Prepare to be bombarded with hashtags while catching the NFL on Thursday nights next season because watching football is going to be a bit different this time around.
The league has reportedly struck a deal with Twitter to live-stream Thursday night games, according to a recent report.
Update: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that Twitter has landed the rights to Thursday night games.
This fall Thursday Night Football will be streamed live @twitter so fans will see more of this. https://t.co/s6tbr9FjvY
— Roger Goodell (@nflcommish) April 5, 2016
Digital rights to the Thursday night packages have been available since January, with fellow social media giant Facebook dropping out of the bidding just last week. Their reasoning was a preference for live videos not including commercials and an unwillingness to broadcast early Sunday morning games played in London, something that apparently didn't bother Twitter at all.
It is unknown at this point how much Twitter will be shelling out in the deal, as NFL games demand the highest per-game price of any major American sport (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) on TV. In February, CBS, NBC and the NFL agreed to terms on a new deal, reportedly in the $450-$550 million range, on broadcasting rights along with the NFL Network. CBS and NBC will each receive five Thursday night games alongside the NFL Network's simulcast. The NFL Network will also broadcast eight Thursday and late-season Saturday games on its own.
During the 2015 season, Yahoo paid a whopping $17 million to stream a 9:30 am EDT London game featuring the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. The NFL has made a concentrated attempt to expand its global brand in recent years. Some rumors hint that the league is even debating playing a game in China in the near future.
At the onset of negotiations, Verizon, Yahoo and Amazon were considered the frontrunners to land the digital package once it became available. But more and more people are abandoning the traditional cable-TV subscription model and opting instead to stream video over the Internet. This marks a significant step forward for both the social media outlet and the league.
Welcome to the 21st century, NFL. And congratulations, Twitter.
