Twitter Inks Multiyear WNBA Live-Streaming Deal, Adds New Sports Content

The WNBA will live stream 20 regular-season games per year on Twitter in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The WNBA and Twitter announced today a multiyear streaming deal that will bring live WNBA games to Twitter, beginning with the Dallas Wings at Phoenix Mercury game on Sunday, May 14 at 6 p.m. ET. This marks the first professional women’s sport to be live streamed on Twitter.

The WNBA will live stream 20 regular-season games per year on Twitter in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The games will be available alongside the real-time Twitter conversation starting May 14 at wnba.twitter.com and via @WNBA. The agreement also includes the WNBA joining Twitter’s Amplify program, which will include 40 highlight packages per week being featured across Twitter.

“We are thrilled to bring live WNBA games to Twitter, which will allow us to further showcase our league to a global audience,” says WNBA President Lisa Borders. “This partnership displays Twitter’s extraordinary commitment to women’s sports and the rising popularity of our athletes and our game.”

“We are excited to help extend the reach of women’s sports around the world by collaborating further with the NBA to be the home of weekly live WNBA games for the next three seasons,” says Anthony Noto, Twitter COO. “The growing women’s basketball fanbase will be able to turn to Twitter to watch free games side by side with the real-time conversation.”

In addition to WNBA announcement, Twitter unveiled a host of new sports programming at the NewFronts this week (per TechCrunch). In addition to the weekly MLB game that already streams on Twitter, the MLB will air a weekly, three-hour show featuring highlights from the past week. The NFL will extend its live streaming relationship with Twitter, and it will now include exclusive daily programming. A new Stadium network will cover college sports 24/7. The Players’ Tribune will launch #Verified, a live show where athletes answer fan questions. The PGA Tour already live streams on Twitter, and it now says this will include 360-degree video from the 17th hole during the Players Championship.