Fansided

WNBA announces deal to stream games on Twitter

By Sarabeth Pollock

Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker (3) dribbles in the third quarter against the Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard (3) in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker (3) dribbles in the third quarter against the Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard (3) in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The WNBA announces deal to bring live games to Twitter starting with the 2017 season as Twitter announces new original live stream programming.

The WNBA will live stream 20 games per season on Twitter, beginning with the 2017 season. This move will make professional women’s basketball games more accessible to fans who utilize the popular social media platform known for microblogging posts of 140 characters or less per post. The deal also marks the first professional women’s sport to ink a streaming deal with Twitter, which could trigger other women’s sports to follow suit.

The deal will extend through the 2019 season and it also sees a new partnership between the WNBA and Twitter Amplify, a program designed to promote 40 highlight packages each week through the Twitter platform.

Next: Every NBA team's greatest playoff moment

WNBA President Lisa Borders expressed excitement about the deal, which will extend the WNBA’s reach to new markets: “We are thrilled to bring live WNBA games to Twitter, which will allow us to further showcase our league to a global audience.” Borders also notes that this deal demonstrates Twitter’s “extraordinary commitment to women’s sports and the rising popularity of our athletes and our game.”

The WNBA deal came hot on the heels of Twitter’s announcement regarding new live streaming content to be released in addition to the programming already being offered. The new programming will be a blend of sports, entertainment, news and business. Sport offerings include a new programming venture called STADIUM, which will bring 24/7 college content along with highlights and commentary, along with a new channel dedicated to The Players Tribune featuring fan-submitted questions and interviews. The Verge, BuzzFeed News, and Cheddar are some of the news and business programming, while LiveNation and IMG Fashion will deliver premium content on the entertainment side.

The first WNBA game on Twitter will be the May 14 game featuring the Dallas Wings at Phoenix Mercury. The other live streaming content will debut over the next few months.

Home/WNBA