Update
Content + Conversation: Twitter at CES 2019
One city, four days, six exciting announcements, and a heck of a lot of Tweets. Earlier this month, CES returned to Las Vegas to debut the latest consumer technology innovations and gadgets to over 180,000 attendees from around the world. Twitter was right there in the action, returning for the sixth year in a row and wow, did we have a lot to share.
We contributed to panels ranging from the future of TV to influencer marketing. We met with our publisher partners to discuss how we could collaborate in even bigger ways in 2019. And we kicked off 2019 with a string of exciting announcements at our Content + Conversation #StartWithThem event, a gathering of more than 100 publishers, on Wednesday morning.
Naturally, we live-Tweeted the event and many of our appearances. But ICYMI, here were our biggest announcements of the week.
NBA live game action comes to Twitter
As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during a panel discussion with Jack and ESPN host Rachel Nichols, Twitter is “the here and now.” #NBATwitter is one of the largest and most vocal communities on Twitter, and at CES we were thrilled to announce a live-streaming deal that will bring the second half of 20 NBA games to the platform this season. Fans in the United States will have the opportunity to vote on Twitter for the player they want to see featured during the live stream, where a single-player isolated camera view will capture the action as it unfolds.
The Ringer tackles pop culture’s answer to the Super Bowl
Send a raven — #TalkTheThrones is back. April 2019 sees the conclusion of HBO’s epic drama series “Game of Thrones,” and The Ringer’s live post-show show promises to dissect one of the most Tweeted-about show on television immediately after every episode. This year, The Ringer is also adding a “Big Little Lies” post-show to its lineup on Twitter. Expect suspense, Streep-talk, and several large glasses of cabernet sauvignon.
FOX Sports scores a goal with FIFA champions
The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be one of the most important sports events in 2019, and Twitter is teaming up with FOX Sports to make sure soccer fans in the United States on Twitter don’t miss any of the action. Building on a similar partnership during the 2018 FIFA Men’s World CupTM, this expanded effort will give fans the opportunity to follow the action from the USA’s annual invitational tournament, the SheBelieves Cup, in March all the way through the FIFA Women’s World CupTM in France this summer.
Crowdsourcing conversation
CES was also the perfect place to discuss how Twitter has evolved over the last 12 months, and what the future has in store. Speaking to Engadget, Sara Haider, Twitter’s director of product management, unveiled our new beta — an opportunity for users to provide feedback on how we approach conversation on the platform.
#AM2CES
In addition to these announcements, CES was the place we shared that BuzzFeed’s live daily news show “AM to DM” is back for another year of #trending stories, real-time reporting, and scorching Fire Tweets. The renewal of this partnership for 2019 will see “AM to DM” experiment with extended show length, integration of BuzzFeed media brands, and the introduction of new recurring segments.
Time for tee with PGA TOUR
Twitter also teed up the perfect play for golf fans — more live action from the PGA TOUR. In this multi-year deal, fans will have free, global access to over 139 hours of live golf not available on broadcast or any other social platform. “Fan Vote Fridays” will give followers the opportunity to determine which featured group is showcased, and the first 60 to 90 minutes from the morning hours of all four rounds of PGA TOUR LIVE will be streamed on the platform.
Watch this space — and your feed — to see how these exciting partnerships unfold.