Do you follow Pac-12 sports? If you do, but you’ve been missing the games in real time, then there’s good news for you: Twitter recently made a deal with Pac-12 Networks to give up-to-date accounts of the action via social media.
The Los Angeles Times reports that at least 150 games will be streamed live to sports fans over Twitter during the 2016-17 academic year.
What will those sports include, you ask? Everything from soccer and baseball to volleyball, gymnastics, and swimming.
Pac-12 Networks and the Pac-12 Conference are made up of 12 of the most prestigious universities in the world. Currently, viewers can watch live Pac-12 games, shows, and events streaming online on Pac-12 Networks via a participating television provider. The new deal with Twitter hopes to broaden the Pac-12 audience.
The announcement with Pac-12 doesn’t mark the first sports streaming partnership for Twitter. Earlier this month, select tennis matches at Wimbledon (where many took to Twitter to laud Serena Williams’ title-winning victory) were live-streamed on Twitter. According to BBC, the “high definition-quality stream” was “offered in partnership with the TV network ESPN and the organisers of the Championships.”
In the spring, Twitter will begin live-streaming NFL games and Fortune called the Wimbledon live-stream “ a window into what NFL live-streaming may look like.”
So far, however, the Twitter live-streaming hasn’t actually shown any of the live action as-= it’s happening.
Explains AdAge:
Twitter said Wednesday that it had debuted its first live stream broadcast, featuring live game play from Wimbledon, but those hoping to see Roger Federer take on Marin Cilic wouldn’t have found the match there.
The stream, a chance for Twitter to test its streaming capabilities before it carries 10 NFL games in the upcoming season, was actually commentary, highlights and replays.
That’s because it was made possible by a deal with ESPN, which gave Twitter permission to show replays and highlights. For live matches, you still had to turn to an ESPN property.
We’ll see what, if anything, changes come Pac-12 season or with NFL streaming on Twitter. As for which Pac-12 events that will be streamed live on Twitter, the Los Angeles Times say the schedule will be finalized closer to the start of the college sports season.
