Dive Brief:
- Twitter has partnered with Disney and People magazine to live stream a special Star Wars event that includes never-before-seen content from the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story film and a Q&A with the director and cast members, according to a joint press release.
- People is hosting the live stream, which broadcasts Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. PT and can be viewed at RogueOne.twitter.com, in Twitter Moments and through @StarWars and @people.
- In the release, Anthony Noto, COO at Twitter, said people visit the micro-blogging site to find out “what is happening in the entertainment world." Live stream viewers will get “fresh” Star Wars content that can be viewed and tweeted simultaneously on the platform.
Dive Insight:
Live video has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy financial year for Twitter, proving to be a content offering brands are continually interested in experimenting with. The social site has managed to broker streaming deals with every major sports organization, and some offerings, like its original programming with the NBA, are finding big league sponsors like Amex and JBL for support.
Disney turning to the platform to broadcast new footage from the upcoming Star Wars film is more proof of Twitter's sustained value for marketers, and further shows that real-time "exclusive" fan events have a solid home on the platform. Part of this stems from Twitter's built-in second screen capabilities, where users can watch live streams and tweet about them in real time, building buzz and discussion in-the-moment rather than after the fact.
As Twitter integrates its service onto larger-screen devices through partners like Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, events like the Rogue One broadcast might become more popular. The trend also points to how "destination viewing" is migrating away from linear set-top programming in favor of digital channels like streaming, which are proving to be popular with younger, more engaged demographic groups.
