US sports: Twitter will broadcast, for free, MLB (baseball) and NHL (hockey) games

Twitter has acquired the rights to broadcast one game per week of the MLB and the NHL which are considered "out-of-market" for TV - or outside the local TV area of the respective teams in each game - announced the social network on 25/07/2016. The duration and amount of the contract, which should start in 2016, are not known. The agreement was signed through the media branch of the MLB, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM).

The broadcasting of these select games each week will be available for free for users of the social network, only within the United States for the NHL, but also in many foreign countries for the MLB. Additionally, Twitter will also broadcast the nightly multi-sports programme "The Rally", produced by the digital media agency 120 Sports. "(With) live games as well as 'The Rally', (we are) giving our audience the live sports events they are already talking about on one screen on Twitter," said Anthony Noto, CFO of the social network, on 25/07/2016.

Twitter: partnerships with four North American professional leagues

• After the agreements with the MLB …