Will Live Video Save Twitter? - Social Media Explorer
Will Live Video Save Twitter?
Will Live Video Save Twitter?
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Yesterday was a big day for Twitter. For the first time ever, the company hosted its own presentation at NewFronts 2017, a conference dedicated to the relationship between publishers and advertisers. CEO Jack Dorsey announced that the platform is partnering with more than a dozen sports, news, and entertainment brands to stream premium live content on Twitter.

What Can We Expect?

Each brand will offer a unique type of video programming for Twitter. MLB will bolster the games that it already streams on Twitter with a new weekly 3-hour live show. Bloomberg will also build on its existing live programming by debuting a 24/7 news stream exclusive to Twitter. In entertainment, Viacom and Dick Clark Productions will provide live streams of their red carpet events and awards ceremonies. Other partners within this Twitter video deal include the WNBA, BuzzFeed News, and LiveNation.

A Step In The Right Direction?

By bolstering its original live content offerings, Twitter expands the opportunity to own events and the conversations that happen around them. In other words, Twitter can attract users to its platform with exclusive brand live streams and also serve as a place to talk about the content in real-time. The “live” aspect of the video should also appeal to the growing number of cord cutters. This group still does not have a mainstream way to keep up with live video events.

The social media network also emphasized that brands’ live video will be optimized for mobile. This is a smart move considering that mobile internet usage is more popular among the young demographic that Twitter is fighting to reach. Most importantly, these brand partnerships provide Twitter with a way to better monetize its service. The company has been struggling with this major issue since its inception. Dorsey just bought $9.5 million in additional Twitter stock, so he must be confident that there is money to be made.

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About the Author

Maha Chaudhry
Maha Chaudhry works at Renegade LLC, a social-inspired marketing agency. She recently graduated from Princeton University, where she studied psychology and health policy. Her interests include fashion and beauty in digital media.

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