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Twitter might have killed off its Music app but now it’s working with the world’s top concert promoter. Today at the NewFronts conference in New York, Twitter announced it is partnering with Live Nation to exclusively livestream video of concerts. Artists including Train, Portugal The Man, August Alsina, and Marian Hill are slated to have shows streamed on Twitter. The first will be Zac Brown Band’s performance, that will air on Saturday May 13th.
As for why the deal makes sense, Twitter tells me “7 out of 10 of the most followed Twitter users are musicians, and Billboard’s Grammy Awards live pre-show was the most viewed entertainment live stream on Twitter to date.”
“Our partnership with Twitter allows us to amplify the live music experience creating a tool for artists to reach millions of fans around the world” says Jordan Zachary, Chief Strategy Officer for Live Nation. “Through Twitter’s product suite, fans will be able to be immersed in the live experience and interact with each other in real time as they watch some of the year’s most exciting concert events.”
The announcement is part of Twitter’s new slate of live premium video content that will include MTV Awards shows and coverage of Fashion Week in New York, Paris, London, and MIlan. Twitter has also announced that it will produce and host a 24/7 streaming news network with Bloomberg that will start airing this fall. The Cheddar news network’s Opening Bell, The Verge’s Circuit Breaker, and BuzzFeed’s Morning Feed will have shows on Twitter live video as well.
“Music has always been one of the most Tweeted about topics on the platform, and now fans around the world will be able to experience concerts live on the same platform where they talk about what’s happening in music” says Twitter COO Anthony Noto.
Now Twitter says it has 200 premium live video partnerships. So basically, anything that people talk about that looks good on camera, Twitter wants streaming in its app. The content could give new or lapsed users a good reason to be on Twitter while also bringing in dollars for lucrative video ads. Twitter has always been where the world dissects the live events everyone watches together on TV. Now it wants to
Some questioned Twitter’s commitment to its live video strategy after the NFL Thursday Night football game streaming deal it struck last season was instead won by Amazon this year. But with today’s announcements, Twitter seems intent on doubling-down on its position as the second screen by trying to become the first screen too.
