Twitter today announced it would live stream weekly out-of-market games from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL). 120 Sports, the OTT network, will produce exclusive, nightly multi-sports highlights show called ‘The Rally,’ to be streamed live on Twitter.
The games will be exclusive to Twitter among free over-the-top platforms, although subscribers of MLB and NHL subscription services also will be able to stream them. The live stream of baseball and hockey games will be available to Twitter users in the US once a week. Other users can access the games except in select international territories even without logging into their Twitter profiles.
Twitter has long been a great partner and platform for baseball and hockey fans as they follow their favorite teams and players daily. “Twitter has become a crucial forum and engagement tool for hockey fans to enhance their NHL viewing experience and stay connected to the game on and off the ice,” said Stephen McArdle, NHL executive vice president of digital media and strategic planning.
Twitter is one of the most sought-after mediums for fans to share live events. Based on data, the micro-blogging site will determine live trending topics and other interactive elements for instant conversations. The social media site will also analyze the most important moments that matter most to sports fans.
Twitter also has an agreement with NBA for two live shows and a partnership that will see Thursday Night Football Games for the NFL.
