Twitter announced a deal Monday to collaborate with Disney on content, particularly live events from the entertainment giant's sports arm ESPN. Details about which sporting events would be streamed live on Twitter were to be revealed later this week. The partnership includes ads to accompany broadcasts, the companies said in a joint statement.
Twitter will also serve as an online venue for video from other Disney subsidiaries, including ABC and Marvel. Video has attracted users to Twitter, and social networks have found keen online appetite for sports.
"Now more than ever, social platforms are putting a major focus on and investment in sports-related content," ESPN senior vice president Travis Howe said. "It is the new primary vehicle driving digital experiences to grow and engage audiences."
Twitter global vice president of revenue and content partnerships Matthew Derella called teaming up with Disney "a huge step forward in expanding the depth and breadth of video content we offer." The Disney collaboration came as Twitter announced 30 new deals for content namely touching on entertainment, sports and video games.
Included in that mix is NBCUniversal, which will distribute live video and clips from an array of its properties, such as NBC News, MSNBC, Today, Telemundo, and E! News, Twitter said. "People tell us what they want to see with the conversations they share on Twitter," said Twitter global head of content partnerships Kay Madati.