rights to live stream a 2015 Jacksonville Jaguars-Buffalo Bills game in London.
“This is about transforming the fan experience with football. People watch NFL games with Twitter today,” Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said in a statement. “Now they’ll be able to watch right on Twitter (on) Thursday nights.”
This new development could have a big impact on how fans consume the NFL’s product, as many use Twitter as a “second screen” to interact while watching games. They’ll now need to find another “screen” to continue the conversation — or refrain from tweeting altogether — if they’re streaming the game on Twitter.
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
