Twitter lands rights to live stream PGA Tour as it looks to expand its sports broadcasting
Twitter is broadening its live sports coverage after agreeing a new broadcast deal with the PGA Tour to stream more than 31 tournaments free of charge.
Twitter will show more than 70 hours of PGA Tour golf completely free of charge
The deal equates to more than 70 hours of live coverage throughout the 2016-17 season and builds on a “successful live streaming collaboration” between the pair which covered the early rounds of the first two stops on the 2016 FedExCup Playoffs.
Twitter will live stream the first 60 to 90 minutes of the early morning Thursday and Friday coverage from PGA Tour Live’s subscription broadcast service, which gives users access to simulcasts and un-televised coverage.
The deal will start with the CareerBuilder Challenge on 19 January and conclude with the Tour Championship in September.
"The PGA Tour continues to transform the experience for fans on Twitter, a place where golf conversation is happening live in real time every day," said Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief operating officer.
“Our collaboration with the PGA Tour will provide fans all over the world access to watch live streaming PGA Tour events on Twitter while following the conversation all on one screen.”
The addition of the PGA Tour builds on Twitter’s live sports coverage following last year’s $10m deal with the NFL to live stream ten Thursday night football games. The social media company said the viewing numbers rose steadily throughout the season, starting at 2 million before eventually peaking at 3.1 million. Twitter’s global head of sports partnerships, Laura Froelich, said the live streams went “incredibly well” upon reflection.