Twitter may soon bring live NBA, MLS games to your timeline
The news comes after Twitter strikes a deal with the NFL to stream 10 football games this fall.
Twitter is in talks to bring live game streaming to users' timelines.
You may have watched last month's epic NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers at a bar. But during next year's finals you could be face down, anywhere, staring at Twitter.
The company is trying to negotiate a deal with Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association and cable network conglomerate Turner to nab the digital streaming rights for live sports game content, according to Recode.
Twitter hopes to let its users watch sports games right from their timelines without paying for a network subscription, the report said. The company plans to run as much content as they can get, whether that be live matches or pre- and post-game commentary.
Twitter also hopes to finagle streaming video game competitions through Turner's e-sports league, Eleague, in addition to physical sports, Recode said.
The deals are a bid for Twitter to attract the nation's mammoth sports-loving demographic. The company's user growth has dipped with critics knocking the service as too insular. These wouldn't be the first such content deals for Twitter; the company already struck an agreement for National Football League streaming rights in April, beating out Amazon and Verizon.
The social-networking giant is making headway in live sports streaming already. Twitter promulgated interviews and game-analysis for Wimbledon on Wednesday. The company pinned live footage of interviews and game analysis from the tennis matches to the top of its"Live" page.
Users will also be able to watch 10 live football games this fall, part of the company's deal with the NFL. Twitter paid the league $10 million for the rights to stream those games, while NBC and CBS are shelling out a combined $450 million. (CBS is parent company of CNET.)
It would seem like a natural fit for Twitter to harness the popularity of sports games, since athletes also flock to the social network to promote their brand and share their thoughts before and after games. Twitter erupted when Stephen Curry tweeted about Kevin Durant joining the Warriors on Thursday. Curry has over 6 million followers and Durant boasts a healthy 14.4 million.
Turner did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The NBA, MLS and Twitter declined to comment.
Beyond traditional sports, Twitter could also reinforce its tech-focused audience with the addition of streaming Turner's live video game competitions.
Twitter might not make much headway in talks for streaming deals because users don't pay to use its service, Recode suggested. Live sports streaming rights may go to other technology companies that require a subscription fee, like Amazon, it added.
Instead, networks might allow Twitter to stream content about the games, which could prompt users to turn on their TV to watch the actual match.