MLB, Live Nation, WNBA, PGA, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed and more have announced content deals with Twitter.
During its first-ever Digital Content NewFronts presentation, Twitter laid out details of the 12 new digital content deals it has inked with various companies.
"We could not be prouder of the success we have achieved so quickly since launching livestreaming premium content. Last quarter, we streamed over 800 hours of live premium content from leading brands across sports, esports, news and entertainment," said Twitter COO Anthony Noto in as statement. "Adding these 12 new live deals tonight is a testament to the success of our only-on-Twitter experience, combining high quality streaming video with our only-on-Twitter conversation."
Specifics of the new agreements include:
- WNBA will livestream a weekly regular season game on Twitter (20 total per season) during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons
- MLB will livestream a weekly game and will also air an original three-hour program featuring highlights and look-ins for MLB teams
- Stadium, a new 24/7 college sports network, will begin livestreaming on Twitter within the next few months
- The Players’ Tribune will debut #Verified, a live show allowing athletes to connect with fans on Twitter
- The PGA Tour will expand its agreement with Twitter and livestream 360 degree video from upcoming tournaments
- Bloomberg will launch a 24/7 news network
- The Verge will debut a weekly live gadget show called Circuit Breaker
- BuzzFeed will debut MorningFeed, a daily news show
- Cheddar’s live Opening Bell will stream daily on Twitter
- Live Nation will livestream select concerts from artists including Zac Brown Band, Train, Portugal, The Man, August Alsina and Marian Hill
- IMG Fashion will debut a live fashion program
- Propagate will debut a live entertainment news program
Twitter’s announcements build on and confirm reports from over the weekend that the social media company planned to launch a news network with Bloomberg.
RELATED: Twitter partnering with Bloomberg to launch 24/7 news channel on platform, report says
With Twitter’s first Digital Content NewFronts presentation done, the platform has officially taken another step toward building itself into a video destination.
"We have made major investments in video over the past few years, and being able to present the breadth, depth and quality of that content at the Newfronts is the ultimate culmination of those efforts," said Matthew Derella, vice president of global revenue and operations at Twitter, in a statement. "In 2017 and beyond, we are investing further in the video viewing experience, content development and collaborations, and video solutions for advertisers and we are excited to tell that story to the industry."