Twitter Canada Branches Out Its Sports-Content Partnerships With Sportsnet, CBC, TSN, and More

At its Canadian #TwitterFronts, the social-media giant spreads its sports wings

Last Thursday in Toronto, Twitter Canada hosted its second-annual #TwitterFronts, rolling out a massive list of new media partnerships highlighted, not surprisingly, by a robust collection of premium sports properties.

Twitter Canada’s Christopher Doyle speaks at the company’s #TwitterFronts event in Toronto on Thursday.

Traditional broadcasters are prominent in the list of partnerships, with entities like TSN, Sportsnet, and CBC Sports planning live-streaming shows on the social-media platform designed to serve as lead-in content to high-profile live sports productions on their air, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the NHL, and much more.

“The appetite for premium video content on Twitter continues to grow across Canada,” said Kay Madati, global VP/head of content partnerships, Twitter, on stage at the event. “This latest roster of deals will definitely address that hunger for top content on our service. From world-class sports and music to original lifestyle content, we’ll be seeing a fantastic array of new viewing options that will allow Canadian brands to move at the speed of culture and connect to the most valuable audiences when they are most receptive.”

Said Christopher Doyle, head of sports partnerships, Twitter Canada, “Twitter has been home to what’s happening in Canadian sports for years, whether it’s the voices of our top athletes or live content and commentary from Canada’s biggest teams and broadcasters. With our new content deals announced at #TwitterFronts, we’re giving our brand partners a new roster of premium sports content to activate against, powered by the largest and most innovative media organizations in Canada.”

Here’s a quick breakdown of some broadcasters’ plans in Canada over the next few months:

TSN
As the official Canadian broadcast partner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, TSN is primed for a big month to come. The network will bring Canadians all 52 matches on the way to the final on July 7. On Twitter, TSN will offer live pregame shows promoting TSN and CTV live game broadcasts while also sharing up-to-the-minute video highlights from all games.

Sportsnet
Sportsnet’s Twitter-specific live show, #IceSurfing, will return for a second season next fall. The production offers highlights, up-to-the-minute analysis, and immediate reactions of all the evening’s biggest plays. Hosted by Sportsnet on-air personalities, the show also includes special guests, live interviews, and real-time interaction with fans watching on their Twitter feed.

CBC Sports
With another Summer Olympics looming in 2020, CBC Sports is already setting its plans to bring the stories of Canada’s greatest athletes as they embark on their journey to Tokyo. CBC Sports intends to deliver a wealth of live and postproduced video content and highlights in real time from a variety of summer (and winter) sports.

NFL Canada
The NFL package in Canada on Twitter will feature live content and real-time highlights. The NFL will also deliver more weekly content with new video-clip series and content formats, such as Q&As, fan polls, and Twitter moments.

DAZN
DAZN offers Canadian-exclusive content ranging from top-flight fighting events to global soccer from some of the best leagues in the sport. Users in Canada can expects unique live and postproduced highlight content from across the live-streaming platform’s portfolio.