Twitter signs ESPN to create live sports content on social network
Disney-backed sports broadcaster ESPN has agreed a deal with Twitter to create live content and advertising opportunities for the social networking site.
In a statement yesterday, ESPN said that specific live shows for Twitter were in development and that another announcement would be due on Wednesday 2 May.
"Bringing together the best brands in sports, news and entertainment is something only The Walt Disney Company can deliver," said Justin Connolly, executive vice president, affiliate sales and marketing, Disney and ESPN Media Networks.
Read more: ESPN reveals UK's greatest sporting cities
Through this new agreement, participants from across the company will have the opportunity to create experiences unique to Twitter that will extend their brands in meaningful ways.
This includes compelling live content across our entire portfolio that can reach and appeal to all types of audiences at scale on their platform.
ESPN senior vice president for platform ad sales strategy & global operations at ESPN, Travis Howe, explained that social platforms were putting a major focus on sport-related content.
He stated:
It is the new primary vehicle driving digital experiences to grow and engage audiences. The insights to be gained will be invaluable as we continue to serve the right content and the right ads to the right people
Matthew Derella, Twitter global vice president of revenue and content partnership described the move as a "huge step forward" in expanding the social network's video content.
"The Twitter sports community is the digital roar of the crowd, so there is no better place to start than with ESPN to deliver credible, premium content to enrich that conversation," he said.
The news follows Twitter last week smashing Wall Street expectations as revenues hit $665m in the first quarter.
Read more: Twitter posts $665m in first quarter revenue
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