Twitter tackles live-streaming with the NFL
This article was first published by dmcityview.com
Tech has a unique way of sharing a glimpse of the future years before a device, software, or service ever comes to the market. Even fictional accounts of days to come present ideas that somehow miraculously develop into non-fiction innovations. Star Trek alone had the precognition to foresee tablets, on-call limitless entertainment, mobile translators, and needleless syringes a.k.a. Hypospray. As exciting as these flashes of tomorrow can be, the truly great ones are those that go by with little notice. The most recent example of the future passing us without a stir is the NFL’s plans to stream live games on Twitter.
The National Football League is the biggest entertainment entity in the country. From August to February hundreds of millions of football fans tune in to broadcasts of the league’s gladiatorial action. It doesn’t matter if it’s the best or worst teams competing, or if the game is available for free on broadcast or behind a cable paywall, fans will watch. So it seemed only natural that the NFL would eventually makes it's way into the streaming world. After a mediocre test run with Yahoo last fall, the NFL has made a huge commitment to the internet by partnering with Twitter.
At the bargain basement steal of $15 million, Twitter will stream all ten of the league’s 2016 thursday night games. While not the marquee competitions of the week, paying $1.5 million per game is absurd when you consider CBS, ABC, and NBC have paid billions to showcase the sport. Of course there are multiple reasons for the clearance pricing, Twitter won’t be inserting any of it's own advertisements into the stream or commanding the broadcasts, but simply retransmitting the league’s broadcast partners product. Also, if Yahoo is any indication, sports streaming may be too young to really attract an audience. Only 15 million viewers tuned into Yahoo’s stream last year, a paltry number when compared to the more than 50 million viewers a game normally attracts on TV.
But of course Yahoo is not Twitter. While Yahoo’s web traffic is impressive, practically no one goes to it expecting live-streaming media. Twitter is ground zero for live media discussions and literally invented the concept of “trending topics.” While streaming media is relatively new to the platform, after a year owning Periscope live-streaming has become one of Twitter’s strongest assets. More than Periscope, this first foray into live re-transmitting of another entity’s program takes away all the concerns of managing a major broadcast, while acquiring a whole new public perception as a major player in media delivery.
Will this move ultimately end up in Twitter becoming Netflix or Hulu? Probably not. But it could signal a completely new manner of consuming and discussing media. If Twitter users and football fans embrace this opportunity to its full potential by watching, discussing, and sharing NFL games in real time the entire world of live broadcast could be refashioned. Imagine having the news, primetime and reality television broadcasting live in your Twitter stream. Tweeting, sharing, and viewer engagement could skyrocket to levels never before seen.
Before Twitter cracks the champagne, there is one concern. With its user numbers falling and revenue growth slowing, if the NFL doesn’t usher in a new era of Twitter relevance, it is likely nothing will. Still if Twitter can’t make it work, just know that sports streaming is most certainly the future. Mobile video is the fastest growing tech sector far above anything except messaging. So with that in mind combining a major player in mobile messaging, with the number one live video commodity available, this deal is a surefire touchdown.
Patrick Boberg is a central Iowa creative media specialist. For more tech insights, follow him on Twitter @PatBoBomb
Tech has a unique way of sharing a glimpse of the future years before a device, software, or service ever comes to the market. Even fictional accounts of days to come present ideas that somehow miraculously develop into non-fiction innovations. Star Trek alone had the precognition to foresee tablets, on-call limitless entertainment, mobile translators, and needleless syringes a.k.a. Hypospray. As exciting as these flashes of tomorrow can be, the truly great ones are those that go by with little notice. The most recent example of the future passing us without a stir is the NFL’s plans to stream live games on Twitter.
The National Football League is the biggest entertainment entity in the country. From August to February hundreds of millions of football fans tune in to broadcasts of the league’s gladiatorial action. It doesn’t matter if it’s the best or worst teams competing, or if the game is available for free on broadcast or behind a cable paywall, fans will watch. So it seemed only natural that the NFL would eventually makes it's way into the streaming world. After a mediocre test run with Yahoo last fall, the NFL has made a huge commitment to the internet by partnering with Twitter.
At the bargain basement steal of $15 million, Twitter will stream all ten of the league’s 2016 thursday night games. While not the marquee competitions of the week, paying $1.5 million per game is absurd when you consider CBS, ABC, and NBC have paid billions to showcase the sport. Of course there are multiple reasons for the clearance pricing, Twitter won’t be inserting any of it's own advertisements into the stream or commanding the broadcasts, but simply retransmitting the league’s broadcast partners product. Also, if Yahoo is any indication, sports streaming may be too young to really attract an audience. Only 15 million viewers tuned into Yahoo’s stream last year, a paltry number when compared to the more than 50 million viewers a game normally attracts on TV.
But of course Yahoo is not Twitter. While Yahoo’s web traffic is impressive, practically no one goes to it expecting live-streaming media. Twitter is ground zero for live media discussions and literally invented the concept of “trending topics.” While streaming media is relatively new to the platform, after a year owning Periscope live-streaming has become one of Twitter’s strongest assets. More than Periscope, this first foray into live re-transmitting of another entity’s program takes away all the concerns of managing a major broadcast, while acquiring a whole new public perception as a major player in media delivery.
Will this move ultimately end up in Twitter becoming Netflix or Hulu? Probably not. But it could signal a completely new manner of consuming and discussing media. If Twitter users and football fans embrace this opportunity to its full potential by watching, discussing, and sharing NFL games in real time the entire world of live broadcast could be refashioned. Imagine having the news, primetime and reality television broadcasting live in your Twitter stream. Tweeting, sharing, and viewer engagement could skyrocket to levels never before seen.
Before Twitter cracks the champagne, there is one concern. With its user numbers falling and revenue growth slowing, if the NFL doesn’t usher in a new era of Twitter relevance, it is likely nothing will. Still if Twitter can’t make it work, just know that sports streaming is most certainly the future. Mobile video is the fastest growing tech sector far above anything except messaging. So with that in mind combining a major player in mobile messaging, with the number one live video commodity available, this deal is a surefire touchdown.
Patrick Boberg is a central Iowa creative media specialist. For more tech insights, follow him on Twitter @PatBoBomb
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