Twitter is in talks with the NBA, MLS and Turner Broadcasting about streaming rights for sports content, according to a report by Recode.
Potential deals could include streaming entire games — similar to Twitter’s $10 million deal to stream 10 NFL games this fall — or focus on highlights and analysis, like its Wimbledon stream earlier this week.
Twitter CFO Anthony Noto told Recode earlier this year the company is talking to leagues and broadcast partners. That’s where Turner comes in. It owns broadcasts rights for several leagues and events including the NBA, MLB, NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and its own eSports league called ELeague.
One problem with a potential Twitter streaming deal could be its reliance on advertising as its sole revenue stream. Sports networks like ESPN and Turner make money off advertising and carriage fees from cable and satellite companies. It’s possible that Amazon and Netflix may have a leg up on Twitter for sports content because they already have subscription models built in.
Wherever these rights end up, sports streaming looks to be the wave of the future as more cable and satellite subscribers decide to cut the cord. Many leagues already offer their own streaming services, and some teams, like Steve Ballmer’s Los Angeles Clippers, are showing interest in creating their own streaming services.
ESPN is reportedly looking into offering a standalone streaming package for college sports and niche leagues.
