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SNL Blogs
Friday, September 16, 2016 4:22 PM ET
Twitter's NFL Kickoff: More field goal than touchdown
By Mike Reynolds
Opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of SNL Kagan.
Twitter Inc. kicked off its NFL game coverage on Sept. 15, streaming an exciting contest between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.
A digital complement to the "Thursday Night Football" simulcast presented by CBS (US) and NFL Network (US), the Twitter
play marked the league's latest
gambit to
expand its fan base among millennials and bolster its position for the next round of rights negotiations as its linear deals expire early next
decade.
While viewer and engagement metrics had not arrived by press time, the first-time experience was enjoyable overall, though it could have been better. It
was kind of like a team reaching the red zone but settling for a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown.
Entering via tnf.twitter.com, Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS broadband plans hooked me quickly to the feed. Following some initial buffering issues, the
high-definition stream of the CBS production was largely crisp and secure. Granted, it was a good 30 to 40 seconds behind the TV feed, with the stream
trailing a full play after what I saw on my big-screen TV. Nevertheless, the HD stream kept me abreast of all the long passes and big plays during the Jets'
37-31 win over former Coach Rex Ryan's Bills, facilitating my game plan of also watching the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox game on YES Network
(US) on the television.
The football feed was flanked by curated tweets — not those from my own Twitter account, which I checked on my phone to see what those I follow were
thinking about Twitter and "TNF." Surely, subsequent streamcasts will afford that personal integration and/or perhaps show a feed from
journalists/commentators covering "TNF."
For the Sept. 15 stream, the tweets came in batches. At first, six or seven were bunched, then the cache expanded to 17 to 19 at a clip, presumably
reflective of increased usage. It made it difficult to read them all. At once, they proved amusing and predictable, Twitter again serving as a reactionary
platform. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was reviled for surrendering an 88-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin. There was sympathy for Jets
wide receiver Brandon Marshall's knee injury and for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor getting sandwiched by defenders, which prompted his brief removal
from the game. Tons of tweets ensued about concussions and the league's protocols for head injuries.
Fantasy players implored that more passes and rushing attempts be directed to their virtual charges, while others lamented that they benched Taylor and
that Bills running back LeSean McCoy wasn't getting enough touches. Unfortunately, the handful of times I unwittingly touched any of the tweets, my screen
froze and I had to exit and reenter the site.
Still, the early response had to be gratifying to the NFL and Twitter, which earlier this week
introduced a live streaming video app for Apple Inc.'s Apple
TV, Amazon.com Inc.'s Fire TV and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One. There were many thank-you tweets and applause for the streaming initiative, which will
cover nine other "TNF" matchups this season, including five that will be simulcast on NBC (US) and NFLN.
Many also expressed hope that more channels would be made available for free on Twitter so viewers could reduce their cable bills, remarks that surely
weren't favored by distribution and programming executives. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's long-term game plan calls to lift league revenue from $14
billion this season to $25 billion by 2027. That means that fans may have to foot the bill in some subscription fashion for any significant digital-only games
package the league may peddle as its linear deals
expire in 2021 and 2022.
In the first of a two-season deal, Twitter, which is looking to
re-engage its stalled user base and buttress its ad sales, is paying a relatively paltry $10
million annually for its 10-game streaming package. Last year, Yahoo! Inc. paid upward of $15 million for exclusive rights to
stream the Bills-Jacksonville
Jaguars contest from London. Twitter reportedly sold ad packages for all 10 games in the $1 million to $8 million range.
Given millennials' disdain for being "sold" to, it was surprising there weren't tweets bemoaning the CBS ads that appeared within the stream, not to mention
the repeated Lowe's and Subway commercials that Twitter showed. Twitter was home to promos for NFL merchandise and GamePass replay service, as
well as
CBS All Access and touts for the network's
upcoming fall lineup, no doubt contractual obligations for being part of the pro-football family.
Overall, Twitter's inaugural "Thursday Night Football" game delivered a high-quality, largely glitch-free presentation that seems to hold promise as an
effective way to bring younger viewers into the NFL's huddle.
Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence | Page 1 of 1