Twitter will bring its live streaming content to television, announcing Wednesday it is launching a new app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Microsoft’s Xbox One.
The announcement came on the eve of the social media site live streaming its first NFL game after forming a partnership with the league. When the Buffalo Bills host the New York Jets tomorrow night, it will be the first of 10 Thursday Night Football games to appear on Twitter.
The free apps will feature all live streaming video available on Twitter, also including sports content from MLB Advanced Media, the NBA, college football on Campus Insiders and Pac-12 Networks. No cable or satellite TV subscription is required, and viewers don’t even need to have Twitter accounts to use the service. The apps also enable users to view top Vines and Periscope, as Twitter has a deal with Cris Carter to do live analysis on Periscope for Thursday Night Football games.
“Twitter has always been a great complement to TV, and now fans can enjoy even more premium video with live Tweets — and the best content on Twitter — right from their TVs,” Twitter chief financial officer Anthony Noto said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce this new experience to people, without requiring a paywall or having to log in to Twitter.”
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Twitter’s talks with Apple on bringing its app to Apple TV for streaming was first reported by the New York Times last month.
Twitter has turned to live streaming to boost the company that has struggled to grow. Besides the sports offerings on Twitter, it also streams content from Bloomberg News and Cheddar for financial news. The hope is to draw in revenue and also new users seeking live experiences, whether it’s with the NFL or underserved content around the sporting world.