Dive Brief:

• Twitter has signed a deal with the NBA to live stream exclusive original content during the upcoming pro basketball season.
• The deal comprises of a weekly pre-game show and a yet-to-be determined piece of content, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• The deal does not include the rights to live stream any NBA games.

Dive Insight:

While struggling with stagnant user growth and weak ad revenues in the last year, Twitter has been making a splash with its live streaming video deals. Twitter is already set to live stream 10 NFL Thursday Night Football games this fall, and is also live streaming the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. 

Getting the NFL contract was a major coup for the social media platform. Since that deal was announced in April, Twitter has been steadily adding to its live streaming lineup. Twitter's live streaming presence could help revitalize the social platform by attracting new users and advertisers.

Twitter tested its live stream capabilities during Wimbledon earlier this month by streaming some of ESPN’s coverage of the tennis tournament. It also signed a deal with CBS News to live stream both presidential conventions, and is reportedly in talks with Major League Soccer and Turner for additional live streaming video deals. Even though the recent announcement about the partnership with NBA doesn’t include any games, the content will be exclusive to Twitter—something that will help Twitter differentiate itself with its live stream competitors. 

“We’re excited about bringing live content to Twitter, which has proven to be an ideal destination for real-time sports conversations," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "We’ve seen technology bring fans closer to our game, teams and players in ways we could have only imagined a decade ago. This expanded partnership will help feed our fans’ growing demand for the NBA by more deeply integrating the league across Twitter’s many platforms.”