Twitter is in talks with the
NBA, Major League Soccer and cable network Turner about acquiring digital
streaming rights for content related to live sports and events, according to
several sources familiar with the discussions.
That could include things
like actual game footage similar to the deal Twitter struck with the NFL to
stream some of its Thursday Night Football games later this fall. Or it could
be fringe content, pre- or post-game material similar to the live interviews
and analysis Twitter streamed around Wimbledon earlier this week. (It couldn't
stream live tournament matches because ESPN holds those rights.)
Twitter is talking to Turner
because it already locked up sports rights from a number of sources, including
the NBA, MLB and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Turner also has its own
eSports league, called Eleague, and broadcasts professional video game
competitions, which could make sense for a platform like Twitter.
The idea here is that
Twitter wants to be the digital streaming arm for any and all live events,
particularly around sports and entertainment. The fact that it's talking to the
largest players and rights holders in the industry is no surprise.
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